Well, it’s the 25th November and it’s four weeks to Christmas and that’s it for my backyard for this year. There are a few pink cosmos plants limping on and the hydrangea blooms will be slowly fading, or rotting away for the rest of the winter, but until next spring they’ll be no flowers from my yard to cut and bring into the house.
Just as well I took the time to photograph some of my favourite combinations from the summer and early autumn flower arrangements.
I keep a selection on my iPad which I use when looking for colour inspiration.
And, every now and then I do sort of copy an arrangement and include the vase as well. You may even recall that I painted a picture of the tall vase arrangement before the design ended up on scarves.
The example below will probably be the last one of this series as the season and the light have moved on and I am feeling the arrival of winter and with that a change of palette.
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Agnes Ashe 
You do make beautiful things, I love the colours you use.
Thank you. I quite liked this one, but it doesn’t always work out. I still have the odd failure after all these years, but we won’t talk about that!
Well, aren’t these lovely? A lot more detail than seems usual in your work?
Well spotted there. You are quite right. I have been deliberately working with more detail as a means to slowdown and make ‘time’ more valuable in the face of the COP26 failure. I swing between anger and despair. I’ve had to switch off the news. It appears you can have too much information.
Quite. Television news went a long time ago. Radio news is now an endangered species here too.
I like the representational nature of this image. And what great colors.
Thanks. It is a small departure for me, but I guess the creative process is never fixed is it?
No, it’s not! You are so right about that.
Re your above comment about too much news. I saw a Facebook joke the other day that went along the lines of ‘Remember when we thought greater access to information would fix stupidity? Yeah … well, it wasn’t that.’ Sometimes it does pay to stick your head in the sand.
Last Mother’s Day an enterprise that used to be called a sheltered workshop – I don’t know what the politically correct name is now – gifted all the ladies living here a plant in a pot the person had decorated (mine has pretty pink and purple flowers painted on terracotta) and potted up themselves. My plant suffered badly under my care until I sent it to Bill’s mate, who, told me, quote, “Due to COVID none of you may attend the internment of probably the ugliest plant I have ever seen. I will continue to administer TLC for the immediate future. We will see what happens.”
It came back to me a few weeks later in flower, and has continued to flourish and flower since then. Going out tomorrow to buy it a bigger pot. It looks like some form of Impatiens. But that is the only plant we’ll have this summer – assuming our summer ever comes. We are officially in a La Niña cycle. It keeps raining and temperatures are cool for us.
So even your winter battered garden may be a source of light and loveliness for me. Except a friend in Nottinghamshire sent photos of snow falling today. Started at daybreak and didn’t give up till 4pm.
Oh yes they’ve had tough up north, but so far we’ve only had one hard frost. And, any flower is a good flower except if it’s a stinky one when indoors.
PS totally off topic but I can hear the TV news drifting to my study from the lounge room. Even Barbados made it to a republic before Australia has come to grips with the idea of leaving the monarchy. Sheesh!
Oh yes, thought that was fab news. And, really didn’t see why any member of the Windsor family had to be present either.
Look what was the very next blog post I read after commenting on yours: https://livingonthedowns.wordpress.com/2021/11/25/climate-change-australian-frustration-at-government-inaction/
So well written!
Ah yes, my daughter and I were just saying the other day how bad we feel to be English and the lack of action here and the failure of COP26. Seems we share much with many fellow Australians and Americans who so want to distance themselves from their own governments. I agree with the ‘living under a rock’ sentiment, but actually in reality it’s more likely the politicians are looking after themselves and their kind and keeping the status quo going for as long as possible.
Lovely!
Thank you. Bit brighter than today’s weather.
Certainly