Hi Dianne, Thanks. It is Russian vine, and no doubt I'll be using it alot! It has an abundance of flowers and the stems are very flexible to manipulate.
How long will you be in Europe and where are you going? We will miss your arrangements, so don't make your holiday toooo long!
The FLOWERPOT Cafe' XI
Ooh, very pretty, and such a lovely container.
Hi Mittsy, Thanks, I got the container at a fancy florists, it's handmade with resin. I love finding something a bit different.
Hope to see some more of your gorgeous waterlilies. Thanks for adding the pond, it's been lovely sitting by it today!
Hey Steven! where you at man? LoL!
Terri - The first leg of my trip is a 8 day cruise. Starting from Amsterdam, and ending in Barcelona, stopping in 5 countries. Will be staying in Barcelona for about a week, then 5 days in Berlin, then 10 days in Denmark. I will be traveling with some relatives on the cruise, then I will be traveling on my own to visit people that I have met through the years at the university. All of them former students that I have been promising that I will visit one of these days. I don't teach, but I help with the research end. The wonderful thing about being in soil science is that you meet people from all over the world. Hence my DG name - soilsandup. This is my very first time ever in Europe, so I am making the most of it by making it a month long trip. I am turning my garden over to my kids, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that one out of the three will remember to water at least twice. LoL.
I love your arrangement Terri, especially the tendril curling down around the vase. Its very wistfull!
Enjoy your trip Soils!
Sue
Soils,
If it is at all possible while you are in Denmark try to take the early evening walking tour of Copenhagen. When my husband and I visited my relatives it was one of the highlights of our trip. The tour is in English only so you really get all the information the guide is imparting. We found the information in a guide book on where to meet, the steps of City Hall?
And be sure to visit a Bageri (Bakery) that displays a gold pretzel. It has the endorsement of the King or Queen. Fantastic! But all the bakeries were good!
The most beautiful floral displays were found at Tivoli Gardens.
Enjoy your trip.
Here ya all go, since we sitting outside for awhile. Was checking my humemr feeders and found a couple of dead pots had made a couple of blooms from the first rain since May that we finally got.
Serving them up on a silver platter too. Enjoy em while they last, be long time for I find any more blooms.
I am so mad, I was out deadheading this morning and had to take a picture of my Hosta Blue Wedgwood's flowers. When I stood up I was at eye level to a bloom of my Wisteria. It must have bloomed last week while my daughter and granddaughters were visiting. I have been waiting years for it to bloom, and I missed it.
Hi all,
Dianne, a whole month away, try to send us a postcard from all the places you go! If you get a chance to go to the Keukenhoff gardens in Amsterdam, they are wonderful. I'm sure your kids will keep the garden lovely. LoL!
Sue! We are keeping the cabinet hahaha!
Glad you enjoyed the ice cream, Thank you. We could do with a few more flavours on the menu!
Star, Thank you for the pretty flowers, what are the pink ones called?
Mittsy,Don't be too mad with yourself for missing the wisteria, you have a good excuse! what happened to the picture of the Hosta? LoL!
I think Candee and Sue have gone to the cabin without me, I've been waiting to get picked up for 4hrs! Maybe they got lost in cyber space!!
Have a good weekend everyone, I'll leave these handbag ideas on the table.
might be fun to make each other a handbag!
Artificial flowers welcome!
Mittsy and Terri - thanks so much for those two suggestions of gardens to visit. I will have to see the museums ,churches, castles and all that because Europe has such a rich and deep history, but visiting gardens is very high on my list too. Any other suggestions of places to visit is most welcomed.
Mittsy - we had a wisteria for almost 20 years and I have never seen a single bloom on it. At least you got to almost see one, and now you know that it is capable of blooming.
Star - glad you were able to find those blooms. They are quite lovely.
I would love to hitch a ride to the cabin too. The handbags are intriguing, but I am afraid beyond my capabilities. Nice article though - thanks for leaving them.
Great article on the handbags. Byond me but well written. Thanks for sharing.
Wow.. Neat handbags. : ) Thanks for posting the pics and directions. In a couple of weeks I will be in a place where the shrub grows that they using on the first pic. Wonder about how many leaves they used to cover that one.
Wonder if using artifical flowers, if ya could maybe dip in startch some material to cut into the shape of the leaves.
Terri.. The pink and the white are both cascading double petunias. They was pink yesterday and went to change the water this morning and the pink has turned to purple overnight.
Wish I could go on a trip, but since I can't you have lots of fun and enjoy yourself. : )
i love your hand bag
i would like to make one
could you write direction
elle
Ohhh Dianne and Mittsy! I'm sure you are both quite capable of making a handbag! In your own styles! and Dianne, you need to use your flowers before you go!
