SLOW FLOWERS: Week 35
September 1st, 2013
Made – and Grown – in America
Two vintage vases with lovely matte glazes contain simple bouquets of ruby-red dahlias and calla lilies. The silvery Dusty Miller foliage ties it all together.
Ingredients (for each vase):
11 stems Dusty Miller (Centaurea cineraria), grown by Charles Little & Co.
5 stems Dahlia ‘Naomi’, grown by Jello Mold Farm
5 stems ‘Hot Lips’ calla lilies, grown by Oregon Coastal Flowers
12 stems love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena ‘Persian Violet’), grown by Charles Little & Co.
Vases:
6¼-inch tall x 5½-inch diameter vintage Haeger vase (green)
5¼-inch tall x 5½-inch square vintage McCoy vase (turquoise)
This detail photo shows how the calla lilies and dahlias are in perfect harmony with the little strips of the love-in-a-mist.
Eco-technique
Green couture: More than ever, floral designers and their customers are adopting green practices, and the vase itself is one important way to be more sustainably-minded. For example, instead of using inexpensive, made-in-China glass floral vases, I opt for something unusual (and usually just as affordable).
Great vases can come from flea markets, garage sales, thrift stores and hand-me-downs from relatives. For less than $15 at a time, I purchase a case of one dozen made-in-the-USA Ball canning jars – ideal vases for last-minute gift giving. In fact, I’ve trained my neighbors to return their jars so I can reuse them for future bouquets.