flannel wanders // wood workin'

The only antidote for the gear box dropping out of a van you've owned for four days is to be taken on an adventure where you see plenty of wild flannel flowers growing in the bush.

It's a peculiar and oddly comforting feeling to see them growing wild and honestly having no inclination to cut them.

Ahhh flannel flowers. I am utterly undone by you, everytime.

These {and many many more} are to be found at Manly Dam. You'll see lots of birds {rosellas, crows, black swan, herons, kookaburras, m a s s i v e geese, ducks} and lizards {water dragons and other ones that I can't yet identify but I plan on getting my hands on some sort of reptile/bird watching literature as we are moving to the mountains and I want to nonchalantly impress visitors with my knowledge of the land and its creatures}.

I found a whole heap of old fence pailings at a council pick up about a week ago. I made a low little bench/shoe rack to act as a pedestal for my boyfriend's not insignificant collection of running shoes and then I made a planter for our tomatoes/herbs/probably will just be lots of scented geranium because I adore them more than anything.

I love projects like this where you just bumble along and figure it out as you go. I really like using my dad's old power tools. He is one of those wonderful people who know how to make anything.
This planter took about an hour. I want to become a carpenter.

Why is it so satisfying to build things?

rainy days, the haunting beauty of flannel flowers

Wretched weather if you feel like doing anything other than playing with flowers inside today. Happily, that is exactly what I did all morning. I'm a little obsessed with taking photos of single flowers against some very deep aubergine coloured velvet. I don't know how but it is as if the velvet draws all light in the room to the flower and itself looks very very dark. All of my bedroom plants {almost all begonias} are outside today, having a drink. 

The last shot is my favourite. I adore flannel flowers {Actinotus helianthi} so much. They are so delicate. I used to think that they get their luminous quality because they grow solely in moonlight. Actually, I still think that. 

carnation, cumquat, tulip {amazing feathered variety}, hydrangea, amaranthus

carnation, cumquat

helleborus from my garden, picked by our cockatoo.

sweet pea.

delicacy

blushing bride. gorgeous native

flannel flower x

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.