Star, I think fabric and flowers is a great idea.The more variety the better.
I never have much luck with petunias!
elle, the first pic shows you how to make the handbag, all the others are examples of what you can do.
I'll try to take a close up of the others in the daylight tomorrow. If I get some time next week I will try to make one and show you how I did it ok? Is there one in the pictures that you want to make?
I think this is a perfect opportunity to use Mittsy's idea of 'gotta work with what you 've got' LoL!
Thank goodness you brought that arrangement in Star! all the other tables are looking very bare.
I used russian vine for a handle on this vase.
i try to copy the picture but it did not work
the frist one
thank -you
elle
Hi elle, what didn't work? Which part did you have trouble with? Are you using real or artificial flowers and leaves?
The way you made the puppy was great, I'm sure you will be able to do it.
What are you using for the handle?
i try to copy the direction
fropm the picture
i try to print out the direction
the printer will not pit it up
it need to be hand write
elle
Here it is elle...
The basics
The bag
1. Use a whole block of floral foam (two thirds or a half for a small one)
2.Use the foam long-ways with the end facing you and cut away foam, with a long knife to make the handbag shape.
Handle
Anything flexible will work, flexi grass, bear grass, willow, cornus, wire or cord.
1.Choose the length. It should not be too low or it will crush the flowers. Bind together with decorative wire.
2.Embellish with decorative cord, beads, even berries if you do not intend holding it. Alternatively you can plait or weave the flexi grass, but keep it simple.
3. Mount long wires onto both ends of the handle and push into the foam so that the wire goes through the bottom and then hook it back into the foam, like a fish hook, for secturity.
The base
Cover the base and halfway up the bag with cellophane to stop dripping (if using fresh flowers).
Do not add the handle after the cellophane as you will have holes in the bottom.
The sides
1.Any leaves will do but longer lasting ones are easier such as Ivy, Elaeagnus, Senecio, Galax, Aspidistra, Phormium, Laurel, camellia.
2.Start from the top and do the corners first
3.Dark irregular leaves can be pinned on with black pins which become invisible
4.Cut leaves straight across to get a neat underside.
Hi Terri! I really like your last arrangement, are those roses or gardenias? And the russian silverlace vine looks beautiful as the handle!!!
haighr, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner about those yellow coneflowers.......they were hit and miss for me. One bloom lasted 2 days before going brown and mushy but the other one lasted 2 weeks! I forgot to fill up the vase so it actualy shriveled up..otherwise it was still going strong. talk about bizzare!
Steven
Wow Terri, I love the basket. That Russian vine seems to be a very handy item! I would love to have that one in my house! I'd also like to have a go at a hand bag, but don't think I'll bother with directions, just try to make it up as I go. I can't promise one during the week, but maybe at the weekend.
Hi Dianne, Hi Elle and Hi Steve and Star, and Hi Mittsy. I've got a wisteria also, that hasn't yet flowered, despite rambling all over everything! Has anyone seen Adele? We haven't seen her in the Cafe in yonks! Also Pupil (Traci) i wonder how life is for her. MMMMMm, Off to send some Dmails.
Sue
Terri, glad you finally woke up and remembered that you were going to meet us up there. I dmailed you this morn and told you I'd be leaving right after my oil change and that I'd see you up there? I surprised Sue and picked her up at home, she wasn't ready yet, hope she had time to toss in the jammies and toothbrush. Then we had to circle back just to make sure you were still coming and here you were sittin lookin at your magazine, twiddling your thumbs, Jeez what are we to do with you? Glad you made it as we did have a marvelous time, perhaps we should have the entire cafe up there one weekend before the season is over. I will post our pics as soon as I get a chance, I need some rest after our adventures.
Dianne, if you get a chance in Barcelona, take the cable car from the mt. top down into Barcelonetta, great ride and experience. Also if you can go to Montserrat, the serrated mountains, to the monastery where you will find the black Madonna. Talk about a view.
Mittsy, I too have a wisteria and took years to bloom. They tell me it is all in the way you cut them back and when, as if too much too soon then all you get are more leaves. Sorry you missed it in bloom, mine is now blooming slightly for the second time, but just a few blossoms.
Can't wait to try out the handbags.
Elle, if you made that puppy I believe you can make anything. You are very creative in the way you put him together, can't wait to see your bag.
Star your addition to the cafe table is quite colorful, you may not have much to work with, but you put it together splendidly.
This message was edited Aug 4, 2008 8:42 AM
i will try to make one
it so hot here
it will be awhile but when i do i will send picture
elle
Good Elle, something for us to look forward to. Know what you mean with the heat and humidity, been sweltering here. I almost have to take the container of water with me when I take cuttings to keep them from wilting before I get them back to the potting table.
