Flowery Scrumptiousness

Can you remember back in January, instead of a New Years resolution, I chose a word for this year? The word was/is  F R E S H, and amongst other stuff, one thing I resolved to do during 2009 was to have fresh flowers in the house every single day of the year. A very good resolution to make if you ask me, it is simple to keep and generates such pleasure.

I adore fresh flowers, the simpler the better. I like a humble bunch of something seasonal bought from the market, a small posy of flowers picked from the garden, or a simple pot of bulbs to bring into bloom.

They are not expensive, not extravagant, yet to me they give so much :: I think of them as Food for the Soul. And therefore an Essential rather than a Luxury.

So I thought today I'd share with you the current Floral Scrumptiousness residing throughout the house.  I bought this bunch of delicate creamy narcissi (called Bridal Crown I think) on Friday from the wonderful plant stall on the market (the same Plant Man who provided me with the one hundred primulas last week). I like buying flowers from the market for several reasons ::

1) because it supports a  small local business run by lovely people

2) because the flowers are often more in keeping with the seasons

3) because the whole experience of selecting from buckets, having them wrapped in pretty paper and then jaunting through town with them is so very happy.

The scent of these particular little flowers is stunning, and I'm loving them on my bedside table.

Late on Sunday afternoon, I walked down along the canal and into town for a quiet hour of pottering. My first stop was our local antique/collectors centre, which is my favourite place for a gentle mooch if I'm on my own. I found these little old glass bottles which I absolutely love :: something about the colour of the glass which reminds me of the sea. The tall thin one on the right cost 50pence, the other two (old ink bottles) cost £1 each. I carried them home wrapped in newspaper, so delighted with my purchases, proudly unwrapped them to show J. Well, you can imagine, the response these little bottles got was decidedly luke warm.

But no matter, I set about filling them with water and put them on display on the bathroom windowsill. Please excuse the state of the window frame, but please do feel free to admire my shiny white ceramic tiled surface. Oh, and the blooms of course...don't the teeny crocus flowers look beautiful? They were getting a bit soggy and windswept in the front garden, but look oh-so-beautiful in the bathroom I think.

Amaryllis next...I realised today when I was looking through my photos that I totally forgot to share these with you when they bloomed. Do you remember Red Lion? Well the second one to flower was Vera...and here she is in all her pink flowery beauty.

She flowered through the end of February, and it was not trauma free. Yes, similar to the fate of Red Lion, Vera also went through something of a tragedy. This time it was Little Man who apparently "didn't DO anything", yet Vera's pot came mysteriously crashing down from the high shelf all-by-itself. Strange how that happens. It was messy, with one of the stems snapping clean off in the fall. Luckily these stems do continue to bloom quite happily when put into a vase of water like a cut flower.

So by the time the third amaryllis was due to flower (this one is Minerva), I had learnt my lesson. I did not move the pot to the high shelf, but onto the mantelpiece instead. And as it grew taller and taller and became more and more top heavy, I cut the stem off and put it into a vase to finish flowering. See, the Little People taught me. It was a tough, fraught, messy lesson, but I learnt in the end.

Other bulbs that have been coming into the house lately are muscari (grape hyacinths). I love these very much, especially as I am having an obsession with these lovely clear blue colours at the moment (my hands this morning are covered in blue paint, I'm currently in the process of painting various wooden shelves/pegs/cupboards, but more of that a little later in the week)

I loved setting these on the table for a photograph with a couple of sky blue cushions and two thrifted jumpers folded up in the background. Blue against blue.

I put the muscari into an old jug with a broken handle that I found in our back yard, its delicate blue colour with gold leaf pattern looked so pretty with the blue of the flowers.

See me there, walking around with my flowers, I do this all the time, I like to carry them around. For some obscure reason I love to look at the colours of the flowers against whichever top/jumper i happen to be wearing that day. I just love to do that.

Crackers? Bonkers? Yeah, just a little.....

Comments

[TB]

ohmygosh, I LOVE this post -- gasped and flailed at the pic of the narcissi in the pretty mug by the bedside. I am not a flower person, Lucy, but your blog is changing that! ;)

ps: I have been reading your blog from the beginning over the past couple of months, and I'm finding it to be like a good book that I cannot put down! It's well after midnight here. I am going to age badly at this rate... :P

[zeynep k özkal]

siteniz çok güzel fotoğraflar harika yaşadığınız yer de çok güzel örgülerinizde öyle istanbuldan selamlar

[sumea]

I've come to look at your lovely blog again.
Hope you have a happy weekend
Love and hugs
Sumea xx

[BeBe]

Lucy, if you are bonkers, you are my kind of bonkers! The world would be a much better(and more colorful)place if more people were our kind of bonkers. I have som "summer amaryllis" that blooms here in Florida once it gets hot and I have cut most of them and mixed them with spirea stems and have filled up most of my containers and put them all over my house! I love flowers inside...I haven't been carrying them around but have had several conversations with them this week...just letting them know how much they are appreciated. I love your pictures and thank you so much for brightening up my dreary police station office. BeBe in Florida

[Regina]

Hi Lucy
Loveley flowers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love flowers,too.
Hugs,Regina

[Alessandra]

"flowers are food for the soul" I have to agree with that, very well put.
Love your flowers!!!

