Market Flowers :: Irises

One of my favourite indulgences is a bunch of fresh flowers from the market each week. I love the ritual of calling at the plant stall each Friday, wondering what flowers will be smiling at me from the buckets set out on the pavement. Mr Plant Man mainly sells potted plants and shrubs and only ever has a small selection of cut flowers for sale. Sometimes nothing takes my fancy (no matter how hard I try, I just can't make myself like chrysanthemums) and I leave empty handed. Luckily, that's not often, and last week I chose my bunch in a split second.

As soon as I clapped eyes on these beauties I knew they were for me. The colours are just sooo beautiful, and thinking about it now, I'm not sure that I've ever bought irises home to the Attic. Can you remember, have I?? Not sure. But anyways, last week irises did indeed come home with me, and I have been drinking in their beauty multiple times a day ever since.

Along with the irises, I also splashed out an extra £1 and bought a stem of Eucalyptus. I couldn't resist. The colour of the leaves combined with the scent of it are wonderful.

I carry my paper-wrapped flowers home from the market on a Friday morning with a spring in my step and a big smile on my face. I love getting home, selecting a jug (always a jug) and arranging the flowers to put on the table. Then off I go, dashing out the door again, off to my knit n natter at the studio café and forgetting all about my flowers for a few hours.

Every week it's the same ritual, and every week I come back home at lunch time with Little B and re-discover the flowers I placed on the table a few hours earlier. It is always, always such a surprise! I am extremely forgetful and never, ever remember that they are there until we burst into the room and >BAM< there they sit. Oh yes, flowers on the table, how lovely! It's a whole load of visual (and emotional) pleasure.

And then of course I get to enjoy them throughout the week, that bright burst of cheerful living colour on the table.

I love to have fresh flowers near me when I crochet, it makes my soul happy and I'm sure some of that gorgeous floral colour must find it's way into my creations somehow. Sure of it.

x

♥.....more snippets from the Attic.....♥

2012 :: Year End Review :: flowers

Yarndale 2013 :: The Yarn Bombing

May Rose Wreath :: Ta-dah!

My Happy Day

Comments

[seedballz]

Nice deep purple! Love it!!

[Janice Franssen]

Hi Lucy,
I nearly fell off my chair when I read how much you paid for the eucalyptus stem as I live in Australia and we obviously have gum trees every where. I am in envy of your cold weather as today it has been 36C in Melbourne and we are sweltering with cicadas blasting their song from the gum trees, so loud you can't hear yourself think! I would suggest that you plant one, but as they grow to be huge trees I think you will have to continue to pay exorbitant prices to your plant man. Loved seeing a picture of your face for once, please put more in in the future.
Janice

[Janet, Idaho]

Hi Lucy,
I have been a long time lurker in Attic24, but just had to post a comment about the irises. They grow in crazy abundance in my garden and I leave them alone so they spread every year. In the spring they all bloom their lovely light purpley gorgeousness and are the first thing I see as I pull in the driveway. They look absolutely stunning against the light green of their tree neighbor and the blue of a springtime sky. If you are ever (who knows, it could happen!) in Idaho, come by and I'll give you some bulbs. Come in the spring and we'll stand together and gaze at them with goofy smiles on our faces!

[Laya]

Dear Lucy, I've been following your blog for long time. All your works are so lovely that tempt me to do crochet. I'm a 19 year old and know nothing about crocheting. Having a quick look, even the jargon and language in the tutorials confuse me. Do you know any link that teaches crocheting FROM SCRATCH?
Sorry that it might sound stupid. Everyone here is so professional.
Thank you in advance.
Laya

[Lisa Pratt]

I always smile when I see this particular sort of gum leaf. It's generically called a dollar gum (I have no idea why). I love this gum as it was the filler in my wedding flowers 20 years ago. The leaves used in bouquets are usually new sprouts so they are amazingly coloured and beautifully scented. These leaves dry on the branches and keep some of their colour and smell for a long time.

