Wandering in the garden today, I noticed the beauty of the crocosmia seedpods. When they first form they are green, gradually turning to a bright orange which then fades to brown as the weather grows colder. At this stage of the winter some still glow orange, while others are ageing to russet and bronze. I decided to pick some for a winter bouquet, then - my curiosity piqued - I decided to see what else remained in the garden for me to add. Amazingly, even at this time of the year I had quite a lot to choose from!
First I added some sprays of ivy, complete with their winter berries (I made sure to leave plenty for the birds). Then I added a lot of oregano seedheads, which although a dark brown colour worked well as a 'filler' much as gypsophila might in a summer bouquet. There were a few bunches of tansy flowers which hadn't quite gone over yet and their cheerful yellow buttons added a splash of colour. I put in a few of the skeletal dried seedheads of umbellifers including ground elder and fennel. The final finishing touches were the crimson twigs of a dogwood shrub which added more colour. The final result is a rather unruly and cheerful tangle of a floral arrangement, but I love its warm, rich colours and think it looks rather special and very seasonal accompanied by a few apples and squashes.
Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 13
Bringing the Winter Garden Indoors
Take a walk in your garden, the countryside or a park. See what you can find to make a winter posy or natural display for your home. Look for:
- Colourful seedpods and berries
- Unusual coloured or shaped twigs
- Pretty leaves
- Winter flowers
- Sculpturally skeletal seedheads
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