Monday, February 18, 2019

tricks


In my head I often categorize certain flower moves as 'tricks' -- for example one of my favorite tricks is shown here, the white currant 'dangle' which is simply taking a strand of fresh currants and ever so gently entangling it with a longer stem so as to use it inside an arrangement.

As florists we have various tricks that work for us. We borrow them from each other, employ them in different ways.

The trend of spray painting flowers is an interesting one to me. It allows us to create magic 'dream flowers' things that do not exist in nature - this is a trick that I'm ready to see retire.

The coyotes were screaming here last night, the original tricksters. They yip and howl at each other from across the woods and the surrounding hills to gather, call youngsters to a big kill. The dogs in the sheep field go berserk and when everyone finally quiets down the farm remains shrouded in a spook for the evening.

What a long winter it's already been for me here, I'm desperate for my old tricks. And new ones I suppose. I wanna impress you, dazzle you with flowers like you've never seen before. That's a big part of what makes me feel good.

In lieu of flowers I'm working on plans for a tiny performance theater here at Worlds End. In one fantasy I'm dressed as a coyote in a striped suit with a cane, singing and dancing for you on stage, shaking it and telling jokes.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I got my In Full Flower back after six month. It fell open on the pages where your bouquet picture is - I had it open so many times on this particular page, books have memory. I miss your flowers so much Sarah.

Rian said...

please read jackalope wives by t. kingfisher. It is a fairytale of sorts. There are coyotes.

Unknown said...

Haven't lurked on ye olde blog here in a while, hence the scrolling - your mention of a small theatre made me think of a farm party Seth and I went to that you would have really liked. It was our friend's birthday and they had made this really elaborate scrolling landscape backdrop for a freight train scene inside the barn, followed by some projector/shadow work on the side of the barn (which as I recall involved one of the actors falling in to a black hole). We then went on a magical flashlight-guided tour around the farm fields, where we were serenaded by musicians high up in a tree, treated to a full dance performance by dancers decked out in full-length black bodysuits and festooned in string lights, and ended with a throw down dance party back at the barn. I also seem to remember there was a very talented pianist playing a toy piano. Larkin was quite little and we were worried she wouldn't sleep very well - but she face planted the pillow in our tent and slept all night long. Once it got light she just kept saying 'Big blanket, soft pillow, Papa's beard!' She was delighted, but anyway - this is all to say I could imagine any one of these things happening at World's End, which was more to the point. Moving back to Shetland in July, hoping you'll roll up to Shetland Wool Week one of these years. I'll try and remember to send a postcard in the meantime.