[vildkatten]

You got me curious with your comment about chrysantemums and I actually spent some time looking at pictures and believe it or not found a few I could see you with. I've "known" you for many years now and I wouldn't think you'd gone bonkers if you'd show any of these as your weekly buy. What do you say, would you totally freak if you got home and found these spread out here and there in your home?

http://cf067b.medialib.glogster.com/media/f6/f6be71ab3870edba12931a0c7e170de00bf9ff247c761ded76dd5d04b3eec908/chrysanthemum-22-jpg.jpg

http://images.forwallpaper.com/files/images/3/3306/3306b952/211436/stones-flower-chrysanthemum-harmony.jpg

http://rlv.zcache.se/chrysanthemum_spindelmorsa_halsnings_kort-r25eb4a78886b48eba6f98896882b0a8a_xvuak_8byvr_512.jpg

http://h24-original.s3.amazonaws.com/46653/11886358-cEoEp.png

http://www.alltomtradgard.se/ImageGallery/Thumbnails/27/152127/240052_67063.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bqDwX45Dhe0/Um61zgf1evI/AAAAAAAAoSk/AY942LYqqEM/s1600/Chrysanthemum.jpg

Though I have to say they seem to be hard to agree with a lot of times.

[Marie]

So enjoy all your posts.
Really like the crocheted scarf you are wearing in the Market Flowers: Irises. Any chance of a little instruction to recreate for self?

[Whimsycate]

looking lush there! i had irises for my wedding, my hubby's button hole was blue irses and green chillis! x

[Bernice]

I love the colours in your arrangement. I feel very lucky enough to have both of these growing next to each other in my front garden (obviously not the iris at the moment) and they do look beautiful together. The lovely silvery pale green of the eucalyptus never fails to make me smile. Great post Lucy x

[Ali Honeyfield]

I think a jug of fresh bright flowers can do more to make a room or a home come alive than anything else.
I am lucky that with our climate and my big garden I can pick my own. ( work is involved to have a garden though. ) Wild flowers are another good option. If possible I like flowers with a pleasant perfume...maybe that's what you don't like about chrysanthemums?
I love the brightness and lovely colours you have in your home and the photos you show us.
Do enjoy your lovely Dutch irises.

[Helen]

Love the deep blue of those irises. Your home always looks so cosy and colourful. I'm missing having a bunch of flowers around but some things have to be cut back in times of need!!
I was just about to list Little Grey Rabbit's Washing Day on ebay, when I remembered from a previous post how much you love LGR. If it is one you don't have, email me (I presume you can do that as my email address is left with the comment?!) and let me know and it's yours!

[Eugenia]

Your home looks so cozy and inviting.

Happy Friday.

[Donna]

Lovely, I love iris with daffodils in the spring, seems awfully early fo them but still gorgeous and have lasted so well. 😃

[Gingercats mum]

I have just come in with my first pot of hyacinths for this season (yes...from Morrisons!!) and there you are with my must-have favourites. I haven't seen any here yet but they brought back memories of my 'other life' when I would use them in art sessions. Hopefully we will see one or two in a spring wreath??? Enjoy.

[Hannah]

How beautiful! There is nothing lovelier than fresh flowers - bring on springtime and daffodils! xx
Coquetin

[Bonnie]

Those little squares look delightful. I look forward to seeing what their all about in a future post.

[Jones]

You are so right. There is nothing quite like a bunch of fresh flowers to brighten things up a bit. It was my new year's resolution to have fresh flowers in the house - and so far the only one I have kept!
Hooray for bringing the outside, inside :)
Jones x

[Claire]

Ah, spoke too soon. Original pattern taken down from various sites (copyright issue)...though a good dig around is fruitful ;)
Scarf ta-dah post with links to the pattern book: http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2011/03/japanese-flower-scarf-ta-dah.html

[hannapat]

Beautiful irises and lovely photo of you too! xoxo

[Claire]

Bonjour Lucy!
Just wanted to drop a line saying how much I'm in love with your blog and projects! Having just started to crochet about a month ago, I'm so glad to have discovered you. Truly beautiful and inspirational work, and I thoroughly enjoy your out & about, and caravan posts :)
Congrats on the new job, too!
Cheers from sunny Provence,
Claire

[Claire]

Corinne, here is Lucy's original post about the scarf, with links to the pattern, etc :)
http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2011/02/japanese-flower-scarf.html

[Sarah]

I know what you mean about chrysanthemums! xx

[Inge]

Beautiful flowers!
Yesterday I started to crochet the Yarn Bag!

[susan hall]

I love iris too and they were one of my mum's favourites which makes them extra loved !
congratulations on the "simply crochet " job, if you write as well for them as you do here they will have their mag selling out every month ! very well done you x
susan

[Debbie Longville]

Irises are one of my favourites, I love the colour! (others are favourites because of their scent)
I love flowers in jugs, too! In fact I love jugs!
Which reminds me, I need some new fresh flowers!