Monday, May 19, 2014

Flowers In The House I Live in: May 2014


Today was a perfect spring day. And I napped away half of it.

Both my mind and body said no more. Six events on Saturday, including a Quincenera that cost as much as a wedding had done me in.

So Lucy and I crawled into bed and slept through screaming children and lawn mowers, finally awakening to a torrent of French from Elle's room at 3:00pm.

Flowers in the house flashed through my mind and ignoring everything we know about cutting in the morning not in the heat of the day I fled to the garden grabbing flowers, fled to the attic to unearth a vase or two, took an hour to rearrange the living room and clean out a few drawers in the bedroom.

 While cleanliness is next to creativity for me, a vacuum cleaner is anathema to the cats.

I filled the vases outside and debated taking all pictures in the garden but then I thought what the hell did I clean the house for if not to put the black and white vase full of climbing hydrangea, ornamental plum, bronze fennel, fringe tree, lambs ears, black elderberry, viburnum and one perfect white iris on the Chinese chest?



And a jar full of fragrant pink peonies, lambs ear, clover and lemon slices against a blue wall?

Don't know whether to sniff or sip, do you?

The bedroom got a toile mug full of little red roses, my gas station roses I call them, along with equally pedestrian sages and a few stems of oregano.


Common can still be charming,no?

Last but well loved, a green bowl with three peonies, two Red Charms and the first of the Festiva Maximus.


My work here is done and my house smells divine.

I'll go to bed early tonight so I can be well rested and up for visiting all of you tomorrow.

I have two doctors appointments in the morning but I'll be checking in.

Go ahead, make my day.

xo j

31 comments:

  1. I'm here! http://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/its-that-time-again/ Well, a very minimal contribution.Hey! It's winter where I live! Most of my loveliness is in the garden, not the house.But I done brung one indoors, just for you.

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  2. Nothing pedestrian here! Gorgeous arrangements! Green with jealousy in Central Va.

    Lemons in the water? who knew? xoxox

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  3. I am copying your peonies right now. How clever you are.

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  4. Your season is so much more advanced than mine! Boo hoo!

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  5. Oh, Jane--this is so inspiring. You've created art here. These four pictures would look wonderful hung on a wall together.

    The first one is like a poem, visually and in the names.

    I'm obsessed with all things lemon, and so the second one--lemons and pink, goes straight to my heart. That toile mug is charming and there is nothing ordinary about anything you've done here. Thank you. xo

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  6. I love your plethora of vases not to mention your plethora of flowers. Max hates the vacuum too, he tries to bite it. XOXO

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  7. So beautiful! I failed to muster, my apologies, but I am highly energetic in my appreciate of your effort:).

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  8. Blimey, I'd better hurry up! See you round my house in a minute.....

    BTW, sage is never pedestrian....... x

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  9. I thought after your first photo it couldn't get any better....the wonderful variety in the stunning black and white vase! Ummmm...but then there were your pretty, pretty "gas station" roses and PEONIES! All so very lovely...your house is smiling...and why wouldn't it? Thanks for the party!

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  10. The first one is magical. It almost has a Oriental language that works perfectly with the vase. The bronze fennel never disappoints.

    I have not a single bloom in my trampled garden although I didn't climb under the Limelights to check the Lily of the Valley. Maybe in can come to the party late if it's there.

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    1. Still hoping for some lily of the valley here....mine is all gone.

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  11. Oh how fabulous! I love the wonderful mix of foliage in your first bouquet, and the one perfect white iris is such an excellent crown to top it all off. I must think about whether I can find a spot for black elderberry. I've considered it before, but it never occurred what a charmer it can be for cutting, as well. Thanks for the wonderful and inventive ideas! I also love the lemons in the water. How clever! The peonies are all luscious, too. I can almost smell them from here!

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    1. I love, love, love my black elderberry. Too bad the birds get all the berries, but I get to enjoy the foliage and the pale pink blossoms. Not a bad deal, I'll take it1

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  12. Are they real lemon slices in the water that you put the flowers in? That is SO fun and clever! Does the lemon hurt the flowers? That's my favorite of your arrangements. I love everything about it. I can also envision to fresh scent of lemon and the fresh scent of the peonies. They complement each other perfectly to create an invigorating scent.

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    1. There are real lemon slices and I think they hasten the demise of the flowers...all that acidity.

      But for a party? perfect!

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  13. Hey! I think my comment fell into that black hole of lost comments. Darn. As I was saying... I love all you've done here, especially your black and white vase arrangement. Fabulous, Jane!

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  14. Gorgeous. Am quite envious. We had a foot of snow last week. My peonies have just burst though the soil. Only thing blooming around here is the daffs. And they are banned from the indoors as my girlies think they stink. Silly girls.

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  15. These are blindingly beautiful! It never occurred to me to include lamb's ear in a flower arrangement, and I wonder why not! The pink of the peonies breaks my heart, and together with the lemon . . . looks like . . . something I would like to WEAR!
    All so lovely.
    The fragrances must have been positively rejuvenating.

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  16. 'Foliage' in the house? was heard after viewing the first vase. But it is worthy of being included in the post. Sorry I missed it this month -- too busy with Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Catch you on the next go-round.
    Ray

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    1. Saw your post, your irises are beautiful. Wish i had the patience to stake mine. I cut them from the ground:-(

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  17. I'm truant this month! But stopped by and want to say you always amaze me with your vase collection!!! AND we did a wedding several years ago with pink and yellow peonies in lemon slice lined vases. It's such a pretty combo.

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    1. I love the idea of the yellow peonies. Finally cleaned out vase today, lemons pretty shot.

      Good for a party, not good for a lifetime. Oh well, it was pretty while it lasted.

      Bets the acid kills the flowers off double quick...

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    2. I think the ascorbic acid is actually good for them - kills bugs dead.

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  18. I love all of your arrangements Jane....and it is you that first gave me the idea of including Lamb's Ear in arrangements, which is why I planted several last year and now I am enjoying them inside and out! Gas station roses...did I miss something? I'm curious about that one!

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    1. It's just a rose bush I bought several years ago at Home Depot. Though I would love a garden full of heirloom roses, I have a tendency to go for tough not tender!

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  19. I like the one with peonies & lemon :)

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  20. Hi Jane, happy May! I love all of the flowers in your house :) How do you keep the kit kat's from eating them ? XO

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    1. They don't seem interested in eating, just pulling them apart. Thank God.

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  21. Oh I just LOVE the lemons in your bouquet of peonies! Rats - sorry I missed FITH this month, but I'll live vicariously through you and the other links this time around.

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