Читать книгу Slow Flowers - Debra Prinzing - Страница 15

TWO BUNCHES OF MY FAVORITE SPRING FLOWERS are all that’s needed to fill this charming vintage vase. The pale mint pottery plays nicely with the ranunculus’s green foliage, stems and buds. And a bit of green peeks out from the lilac tips. The joyous shades of apricot, coral and pink in the mixed bunch of ranunculus put a smile on my face.

Even though this vase is relatively small, its 5 x 5-inch opening accommodated one of my smaller vintage flower frogs, which anchors the lilac stems. I cut them fairly short, leaving only 3-4 inches of stem, which ensures that the white clusters drape gracefully over the rim of the vase.

The lilacs are snugly arranged, yet there’s still plenty of space between their fragrant blossoms to accommodate the ranunculus. Grown from a tiny tuber, the ranunculus produces fern-like green foliage, fleshy stems and tightly packed round buds that open to reveal layer upon layer of soft, curved petals. Placed in a random pattern, with the stem lengths varied for interest, they convey the new, hopeful spirit of the season.

When photographing the arrangement, I played around with different display ideas. Here, a wooden wine crate doubles as a shadow box, while a green-stained Ikea planter (turned upside down) is the perfect pedestal. Together, they make an alluring stage for my floral still life.

Ingredients:

10 stems lilac (Syringa vulgaris), grown by Oregon Coastal Flowers

12 stems Ranunculus asiaticus, including ‘La Belle’ and ‘Super Green’ varieties, grown by Everyday Flowers

Vase:

5-inch tall x 5-inch wide x 3-inch deep vase (overall height is 5½ inches)

From the Farmer

Extending the vase life: For decades, it’s been the conventional wisdom of florists that woody shrubs, such as lilacs and hydrangeas, benefit from a second cut, a vertical slice up the center of the stem, to increase the surface area that can absorb water. But according to professors Lane Greer and John M. Dole, authors of Woody Cut Stems for Growers and Florists, a research-based reference, the practice “has never been proven to extend vase life.” The best thing you can do is to use clean, sharp pruners and refresh the vase water every day or so.