[vanessa]

Aaahhh, blue against blue, lovely!
I was just testing to see if I could leave a comment with that last sentence! I've been fiddling around with firefox, and joy of joys! I can finally start leaving you comments again Lucy. I've so missed being able to leave comments on your wonderful posts. It's such a shame this didn't happen in time for your giveaway, which I was so disappointed not to be able to join in.
Anyway, love your little bottles, I'm a fan of the single flower stem in one of these bottles, so simple, yet so effective.
Lots of love, Vanessa xxx

[Sharon]

You are absolutely wonderful. =) I have been sick with endometriosis and was diagnosed with diabetes recently...and your blog makes me smile every single day. I have always meant to post a comment on here but I have been busy with hospital appointments and what not. You inspire a lot of people - me included. Big hugs and more power to you!

[Bairbre Aine]

Oh, what a lovely flowery post!
And thank you so very much for the kind comments you left on my tutorial post.
I was tickled pink to receive and read it.
You are so kind.
As always, you posts always bring a smile to my face and a hop to my step.
Thank you!
Bairbre Aine

[Tamar]

Beautiful photos Lucy!! please be in touch, you won my giveaway:) hugs
T.

[frances]

Hello Lucy, writing you late from New York, just to let you know how much I liked seeing those beautiful multi-petaled narcissi. Fabulous!

Have you ever been overseas to visit my blog? It's found at http://cityviewscountrydreams.blogspot.com/

You will see how this big city dweller still tries to stay in touch with nature.

Looking forward to seeing what lovely colors you will show us tomorrow.

xo

[Alex Mason]

what beautiful flowers xx

[Emma]

Lovely photos - as usual ... I've been browsing back through your blog to see what I missed (only found you a couple of weeks ago) Thought your shop was a physical shop there in Yorkshire ... feel a wally now as I followed some links to discover what Etsy was all about. What a great philosophy. Have you got started yet? I couldn't find Attic 24 on there.

[esther]

"Oh to be in England now that April's (almost) there!" (R. Browning)
I wish that our farmer's market was up and running now. My kids love going there. One of the best things about living in York was the market. It was so invigorating walking into town, getting to know the merchants, gawking at all the flowers and buying some to glory in in our little flat, which was right outside the wall leading up to Walmgate Bar, in full view of the hill below the wall which were covered in daffodils! I'm jazzed just remembering it! Happy Spring!

[Karen]

I love your little blue vases Lucy especially the one on the left. Our bathroom isn't finished yet either although R did begin the work in September 2007! New floorboards, lovely white suite, blue and white tiles but everything else waiting to be done including the shower which is in a box under the bath. Love your narcissi,the frilly cream ones are my favourite. Karenx

[lulu]

i love flowers, they brighten your day, your home...

[fleur]

Dear Attic24, I am following your example and I am so happy to have fresh flowers every day in my home! I bought saturday "renoncules". Kind regards!

[Lori French]

Men never understand! I sometimes carry my flowers to work and back just to have their lovely company. Say no more, but I must say I've managed that a couple of times. Enjoying your flowers so much. Thanks once more for your bright inspiration. Love, L xxx

[sharon - nz]

Beautiful flowers so fresh........ I am making my first ever granny square this week after getting fired up looking at your gorgeous squares, fingers crossed it comes out as nice as yours........

[jacoline (lien)]

Just saw your blog, love the wonderfull colours. !!!
Great

[wonderwoman]

i just love having flowers around - they instantly cheer you up! fressias are my favorite as i love the smell - but in the summer sweet peas take some beating.

x

[Rayofsunshine]

Love the flowers, I had a lovely nosy through your blog after following the link from my sister's blog (skippinginthemeadow). I found your dreamy cookie recipe which I cooked immediately and it was so popular in my house that I had to cook another batch. My children and myself are eternally grateful for your recipe share and this is now a favorite here.
Much love will pop over again soon to read more love Rayofsunshine x

[Libby]

Just wanted to say after reading your blog for a few months I've been inspired to start buying flowers for myself to put around the home - something I've rarely done before. And I love splitting them into smaller vases to place around the home - again, something I never did before. Thanks so much for sharing your love of flowers. It does indeed make me very happy when I see them.

Libby

[cathleen]

You look so pretty looking down at your lovely flowers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marija]

Hi Lucy!Beutiful narcissi!Oh I love,spring,flowers,bird singing...
I still look at your blog EVERY morning,drinking my coffee,looking at your wonderful colours,photos...Thank you on your blog.
I would love if you could post ripple pattern with instructions,I would love to make one sooooooo much.I just have started to crochet,and your previously instructions are great.
Greetings from Croatia!
Marija