"The Earth Laughs in Flowers"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
We had a dinner party last week, which is always a treat for me. Lot’s of work, I know, but still a treat. Choosing the menu, the table settings, the music, who sits next to whom, all to best suit the guests that are expected. And the very best part? The flowers! Winter parties unsually entail a visit to the flower market where, in the icy chill of the cooler, I proceed to lose my mind over the vast array of temptations spread around me. The holiday green of fir branches, the velvet aubergine of calla lillies, the quintessential red of Christmas roses! Lord have mercy, it does make my heart beat faster when I visualize these placed all around my home and I ususally leave the market laden down with a rainbow of selections and nursing a numb-struck case of sticker shock. But in the spring, summer and fall I am the luckiest girl in the world. Surrounding our home are fifty-four of the most gorgeous hydrangeas; blues, pinks and whites, the happiest flowers in the world. Last week I almost felt guilty in my riches when I went out, early on the morning of the party, to cut some for my vases. Choosing just the right flowers for the right vases and later, to wander through the house and view all of these blowsy beauties gracing my tables? Well it just made my heart sing.
No wonder Mrs. Dalloway said she would do the flowers herself!
Ralph Waldo Emerson
We had a dinner party last week, which is always a treat for me. Lot’s of work, I know, but still a treat. Choosing the menu, the table settings, the music, who sits next to whom, all to best suit the guests that are expected. And the very best part? The flowers! Winter parties unsually entail a visit to the flower market where, in the icy chill of the cooler, I proceed to lose my mind over the vast array of temptations spread around me. The holiday green of fir branches, the velvet aubergine of calla lillies, the quintessential red of Christmas roses! Lord have mercy, it does make my heart beat faster when I visualize these placed all around my home and I ususally leave the market laden down with a rainbow of selections and nursing a numb-struck case of sticker shock. But in the spring, summer and fall I am the luckiest girl in the world. Surrounding our home are fifty-four of the most gorgeous hydrangeas; blues, pinks and whites, the happiest flowers in the world. Last week I almost felt guilty in my riches when I went out, early on the morning of the party, to cut some for my vases. Choosing just the right flowers for the right vases and later, to wander through the house and view all of these blowsy beauties gracing my tables? Well it just made my heart sing.
No wonder Mrs. Dalloway said she would do the flowers herself!
Hi Pamela
ReplyDeleteHope your dinner party was wonderful. With all those hyrdangeas, how could it not be. I love the artwork you have inthis and the previous post. Carl Larssen is one of my favorites!
The reason you thought the houses on my blog made you think of the Philadelphia Story is because it was inspired by the lives of the people who lived in the area where I visited. It's called The Main Line. It's full of lots of beautiful mansions and "old money". We used to live there. If you are a "regular" person you really feel like you're poor there!
Hugs, Rhondi
Fifty-four hydrangeas! Wow. I once saw an article in a magazine about a man in France with a garden full of hydrangeas - the photos were stunning. So beautiful. I love that hydrangea blue.
ReplyDeleteAlso, stopped in to say thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog.
Greetings from Ash, in the (rainy today) Scottish Borders. Thanks for calling by my blog, Edward. It looks like you have a pretty cool abode yourself, all that garden, all that attention... Me, I have to share with Midge now, but I am breaking her in slowly.
ReplyDeleteFifty four hydrangeas surrounding your home sounds absolutely gorgeous! I can just imagine how beautiful they looked for your dinner party table.
ReplyDeleteI love hydrangeas! You are fortunate to be surrounded by so many. I also love Mrs. Dalloway, BTW.
ReplyDeleteLOVE hydrangeas! Had blue ones as table centres at our wedding - simple, but gorgeous. And we have a glorious climbing hydrangea petiolaris in white on our front wall, which takes no looking after.
ReplyDeleteAdore your pictures too - they really lift the heart! I feel this is a site I will be coming back to. Thanks for visiting mine.
Hi Pamela - I always feel the key to a party lies in knowing how to rearrange everything seamlessly to accomodate the unexpected guest - Regards, Neil
ReplyDeleteThat is a lot of hydrangeas...lucky lucky you!
ReplyDeleteI like what you wrote about preparations for a dinner party; you've captured the hectic excitement perfectly...