America-land of pickles, where folks are real friendly

It's kind of strange thinking about the last two and a half months. I've just arrived back home {from deep Fall in upstate NY to the middle of spring-it's been a bit confusing, but prettily so}. 

Beginning at the end and working my way backwards:

The last couple of days were spent delighting in the company of Nicolette and Tara, Dana and Chris. We went on a fall foraging adventure. Nikky and Tara were shooting/weaving a tale for an online publication, so I won't post any photos but it was pretty magical. We visited an apple orchard where they grew 96 varieties and the grower's son once held {for just a moment} the record for the world's largest blueberry---> 9.3 grams. Later when I spoke to Chris who'd recommended this somewhat unknown orchard he asked if I'd been told the blueberry story. It made me happy to think that everyone who visits probably hears it. 

The Fall adventure is going to be featured on Atlas Quarterly, which is a gorgeous publication. 

The week before was spent at World's End, Sarah and Eric of Saipua's farm. It spans 107 acres of woods, fields, ponds,  a lovely home, and some excellent barn structures. And a chicken coop with a vintage door knob. On the farm they have 19 chickens, a kitchen garden, a couple of flower fields and beds, two dogs and 9 Icelandic sheep.

The sheep were recent arrivals. They are so beautiful. I'd fallen in love with that particular breed of sheep when I was camping my way around Iceland last year. They are so tough and smart-for sheep. Sarah chose them as they are good producers-you can use them for wool, milk and meat. When I arrived there were two older ladies, unshorn and a little flock of shorn youngsters. They have such great variation in colours and each fleece has beautiful variation. One day we were trying to get Coco the older brown sheep into a pick up and a close up inspection of her coat revealed some weird and wonderful tiny golden curls with longer cream-white-grey-brown lengths. Ahhh sheep. Their eyes are so interesting and the way they stare at you intently is fascinating. 

Less fascinating is their stubborn propensity to walk/trot/gallop in the direction you don't wish them to travel. We moved them from a lower paddock to a temporary one near the house-it went pretty well with our friend/natural born sheep whisperer Liza leading the flock armed with kind words and alfalfa pellets and Sarah, her Australian cattle dog Nea and I bringing up the rear. We then tried to move them to a top paddock about 500 meters up the road and I think the initial move gave us all false confidence. As soon as we got the girls to the road, they hung a left instead of a right and took off to the green pastures of a neighbour about 1km down the road.  Then began my first 3-4 hour sheep herding experience. 

I think the sheep wandered into every available drive way and round and round each property. Every time you thought you had them, the older sheep would tramp through some woods and you'd stumble in after them, appear on the other side in a different field. We eventually wrangled them home, and they settled down amongst some clover with their protector, Poochi the Maremma {looks like a polar bear, is incredibly sweet}. 

We also spent time cutting flowers which was such a lovely experience. The dew was still clinging to the plants. Sometimes I am so happy it almost makes me feel unwell. 

We seeded a whole heap of Campanula and I made little covers for them which act like a mini greenhouse to get them sprouting. I look forward to seeing updates of their progress.

We had some amazing meals at the farm and some wonderful people came to visit. This farm of theirs feels like the centre of something really remarkable. The amount that Sarah and Eric have achieved in the few years they've owned it is humbling. 

{I started writing about an adventure we had one day to Heather Ridge farm with our pals but I think it needs its own post-for the photos of fresh pressed apple juice, if nothing else}

I'm so glad I was able to do a bit of work on the farm. However small in the grand scheme of things, I feel like each person that helps adds a little something to the place. 

day three: Little Flower School

Nicolette and Sarah.

 We had an early morning jaunt to the markets on the Monday after the Wedding Symposium weekend with Nicolette and Sarah. We sought out such lovely flowers, beautiful deep pink garden roses, lilies, gorgeous daliahs, incredible dancing lady/oncidium orchids-colours I'd never seen before-a luscious black and a pretty pale cream.

pretty arrangement

The class began with an introduction to all the flowers. Something that delighted me was when Sarah and Nicolette described their wild excitement at discovering the green and faun tinged copper foliage you can see being used in the arrangement above. Nicolette said she spied it from afar and knew she needed it, the man who grew it was quite charmingly bemused and said it wasn't really worth cutting, that it was a sucker meaning it was a rebel branch growing from the rootstock.

