Welcome to our beloved Monday Morning Blooms. Our design inspiration this time is g r e e n. I know you will be excited to visit Shirley, Pam and Mary through the links at the bottom of this post...because they are all sharing that luscious happy color green!
We're looking towards spring, and celebrate every single little pop of green in the garden here at FrenchGardenHouse. You, too?
It's always fun to design a little area in your living room that has a seasonal touch, and it doesn't take much.
At our house, I usually combine a bouquet of flowers with a few decorative accessories and call it done.
This antique commode in the living room here at home is the softest, prettiest shade of green. Sometimes in the photos it looks grey, but it's a pale green, with gilt accents and hand painted flowers on each drawer. I keep my napkins and candles in it. {True confession: the bottom drawer is a bit of a mess. It has a jumble of little antique pieces in it that I took out of a glass fronted vitrine when I bought the big French marriage armoire that you can see in the mirror's reflection. I know, I need to go through it, but it never seems to get a turn.}
For this spring arrangement, I wanted to play off one of my favorite choices for bouquets, the cabbage. I love how these look with white hydrangeas and other white flowers! With so many different intensities, green is a naturally rich choice for bouquets, but usually they are kept in the background as filler. In this arrangement I wanted cabbage to go BIG!
You can often buy a few stems of cabbage like this at the flower market. You will want to add some bleach to your water because this is the one thing I don't like about them, after a while they smell a little. But the bleach in the water totally takes care of that! It just takes a few drops. Relax the leaves of the cabbages by carefully turning them downward to expose the rosette at the center more.
I love everything about these cabbages! They add bright color, great texture, and a little something un-expected to any flower arrangement. My little rabbit, who is a little worse for wear, makes the perfect accent. Because rabbits love cabbage! He {and I} don't mind if one or two of the cabbage leaves looks like it came straight out of Mr. McGregor's garden.
It couldn't be easier to make a flower arrangement like this, just cut all the flowers the same length. I began by crossing the stems of about 2/3 of my bunch of alstroemeria in the vase, then added the 3 hydrangeas and the 3 cabbage stalks. Turning the vase around a few time, I filled up the "gaps" with the rest of the alstroemeria stems.
Green with Envy Flowers
I ordered many different colors, but for this seasonal {Spring!} display I selected a few of the green ones, and these gorgeous spring flower jacquard ribboned ones. Two art deco glass vases and a metal green cherub stand on an antique stool to add height. The antique ironstone pitcher with its green monogram and that tiny French glass bottle complete this little scene. The French candlesticks were already there.
Green is a little magical, don't you agree? According to color experts, green inspires and vitalizes us in all hues. It symbolizes growth, and connects us to Mother Nature. Relaxing and soothing, just stepping into a green garden can soothe your soul and relax your mind.
In the last few years, green has become more than a color, it's also become a verb. To be green is to think about the future by recycling and re-using. {It's also one of the meanings of this color.} Antiques are green!
I hope this green arrangement for spring sparks your imagination for a flourishing season.
One last thing: The reason I called this flower arrangement Green with Envy Flowers is because Mr. FrenchGardenHouse and I {well, him really, since you know he is the gardener!} have been trying to grow our own ornamental cabbages for a few years. Darn if those squirrels don't wait until they are finally looking like something and then yank them out of the ground and eat them! So rude.
We've tried putting netting, growing in a raised bed, adding screened cages around them, but they are smarter than we are. So there you have it, I'm just a little envious {read-jealous} of people who can grow these. They are so pretty!
Also this: I would be remiss if I didn't mention how heartbroken I am for the people of Ukraine. Please pray for them. Your prayers are needed, so meaningful and felt. If you feel moved, I humbly ask that you pray with me for a peaceful way out of this invasion and war. If you’re looking to support the people of Ukraine, please donate to Unicef .
Other green floral inspiration:
French Country Luncheon for Friends >
VISIT OUR BLOOMS TEAM FOR SOME FLOWER THERAPY:
Shirley at Housepitality Designs
and me, Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse
Green floral arrangements, YES? or NON?
I'd love to hear what you think about bringing some fresh green in the house at this time of year?A BIENTOT
Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and above all uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com
29 comments
Thanks Theresa! Like in NC, our flowers here in Southern California are confused, our climate goes from sweater weather to the 80 to sit by the fireplace weather on the daily too. Hope you have a nice week too. xo
Thank you so much Bonnie. And thank you for joining me in the “messy drawer club” – and most especially for joining in prayer for the people of Ukraine. Sending you love on this Monday and wishes for a beautiful week.
Thanks so much Shirley. It was so fun putting together an all green arrangement, even if I cheated a little with the white. As usual, it’s a blessing to join all of you dear friends for our Monday Morning Blooms. Hope you have a beautiful week!
Your cabbage arrangement is quite stunning! I love all the shades of green. Your little vintage rabbit made the perfect accent. The lavender wands are fascinating and unique. Your vignette on your beautiful chest is delightful and charming.
Now, I am envious that you only have one drawer that you would like to reorganize! I have many.We have so many squirrels, too. They eat the stuffing out of my porch pillows and dig in my flowers as well!
My heart hurts for the Ukrainian people. A horrific situation. I continue to pray for the complicated situation.
Thank you Lidy, for the respite of beauty in this troubled world.
Beautiful post, green is my color and your arrangements are lovely. A spring inspiration! It is 80 degrees in NC today and back down in the 60’s tomorrow, our flowers are a bit confused.
Have a nice week Lidy!
Oh Lidy, I am crazy about the cabbage, it look fabulous and so perfect for Spring and St. Patrick’s Day! It looks so pretty with the hydrangea blooms and alstromeria. The little rabbit is adorable, and the Fuseau de Lavande is quite beautiful! Squirrels are famous for creating havoc in the garden, they are always digging in my flower pots and making a mess! Thank you for the wonderful green inspirations today!
Lidy, that is the most beautiful cabbage that I have ever seen, the leaves are perfection. It makes a lovely presentation with the hydrangeas and alstroemeria. I can just imagine the sweet fragrance from the Fuseau de Lavande. I am green with envy over the stunning vintage vases. It is a constant battle in my garden with rabbits, squirrels, and armadillos. We have already had a rabbit digging around plantings in the front landscape.
It is always a pleasure to join you for flower therapy and Monday Morning Blooms. Wishing you a lovely Monday!
Lidy, I’m green with envy over your beautiful vignette and décor! Your Fuseau de Lavande make such sweet and fragrant bundles and gifts…I’m especially smitten with those tied with the floral-patterned ribbon. It’s a challenge to outwit those dastardly squirrels! Our squirrel population runneth over with our oak and hickory trees. We’ve had a time with them nesting and chewing our hydraulic lines in our boat, gnawing our all-weather wicker chairs and chewing through my vinyl window boxes by the Potting Shed. You might try sprinkling blood meal on your cabbages as they don’t like the smell. Thank you for the beauty this morning. It’s always a treat to share blooms and join you for some flower therapy. Happy Monday <3
Oh what a most beautiful vignette of green on your exquisite antique commode. Yes, green with envy of the beautiful cabbage. I do not see that variety here in our stores. I so love the Fuseau de Lavande…they do have the most wonderful aroma and I love displaying mine. I do have envy over the beautiful green vintage vases. Such a wonderful shade of green. I have tried growing many pretty flowers/plants; however, it is truly a battle with the deer, squirrels and rabbits here. Thank you for the beautiful green inspiration today….it’s always a great pleasure in joining you today for MMB along with our Bloom friends. And, thank you Lidy for creating our beautiful Spring MMB graphic! Have a most fabulous week!!