Some things put on a show that is fleeting and all the more precious because of it. Such is the Lilac at the corner of R’s studio. Cut branches too early and they will wilt almost immediately, too late and they will last only a couple of days in the vase. I think I’ve timed this just right. Most of the florets have opened, with a few buds remaining at the tip.
I left one plant of Lanceolata Kale to its own devices after pulling up all the others. Here’s what happened: flowers that look good enough to eat (and probably are).
These tulips used to be well-placed but are now asking to be moved to a sunnier home. A hit of red was just what this bouquet needed.
R is always on the lookout for interesting things to add to still life set-ups. I raided his cache for this antique pitcher. This photo was taken on the deck railing in natural light.
But bringing it inside against a dark background shows it off to better advantage. No props, but I like the fallen lilac floret on the dark cloth.
There are many forms of lilac, but this one seems to me to be the most fragrant, and is, after all, where the color got its name. I look forward to a week of its sweet scent drifting through the house.
By clicking on Rambling in the Garden, you will gain entry to a growing number of bloggers who are taking up the challenge of picking something from the garden each week, year-round. Thanks, Cathy, for throwing down this addictive gauntlet.
I grew up with a lilac tree in the garden but I was always told it was unlucky to pick the flowers; but I’m not sure that this was not just an invention of my father who didn’t want anything cut from the garde! Your pitcher looks beautiful.
Christina~Those dads: they do have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Lilac fragrance is amazing. There’s something about the way they flop around that makes it impossible to make a rigid or formal arrangement with them. The quintessential old garden flower about which everyone has a childhood memory. I love your arrangement in the antique pitcher which would be equally at home in a rustic cabin or a Victorian parlor!
Peter~…or a still life by Richard, I might add. Lilac is one of those rare fragrances that I can call up from memory.
This is simply gorgeous, Ricki 😉 Love the photos of the plants growing before you snipped them for your vase. How wonderful to paint the studio the same glorious shade as the blooming lilac, to remember all year these few short days of lilac blossoms 😉 Our lilac in the front has just begun to open, too. Looks like maybe we are ‘catching up’ here in VA after our slow start on spring. The lilac looks wonderful against the yellow Kale blossoms, and a red ‘punch’ from your tulip. A beautiful post 😉
Elizabeth~The door to the studio started out deep purple but, like all pigments with blue in them, it faded to nearly the color of the lilacs. The building itself is more of a taupe. Being in a forest zone, we have a limited palette of house colors that are allowed. Thanks for the kind words.
You’ve got the best eye for flower combinations. This one is so pretty!
Grace~My eye is blushing.
Doesn’t this look effective? The kale flowers and single tulip are spot on and the kale stem trails most dutifully! I wonder if lilac would respond to conditioning with boiling water first – certainly worth a try. Thanks for sharing this and prolonging the pleasure by posting it on Tuesday 🙂
Cathy~Haven’t tried boiling water, but I do cut vertically up the woody stem so that it can take up more water.
Gorgeous!
Susie~Aren’t you sweet!
That lilac – wow! I’d like to stand next to it and just breath in the fragrance.
Jason~I’m going to do just that this afternoon.
So good I could smell them through my computer screen!
Loree~Yep… smell it once and you can smell it forever.
How lovely! I love lilacs. We don’t have them here in Texas… at least my part of Texas. But I grew up with them “up north” in Wisconsin. I remember some of my very first vase arrangements in elementary school consisted of collecting several lilac blooms from my parents’ backyard. Memories…
Rebecca~Lilacs seem to be memory triggers for many of us.