Come What May

Please try to ignore that I left a gaping hole near the lip of the vase, showing my mechanics. I didn’t notice until I was looking at my photos later. Next time I’ll do better (lol).

Chance of Showers, brings May flowers. (Hopefully June, July, August and September too.)

There is so much to learn about floral design. The more experience I put under my metaphorical belt, the more I realize this to be true. I learn something new with each arrangement I design. I find that in this way, floral design both mimics and is an extension of my personal journey to self discovery. The more life experience, the more there is to learn about myself. I’ve been working with flowers professionally for one year. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been able to work as a designer at a local flower shop without having any previous experience. Combined with my interest in gardening, I’m so excited to see where this path will lead me.

The best part about creating a design at home and on my own time is the ability to let my creativity be the driving force. This allows me to create a piece of art in it’s purest form without limits or expectations. From these creations I hope to uncover my own signature style. For example, I notice that I have a tendency to prefer lots of greenery and a bit of wildness. It will be interesting to note how my style evolves over time. With this arrangement I didn’t have much of an outlined plan for color scheme or style. Still new to cut flower gardening and having put this together in early May in Ohio, I had very few spring flowers of my own to use as ingredients. I am at the mercy of what is available to me, after all. I was able to forage the majority of these ingredients from my yard, however thanks to one of my local grocery stores I scored the roses and tulips.

I really appreciate the mix of vibes going on here, a little bit Granny’s garden and a touch of romance. It’s difficult to pinpoint a focal flower with this mixture, meaning not one element really outshines any other. For me the interest comes from the unexpected beauty of those fluffy, purple orb-like structures, wild leek. Our flower beds are bursting with them during early spring so I knew I had to find a way to incorporate them. I wasn’t sure how they would interact with the rest of my ingredients, but wow! They really brought the arrangement together and add an element of playfulness. I like to think these are representative of the bouncing, curious grandchildren frolicking in granny’s untamed garden. The other element that cannot possibly go without mentioning: Little Miss Bleeding Heart. Oh bleeding heart of mine! I love our bleeding heart bush, it produces such beautiful and unique blooms that show for nearly two months. I promised romance didn’t I? And what’s love without roses and heartbreak?

The arrangement really turned into something special and oftentimes as I finish up with any remaining final touches, I surprise myself with the beauty I’ve crafted. This time was no exception.

In memory of Achilles.

Thanks for reading.

Chance of Showers