Tuesday Bouquet: "Tape Grid"

 

Hydrangea 'Snow Queen', seen at a local nursery

Tuesday's flower arrangement class presented a different approach from previous weeks:  no florist foam.  Instead, we received a roll of 1/4" wide florist tape and a clear glass cube as our container.  We used the tape to make a grid over the open top of the cube.  The grid anchors and holds the plant material in place. 

Arranging the flowers and foliage in the grid was straightforward, so the instructor spent significant time explaining the tricks in using tape grids.  First:  "Scotch" tape doesn't work.  Any water pops it off the glass and the grid is no longer secure.  

The tape we were given is one the instructor has only seen for sale at florist supply companies.  It is somewhat stretchy and it sticks despite getting wet.   

Another tip: glass containers made in molds have an oily surface that any tape finds difficulty in sticking to.  The molds are coated with a film of oil to release the glass.  Even though the glass is cleaned, there is just enough residual oil to prevent any tape from sticking.  The tape to be secure must stick to itself. 

So, our grid creation involved wrapping tape all the way around the glass cube and then over itself, sticking tape to tape, creating a loop.  We did 4 loops, the first two parallel to each other, each about an inch from the sides of the cube they were parallel to.  Then we turned the cube 90 degrees and did two more loops.  This created a grid of nine holes in which to secure plant material.

 Plant material:

3 white Hydrangea stems

5 stems Alstroemeria:  some a pale peach; some a rich plum

5 stems Solidago 

Silver Dollar Eucalyptus (E. cinerea) 

I got the plum Alstroemerias.  Colorwise, pale peach seemed to create a more elegant and sophisticated arrangement, though I do love that deep saturated plum color.  Initially placing the hydrangeas as a triangle with the other plants interspersed, I then pulled everything out and put the three hydrangeas in a row, with the rest of the materials around the edges except for a couple of stems of Eucalyptus.  That seemed to look better.   

Last week's arrangement still looks good.  Fun thing, the curly willow branches sprouted leaves:

Did a little retail therapy on Sunday.  I'm the one in the fluffy white jacket dashing towards the bags of chicken manure.  Beloved patiently amused himself taking photos.  

Sunday was a gray cold windy day, so the garden center was not crowded and fully stocked up for spring with fresh recently-rained-on plants. Glorious. 

Some things that caught Beloved's eye:

Strelitzia reginae:

Blogger looks over the Leucospermums and takes a phone-to:

Leucospermum 'Helena':

x

Yes it is, and yes I am:

Purchases:  Pelargonium 'Caliente Red', Ceanothus 'Yankee Point', Salvia 'Wendy's Wish', Silene 'Druitt's Variegated'.  And some socks. 

 Back at home, 

Love those Iris. 

A lone carrot appeared!  Many seedlings germinated, but something came in the night and ate them.  One lagging the rest, survived.  It's well protected at the moment:

Arctotis 'Pink Sugar':

Sprinkler repair In Progress shot:

Aloe striata:

Foliage vignette:

Oooh, Aloe speciosa is going to flower.  It doesn't flower every year:

Under the Acer:

I moved a few freshly sprouted Sweet Pea seedlings from around the compost pile to spots here and there:

Sweet pea flower watch continues.  The ones I planted from seeds last fall are five or six feet tall now:

I got more of the Avocado chopped, topping it, basically.  This was a tough job, but it will help the tree in the long run.  The rule of never topping a tree does not apply to fruit trees.  With fruit trees, you trim for, you know, fruit. 

 And we got rain!!!!  0.77" yesterday and overnight.  We're at 5.24" total, a sad amount this late in the rainy season, but better than zero.  Plants are optimists, so I will be, too.