let spring in!!

dutch green hyrdrangea on a bathroom mantle

imported hydrangea is $$$ and worth it……. it lasts so much longer and also drys beautifully……..

curly willow sprouting young leaves

curly willow on the other hand is not expensive and a favorite stand-by for antique urns.

you can leave the branches in water for weeks and they’ll do their thing…… sprouting fresh leaves and little roots, so they can be planted as well.

look how the fresh greens bring in the outdoors!!!!!

pictures taken by carl john sandgren for magdalenasflowers.com at the lovely home of gela nash taylor

no money, no problem

what do you mean “no money, no problem”???????

you have at least one pretty vase, pitcher, cup or drinking glass, no?

sometimes “vases” from the kitchen make amazing vessels to present greens or flowers!!!!!!!!!!

and then take a little stroll through your yard, neighborhood or park…… i’m sure you can find some leaves, branches or a couple of blooms….. and voilà, you have a little floral accent in your house which will brighten your and everybody else’s spirit……

accents around the house to cheer you up

on a moody day it’s good to have little accents around the house to cheer you up……
when i left the gym (!!) this morning i saw these hibiscus blooms (this is california!) smiling at me, and couldn’t resist to take one home with me……

this is a yellow “filled” hibiscus……. they only last for a couple of days…… what a show though…….

the skirt of the little ballet dancer goes perfectly with the puffy skirt of the hibiscus, no??

PINK TULIPS on a moody day in LOS ANGELES

on a moody day like this, only sweet and playful flowers can cheer me up…….

like these LOCAL TULIPS FROM CALIFORNIA……..

in seasons past, i did not care for tulips all that much……. the imported dutch tulips tend to be weak, sometimes moldy…….
these local beauties though are STRONG and PLAYFUL at the same time……. perfect to play with the other PRETTY THINGS on my mantle……

LILAC is in the air

it is in FULL BLOOM and really GOOD QUALITY right now……

don’t miss out on this FRAGRANT shrub, in bloom only ONCE A YEAR……  

in WHITE and various shades of PURPLE  and LILAC (hence the name of the color!!) and perfect for MOTHER’S DAY

LILAC reminds people of their CHILDHOOD GARDENS on the EAST COAST, of EUROPE and SPRING ……

it also reminds me of IMPRESSIONISTIC STILL LIFES….. like this one, lilac in a glass by edouard manet….

so bring LILAC home…….. or let me bring it home for you…….

 

it doesn’t matter if you celebrate PASSOVER, EASTER or BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY

just make sure you have some spring flowers in the house!!!!!!!!!!

like fragrant narcissus……

or the very seasonal easter lilies…… so elegant…….. my mother had a “waterfall” of them for her bridal bouquet…….

all right. flowers for homes.

flowers for homes has a nice ring to it. i like it.

i should, cause i’ve been wanting to write about flowers in private spaces, flowers and interior design for a while now.

i think i can show how flowers transform personal spaces. change the mood and bring a whole room to life.

would like to share with everybody this precious find. a book my husband found at a european flea market.

it’s called “alte kunst in neuen räumen” (antiquities in modern homes) from 1966 and i find it so fresh and yes, modern.

love this room and its furnishings. would love to see a yellow flower arrangement not in the corner on the side table as suggested with the silk flowers pictured, but on the glass coffee table, off center. and yes, daffodils could be nice, although they only last for a couple of days. what about bright yellow, fluffy china mums….. which grow bigger and fluffier with each day, up to 2 weeks. maybe arranged in a turquoise ceramic bowl (possibly an antique from the 60s). would be so strong and fresh and pick up the turquoise of the antique tapestry on the wall.