{"id":1485,"date":"2021-05-07T20:46:54","date_gmt":"2021-05-08T00:46:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joywinkieviola.com\/welcome\/?p=1485"},"modified":"2021-05-08T09:02:15","modified_gmt":"2021-05-08T13:02:15","slug":"in-the-not-so-merry-month-of-may-baskets-arranging-for-a-traumatic-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joywinkieviola.com\/welcome\/in-the-not-so-merry-month-of-may-baskets-arranging-for-a-traumatic-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"In the not so merry month of May baskets: Arranging for a traumatic experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reprinted courtesy of the\u00a0Weston\/Wayland Town Crier<\/em><\/p>\n

She caught me off guard when she called – and besides, the event was at least three weeks away. I told her I\u2019d had only one class in flower arranging, but she assured me it would be a wonderful learning opportunity. So, I agreed to make a May basket for the Wayland Garden Club\u2019s informal spring flower show. The process proved to be traumatic.<\/p>\n

As I knew there were many talented floral arrangers in the club, I decided early on that I couldn\u2019t possibly compete with their arrangements of spring flowers. I decided I\u2019d make a simple basket of woodland plants instead. In three weeks, I thought, there\u2019ll be lots of things in bloom. But spring was cold this year and as I began scouring the woods and nearby fields, I found there was little to be had.<\/p>\n

Then I received my basket and my instructions. Panic set in. Name everything? I didn\u2019t begin to know the names of all the plant life in my woods. I called another garden club member for assistance and during the conversation she mentioned something about \u201chardening things up\u201d for two or three days ahead. I had learned about the need to \u201ccondition\u201d cut flowers, but what was I supposed to do with tree branches, ferns and mosses!<\/p>\n

Four days before the event I took to the woods and fields with clippers and a water bucket in hand. My husband came along to make sure I didn\u2019t fall into the creek, and our two golden retrievers thought this early morning exercise a delightful outing.<\/p>\n

Previous scouting trips had enabled me to find my materials \u2013 cinnamon fern, and skunk cabbage by the creek, red maple boughs, pussy willows and multiflora rose branches at the woodland\u2019s edge. I soon discovered that ferns grew on underground logs and skunk cabbages have roots that go clear down to the water table! Neither would yield readily to my trowel, which bent to the breaking point. Covered with mud, I returned triumphantly to the meadow and proceeded to cut my rose bush greens. The bush had a fine healthy crop of thorns. Now I was bloody as well as muddy!<\/p>\n

Heading home<\/b><\/p>\n

Once we headed for home, my golden, Toby, decided to lead the way. Passing me, he managed to gather up all six rose bush cuttings in his long, feathery tail. When I screamed, he promptly sat down and proceeded to wag his tail furiously, beating my rose cuttings into the dirt. I spent the next 10 minutes pulling thorny rose cuttings out of his long tail feathers while my husband made remarks about this whole excursion being a \u201c10 on the stupidity scale.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Once home, I got out my floral arranging \u201ccookbook\u201d and proceeded to follow instructions. <\/b>
\n<\/b>Submerge clippings,\u201d I read. I filled the bathtub, but the branches didn\u2019t submerge. They floated. So, I got a heavy Turkish towel and forced them below the water\u2019s surface. After their \u201cbath,\u201d the book said, they needed an assortment of \u201cdrinks.\u201d \u201cSome like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot,\u201d etc. Bleach and water for the Skunk Cabbage and hot alcohol water for the maples, it said. I gave the Skunk Cabbage two shots of Clorox and I gave the maples two shots of my husband\u2019s Manhattan mix and hoped they\u2019d all be happy.<\/b><\/p>\n

Then it was off to the neighbors to look for violets in bloom. I found no violets, but I found Wood Anemones \u2013 which proceeded to wilt and die as soon as I brought them home. Back for more, which this time, I cuddled with the fern and cool wet mud and they seemed happier. I spent the next three days making frequent trips to the garage hovering over my specimens to see if they were still alive. I did not sleep for three nights. At 2:30 in the morning I was down in the garage checking the Anemones. I am going to make a fool of myself, I thought, in front of 100 women who know more about this than do I.<\/p>\n

When the morning arrived, I arose early and began my arrangement. I had been imagining it in my mind\u2019s eye for days, but what was I really imagining? I knew virtually nothing about what constituted good lines. Maybe I\u2019ll get points for creativity, I thought, because I sure won\u2019t get them for design. Dear Lord, I prayed, please don\u2019t let them laugh.<\/p>\n

Finally, it was done and I carried it to the show. The judge took one look and said \u201cWho did this mess!\u201d When the judging was over, I had come in last. The judges found my plant materials \u201cinteresting\u201d but my arrangement \u201coff balance.\u201d That, I thought, was an apt description of the entire scenario. (Post note, it was 20 years before I did another arrangement for a garden club meeting!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reprinted courtesy of the\u00a0Weston\/Wayland Town Crier She caught me off guard when she called – and besides, the event was at least three weeks away. I told her I\u2019d had…<\/span><\/p>\n

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