 We did a clever chicken-wire-in-a-low-bowl for arranging. I set myself the challenge of choosing blooms I was not immediately drawn to, namely: anything too bright.

a dark version

white wall background

 I do love bright flowers but when I am making arrangements for myself I will always head for pale and pretty with something to offset it like crocea/spiny thorny twigs etc. I was pretty tired by the end of the day as I also went to work in betwix the market foray and the class but I was reasonably happy with the end result. 

My show and tell present to the girls.

 I found this on a morning walk with my dog. I've seen it for sale at the markets before. I can't recall it's name I think it starts with 'h'. I brought it in as I suspect it's a native and thought the girls might like to see it. They loved it and wanted to take it home, alas that was not possible.

upside down peach cake

to help with the long days

flowers {always}: wedding bouquets

The second day at Little Flower School began with a thorough discussion of the many details involved in putting together a beautiful wedding. I have assisted on many weddings and have been lucky enough to do all the pretty things like making bouquets, church arrangements, table centers, button holes, hair circlets but it was good to go through the other details. It was however, quite distracting as we were also surrounded by the most beautiful of blooms.

I was taught to spiral all hand held bouquets so Sarah and Nicolette's method of non spiraling was fun to play with. I suppose spiraling makes the bouquet quite tight and neat but makes it impossible to get that lovely light airy feeling in your work.

I chose to work in tones of peach, silvery sage, creams and browns. I began with the beautiful peach-blush and green quince which had a few lovely little branches coming off them. 
I was drawn-as ever-to the most beautiful fragile peach garden roses. They smelt sweet and slightly fruity like apricots with just a little hint of lemon. You can see the quince just to the right of center and another piece branching out to the left. I love stephanotis and had only used it in button holes previously so was very happy to use it here. Flannel flowers are a favourite of mine, they are so luminous, I feel like they must grow by moonlight instead of by the sun. A few sprigs of jasmine and a little dried clethora put the final touches on this bouquet. It made me feel a little like getting married.

We bound just a little of the stems which what I prefer too, leaving a more natural look than the constricted look of a fully bound stem. The girls said they often leave long ribbons on their work which is something I hadn't thought to do previously-I loved it! Walking around in a lilting breeze with these flowers would be so pretty!

Everyone who took the class made such delicately wrought, gorgeous arrangements. I took mine home to watch it slowly, and beautifully, fade. I couldn't help myself, I kept a few little pieces.

flowers in my veins

After the wondrous flowery adventure that was the weekend with Sarah Ryhanen of Saipua and Nicolette Camille {who works under her own very pretty name} I am feeling very focused on all things blooming. I cannot believe I was lucky enough to trip about to the markets with them, it was great to be there from the choosing of stock at the markets to the final arrangements. And all the splendid moments in between. Both girls are so talented and so lovely. They are really different but compliment each other perfectly and I think are tremendously good teachers.

Their passion and drive is truly infectious. They both feel so strongly about what they do and pour themselves into every arrangement. As we were packing up on the last day,  asked them where they thought they would wander over the next few days before flying home and Sarah said they might go to some more flower farms and buy gorgeous things for themselves and just make big arrangements. That really made me smile.

Sarah also told me all about her farm north of New York, dubbed 'World's End'. It sounds such a rewarding, difficult place to be and work. She and her partner {and adorable dog, Nea} have done such a lot and still have a huge amount of work ahead. I plan to visit in September/October and do some wedding work for Nicolette and Sarah. I have never traveled to America and would really like to be there for their Fall.

The Little Flower School style is so precious. I love how they create so many layers and moments in their arrangements. I have always loved that with flowers-having subtle little interactions between the blooms that take time for the viewer to find and appreciate. It's like getting lured in by a whisper.

This is the arrangement I made on our first day which was focused on center pieces, such an important part of a wedding. I was pretty happy with what I made. I adore the peach garden roses. The came from Tammy at the markets. They always have the most gorgeous, delicate, fragrant roses. I'd love to go to their farm one day. 

Little Flower School was such an incredible experience, I would recommend it to anyone considering falling headlong into deep flower obsession.

table center

other side-suprise daliah!