Winter Blues~ An Indoor Floral Vignette

“Anyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream.” Josephine Nuese

Come January, I am ready to fill the house with fresh flowers.  Because I always turn to the garden to see if there is anything I can use in floral arrangements first, I was lucky to find branches of witch hazel  ready to cut and bring indoors.

These yellow flowers, oblivious to the polar vortex weather,  soon open with  delicate feathery petals and deep orange centers.  They release the most intoxicating jasmin-like scent.  They were the inspiration for this winter floral vignette.   I arranged the witch hazel branches In a cobalt blue glass vase because I love orange and blue together.    I think cut branches look best in glass where their architectural lines can be appreciated.  The flowers will last for about 3 weeks.  An orchid is a good complement as it will also last a long time.

I bought a peachy-orange orchid with fuchia centers and placed it in a ruffle-edged blue and white Chinoiserie transferware cache-pot, continuing the blue and orange theme. Reindeer moss was added for a finishing touch and to emphasize the yummy citrusy shades of this arrangement.

I filled another blue and white container with blood oranges.  I chose blood oranges for the variations of colors in their skin, the deeper reds echoing the orchid’s colors.

To complete the vignette, I added a small painting of a partially peeled orange on a mini easel.  Everything was coralled on a circular rattan tray to add a natural element and adding to the Chinoiserie feel.

 

I couldn’t resist adding another splash of vibrant oranges with a gorgeous silk scarf, a recent gift  from my dear friend Hui.  This blue and orange display will chase away any winter blues.  Like when I was a little girl always coloring in oranges and blues, this arrangement makes me happy.

How do you chase away the winter blues?

To read more about witch hazel in my garden, please click here.