Adventures in Flower Arranging

As part of my self-improvement project, I decided to seek after some creative endeavors and pursue some things that I have been wanting to pursue.  So far, I have really loved having a weekly outlet and I am absolutely in love with arranging flowers. It is adding a whole new dimension to my garden plans for the new house because I want access to lots of flowers to cut and play with.  Here is a little recap of the class (we basically made one arrangement each time) which was focused on creating arrangements from a home garden with mostly foliage and some very easy to propagate flowers.  And even some weeds:)

Class #1: We focused on diving in and creating, with no specific style or method.  I really loved how this arrangement turned out.

Class #2: We touched on the Japanese Ichibana style of arranging with very few flowers, but with a more Wabi Sabi approach.  Wabi Sabi means to embrace imperfection.  Basically we took a very structured, minimalist, and calculated flower arranging method and let it run free a little bit. I had a lot of fun working within the constraints of Ichibana but it was definitely challenging.

Class #3: We took principles from our Ichibana and Wabi Sabi lesson from last class but then combined them with basic floral arranging principles.  For this class, we brought our own vase and there was alot of gorgeous plant material to work with.

Hoping to have a house update in the next couple days!  Were still waiting on our permits but it should be very very soon.  But then again, I’ve been saying those exact words for months…

Beginnings of our Spring Garden

Clockwise from top left: Broccoli, Jalapeno, Sweet Onion, Thyme, Basil, Flat Leaf Parsley, Brandywine Heirloom Tomato, Yellow Pear Heirloom Tomato, & Red Bell Pepper.

The second half of our garden will hopefully be planted next weekend (weather permitting) & will include carrots, corn, 4 different types of lettuce, artichokes, & radishes.

I finally tackled another project on my list this weekend: a garden binder.  I pretty much followed these instructions but made a few tweaks & you could definitely format it however makes the most sense to you.  I wanted to do this so that I could have a way to track what seeds worked and what seeds didn’t and the dates or our plantings, etc. so that I could use that info in the years to come.

Obsession of the Day: Vertical Gardens

I would never claim to be a green thumb, but I would claim a love for gardening as a process and a creative outlet. My newest botanical crush is the vertical garden, the benefits of which abound. They are perfect for small spaces, require little water or resources, and (best of all) allow the “gardener” to be an artist of sorts. 

The cost options for putting together a vertical garden range from borderline highway robbery (albeit super chic and easy) to very affordable (albiet more time consuming).

Option A: Order the Panels from an online retailer such as Flora Grubb Gardens and fill with your favorite succulents.

20″x20″ Panel – $99.95

Availiable at Flora Grub Gardens

Option B: DIY the panels and fill with your favorite succulents.

Instructions availiable at Sunset.com