Ella Fitzgerald's melodious rendition
of the Kern/Mercer classic waxes
eloquently about nostalgic orientation,
yet most eschew anything passé. That
aside, we now reside in the middle of
nowhere. Hence the absence of access
to anything botanically exotic. Therefore
when I prepare to arrange my posies, I'm
stuck with whatever options my grocer
or florist have in their refrigerated cases.
Most are the familiar floral fare, stolid
standards that last long and don't smell.
Yet sadly all have fallen out of favor.
What's odd is that I don't find it a
problem. Rather than rebel, I just
channel my inner Constance Spry
and celebrate these tried and true
blossoms from the past. The fact
is having fresh flowers at home is
considered posh in these parts. No
longer do I worry whether Renny
or L'Olivier might wilt at the site
of my centerpiece. Now it's just
about making my guests feel a bit
special and not keeping up with
the latest floral frenzy.
I adore roses and while the old
varieties are most fragrant, I'm
perfectly happy with the long
stemmed beauties. Two dozen
grouped en masse in a rose bowl
creates a lovely focal point on my
table. Last Christmas, I used red
to great effect and while not chic,
they certainly made a statement.
Usually I stay with the one variety
or color. However occasionally I
mix in tea roses of a subtle shift
in tone for a charming effect.
I'm quite a fan of Carnations. I adore
their sweet peppery scent and find
the miniature variety gathered by a
common tone quite suitable. Long
maligned funereal, Gladioli grouped
in a proper vase can be quite elegant.
Again I've found that if you stick to
one tone, you can arrange any mix of
these hot house varieties into rather
spectacular bouquets. Certainly not
fashionable, they're oddly charming
in a nostalgic way. I love anything
that reminds me of days gone by.
Even in Montana, cottage gardens
sport viable varieties. Peonies are
my favorites however Lilacs offer
strong competition. The Passion
Pit has two huge Lilacs - one in
the deepest violet I've ever seen!
Their fragrance wafts on a gentle
breeze to create pure heaven. As
charming are Daisies, Hollyhocks,
Sweet Peas, Delphiniums, Zinnias,
or other classics in bloom. Some
how we forgot the simple things
and suddenly became floral snobs!
If liking all of the above means I'm
out of date then so be it! What was
good enough for Wallis Simpson is
fine for me! Before everything was
shipped from South America we
made do with hot house stock or
artificial posies. Exotics were rare
because all had limited geographic
or seasonal access. In my opinion,
instantaneous gratification ruined
many things including flowers. It's
time to stop and smell the roses...
