after 2 flower school classes....

I'm ready to venture out on my own. I took a second class at the little flower school on the Saturday before Mother's Day....it was a mother/daughter class...so I 'had' to attend.
My arrangement from that day is gone....(OK I forgot to add water and then I wondered why it wilted)

But today I did one on my own. With some help from Saipua flowers that have been out on my 55 degree porch since Monday. And this time I changed the water and clipped the stems to keep them going.

So I started with a base of Mountain Laurel from my bush out by the front step. It needs to be pruned anyway:

Then I added some "show" flowers. Gorgeous tree peonies....

And then I filled in with solomon's seal, lavender, rosemary sprigs, lambs ear and white iris (from my garden) and more peonies and some garden roses.
Here is the result: (oh and a couple of ranunculus for 'gestures'....)

How'd I do Sarah?

flower girl

Sarah arrived yesterday for the afternoon and evening bringing all sorts of flower goodies from Saipua.

1. forsythia cut from my 'wild' bush in the back.
2. johnny jump ups planted in the pot by the front door.
3. new hellebores for my garden...she planted them, too.
4. last years hellebores coming up....she found it for me.

later a dinner of Penne with Lamb Ragu....thanks to Last Night's Dinner.

The New Saipua

I was in Red Hook today to visit the NEW Saipua shop.

We've moved to 147 Van Dyke....a block and a half from the old shop....the new space is incredible....and I wish I could post a photo....but my camera battery died at the most inopportune time.

So...you'll have to go see the space in person, or check it out on Sarah's blog.

Instead you'll have to be satisfied with the antiquity I bought at Erie Basin while I was there.



Russell tells me its Etruscan.....brought up by divers from the Mediterranean.

It will look great as a sculpture in my garden!

Wrapping it up

I spent Sunday at Saipua, while Sarah and Eric were at the Brooklyn Flea. I like being the shopkeeper once in a while and talking to folks that come by.


Yesterday was pretty quite in the neighborhood, it being a holiday weekend and all....so I wrapped soap.



When they came back from the market, the three of us headed over to The Farm for dinner. Great ambiance, delicious food....but no strawberry rhubarb crisp. The only item on the dessert menu that could have convinced me to go for dessert.

I did score some lovely anemones from the shop
before I left....one of my favorite flowers.



Sarah and Eric are in the midst of a very busy
wedding season. For photos of the wedding they did at Wave Hill last weekend, check out this blog at Little Winter Bride.