The Vase Is Half Full: Winter and Spring Flowers

Last week during the torrential rain storms here in Louisiana I noticed a pale yellow film standing on the tops of water puddles in the driveway. Enter the time of year when the cold for Louisiana temperatures rise signaling a call to bloom to both winter and spring flowers.

Camellias

With what appears to be the first signs of an early spring comes a mixed fertilizer bag of jubilation and dread. Into every flower bed and decorative garden planter a little dusting of bright yellow must fall.  It’s the annual trade-off  we must endure in order to bring forth the colors and blooms of the season.

spring-centerpiece

Pollen is the necessary ingredient (evil) in nature’s bud and bloom recipe. I could live without the yellow calling card it leaves everywhere during the creative process, but the plants could not.  With that being said, I focus on the lovely end result of nature’s process and the beauty it creates spring after spring.

Camellia

In the spirit of winter and spring colors, today’s positive attitude is brought to you by the glass vase is half full with water and totally full of gorgeous camellias and azaleas.

camellia in vase

Camellias infuse color and a spring preview into what winter we do have in Louisiana.  Even though winter is still with us,  spring is already waving a color packed hello. I’m beginning to gather ideas for my Easter tablescape and dinner presentation, and this one is being added to the must make list!

Floral ice cubes

Floral ice cubes make a pretty presentation, don’t you think?  This spring fling party in a glass floral presentation looks relatively simple to achieve. From the May 2011 issue of  Martha Stewart Living:

To suspend flowers in the cubes, work in layers: Fill an ice tray (one that makes large cubes so the ice will last longer) a quarter of the way with water, add flowers facing down, and freeze. Add more water to fill halfway, and freeze. Fill to the top, and freeze again.

For ice that’s especially clear, use distilled water that has been boiled and then cooled. This limits impurities and air bubbles, which make ice cloudy.

Use only edible flowers, such as orchids, nasturtiums, pansies, and snapdragons, that have been grown to be eaten (to ensure they haven’t been treated with chemicals).

sleeping cat

Nice winter driveway look we’ve got going on at Places In The Home. Tidying it up is on Dave the Builder’s going to get to it list now that the rain has stopped and the temps are mild.  The lazy days are in season all year round for Fatty Cat.  And so it goes…

Love your style!

 

 

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