Candee - thanks for the info on Barcelona. When were you there? What kind of cuttings are you rooting this time of the year? And I think it is a wonderful idea to take the whole cafe to your place for a weekend, followed by a roundup at Sue's wonderful one hectare spread.
Elle - after that heat spell of over 100 plus degree days here, the low nineties of the past week actually seem cool. Hope you get some relief from the heat soon.
Terri - what a neat basket you made. Just as pretty as the handbags in the magazine. And, since we can't let all those tables go bare, here is a smaller version of the Amaryllis belladonna yard to vase arrangement so that people can actually see each other to talk.
Hello Steven, Nice to see you at the cafe! been missing your arrangements.
Thanks, they are roses in the vase, the vine comes in handy to make all sorts, when it's fresh and flexible
Hi Sue, Thanks, with all your space Russian vine would fit in somewhere surely?.
Great! Looking forward to seeing your handbag! The designs in the magazines are good to see for inspiration, but I always make things my own way and enjoy seeing everyones interpretations and styles.
Hello Candee, I was having a Dallas dream LoL! Do you remember the old tv series Dallas? when it was all a dream that Bobby died? well, I had a dream you forgot to take me to the cabin! Phew! Of course we had a fabulous time!
Let me know when you are going to invite the whole gang and I will get the Flower bus out to take us there !
Hi elle, Hows it going? is it cooler in the evenings?
Hello everyone else and any lurkers, please join us for a cuppa!
And while the rest of you are working on your handbags, here is another one for the cafe. Feel free to use it in your handbags, but be forewarned -Cecil Brunners are thorny - not only on the main stalk, but the leaves are covered with tiny, tiny, spikettes. (not the scientific term, but they do hurt, a LOT)
Hi Dianne, thats a beautiful shape, Thank you! I'll put it by the window.
We keep posting at the same time LoL! Love your vase and pretty roses.
That vase is very pretty. Roses, too.
Love the Belladonna.
Nothing blooming but my daylilies and I can't bring myself to cut them with so many buds still unopened.
it is 100 at the day time and aqbout 80 at njght
elle
Hi mittsy and elle,
Just thought I'd pop in to have another look at Diannes lovely flowers, soooooo pretty!
Sorry to hear the flowers are scarce and the temps are so high where you are.
I used Ivy to make the handle on our plaque for the cafe' door.
Terri, I actualy just expanded my new perennial bed today so I'll get a picture of it tomorrow and it just happens to be across the street from the cafe so we'll be able to see it from the front windows!
For now heres a poppy I saw growing by the cafes front step.
Steven
Steven, that is beautiful, so bright and welcoming. Thank you
mittsy
Well Steven you should have told us that earlier. Now I know why you don't come over a lot, isn't that the way it always is. The closer you are to something the less often you visit! You better mend your ways and start popping across the street more often, especially now that you have more lovely flowers to share.
Dianne we were in Barcelona in 1999 for the opening of Bruce Springsteen's world tour. What a great 10 days we had over there. The concert was at Palo St. Verde and we went to two, scalped tickets for the second show and over there it was legal to do that!
I love that amaryllis, looks like the stems are quite thick and sturdy. And that second vase is really neat, great shape. Aren't you sweet risking a puncture wound for us to make a lovely table arrangement.
Mittsy, I just took a photo last eve of the fabulous zinnias you provided for my garden, will post later. I cut my daylilies and those buds open the next morn for me. How bout you just post a pic of them in the garden? What colors do you have?
Elle, hope you can get a break soon in your temps. Meanwhile you have that pocketbook to keep you occupied.
Terri, love that sign over the door, it is just what we needed. We are sure to get more customers with such a welcoming. I really fancy your purse, knew you could outdo the magazines, they have nothing over on your style. As for me, I am not much into pocketbooks and as I was awake during the night I thought about making one and then decided that my heart really isn't in it so think I'll just admire all of the ones that everyone else designs, so bring them on.
Noid daylilies
another
last one.
That's it, they are few and far between.
yes we find inside work to do
it suppoes to rain and get cooler
this week
elle
Pretty mittsy - I really like that first one. Have you had them long? Do you separate them in the fall to get more plants going? I have separated mine a couple times, I find it is easiest to dig up the entire plant, wet the roots and then roll it on the ground before cutting down the middle. They really thrive well after that treatment. I'll have to look for one that color, I have some burgundy combos, yellow and a reddish one.
elle, they are calling for rain here this afternoon, but will surely get buggy n muggy before and after for a while. I hope not too much cause we are dog sitting our daughter's cocker spaniel and he doesn't like to go out in the rain. Can't blame him neither do I LOL!