Tuesday Bouquet: "Pokehala"???

 

This weeks floral arrangement class project contained:

Eight roses

Five "Hala" (Pandanus tectorus) leaves

One ornamental Kale stem

Galax leaves  

I had to look up Hala leaves.  Took a few tries, but found it.  Native to Hawaii and important in Hawaiian culture, " utilizing the leaves for everything from sails on voyaging canoes to essential items like mats, baskets, and clothing".

We were instructed to arch, bend and twist the Hala leaves into interesting shapes by poking a tip or two of one leaf through a slit in another.   Hence, our instructor jokingly called the arrangement "Pokehala".   The Hala leaves were somewhat tricky; the rest was easy--arrange the roses at different heights around the Hala leaves, placing the ornamental kale stem at the base of the Hala leaves, and covering the florist foam with Galax.  

The instructor talked about the costs of arrangements.  She figured $5 for each rose x 8 roses = $40.  Each Hala leaf, $2.50.  Ornamental Kale stem, $3. Galax bunch, $2. Plus foam and container, $5-$10.  Plus labor--add 10-30%.  So, $100 retail for the above (done better by a professional).  A lot of the cost is actually the plant material!   

I intended to post of photo of last week's container with its tape "grid", (photo next week) but most of the arrangement still looked good.  The Hydrangeas, not so good, so I pulled those and put in a couple of garden Iris to refresh it:

I don't quite love the saturated hues of the Iris with the  muted shades of the Solidago, Alstroemera, and Eucalyptus, but...I do love those Iris, and there are plenty in the garden at the moment.   A moment which looks not like the first harbinger of Spring, but Spring itself.  One day winter ick, one day later and it's all fresh clean newness.  

Some volunteer Matthiola incana (heavenly fragrance!!) shoved into my trusty steel outdoor vase:

 Aha!  Succession bulb flowering in a pot, accidental version--a Freesia begins just as the Not-Tuberose narcissus are finished.  Must try that on purpose next fall:

Yes, those Iris:

Soil amended and prepped for tomatoes: 'Juliet', 'Rapunzel', 'Supersweet 100':

Finally found an Agave victoriae-reginae at a reasonable price.  This is a slow grower, so the price goes up accordingly.  It gets 'Sun Glow's spot:

The Lobelia erinus I grew from seed are starting to flower.  I put too many seeds in each cell--the seeds are dust-like tiny--so a lesson learned for next time.  Still, they grow and flower:

Nature is wasteful--it just is.  I must have pulled two  hundred sprouted acorns.  Not every acorn can become a mighty Oak.  I only hope our Oak survives long enough and is cherished long enough in the future to be allowed to become mighty.  Or to produce an acorn that becomes mighty. 

Moved some Foxglove seedlings around.  these may not flower until next year--or never, but I'll try because there is space:

Funny that the Aeoniums behind the Hippeastrum papillio looks like the Hippeastrum is sprouting strange black flowers:

Agave mitis 'Nova' continues:

Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny' is putting on a big show this year.  More pics on Bloom Day.

Here's that new freshness of Spring, dark Hellebore leaves with white flowers, chartreuse Sedum 'Angelina' and mid-green Agapanthus foliage make a nice combo:

The garden is waking up from a not-great winter melancholy, and it feels like the gardener is, too.  Rain forecast for tonight!  Wheeee!!!!!