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In a Vase on Monday: a gift idea and some cheating

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I adore our library system. Don't get me wrong, I love owning books, but I don't need to own them all, that would be ridiculous. Well, maybe not ridiculous but problematic. Our home is small. So when I started reading reviews of In Bloom; Creating and Living with Flowersaround the inter-webs I immediately logged onto the Mulnomah County library system website and was thrilled to find it there, hold placed!

This is a beautifully photographed book, Ngoc Minh Ngo is a talented lady who clearly adores her subject. The book is broken down into eleven sections, each profiling a floral artist (note: not necessarily a "florist"). A one page introduction (with impossibly small text) opens each chapter and then luscious photos follow, eye-candy of the highest order.

These from the section on Livia Cetti...

Who works with both real and paper foliage and flowers...

What appears to be a hand-illustrated curtain appears in the section on Italian writer and horticulturalist Umberto Pasti.

And this, sculpted from metal! The work of Carmen Almon...

After drooling over my borrowed copy I noticed I'd also put this on my Amazon wishlist, maybe before I realized the library had it available. Oh well, what a lovely gift to receive, even if I've already "read" it. This is an inspiring book that shares the many ways we humans live with, and love, flowers and foliage. I can think of many who would enjoy unwrapping this on Christmas morning!

One of those profiled in the book, Sarah Ryhanen, of the wonderful Saipua, is quoted as saying: "at their best flowers teach you to live in the moment and then let it go"... a sentiment I've often thought, although not so eloquently. I am forever living in the past or the future. Flowers, plants, the garden in general pull me into the present like nothing else can. On that note, this trio of small vases (two of them actually in mercury glass votive holders) are part of my holiday decor...

This one includes a combo of purchased stems and ones pulled from my garden, and it really does look better in person.

The fun green "berries" are the purchased part. I think it's Berzelia but it could be Brunia. I bought them at our local New Seasons Market and neglected to get the name, even though they had them labeled. Thankfully when I asked a couple days later the lovely lady working that day knew what I was talking about!

Cuttings from my own Blue Atlas Cedar and sprawling Rosemary fill out the vase.

This one has a couple cut stems from a purchased (of course) Poinsettia...

With Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow'...

...and Grevillea australis from my garden.

Details that can get missed in the garden are highlighted in a vase.

More Blue Atlas Cedar, green berries, and Rosemary sprigs, are joined by the green puff-balls of Dianthus (Dianthus barbatus ‘Temarisou’) in this vase...

I love this combination!

Nothing says holiday "decadence" to me like small bouquets all over the house.

Which brings me too these. I wasn't expecting to add sherbet colored Ranunculus to the holiday mix.

But another trip the market later in the week, this time with Andrew, and these had to come home with us. He fell for them hard.

Who am I to deny a man his flowers?

"At their best flowers teach you to live in the moment and then let it go" - Sarah Ryhanen

Please visit Rambling in the Garden for all the bloggers participating in this florific Monday meme.

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

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