March 29, 2012 -- how a flying squirrel helped with this arrangement

I forgot to close the chimney flue in a bedroom at Flower Camp, and when opening the building to guests a week or so ago, John discovered a flying squirrel had come down the chimney, flown around doing lots of damage, then died under a pillow. Yuk. To my dismay, one of the things he broke was the vessel that held water in this hanging container. I searched all my cabinents to find a vessel of the proper diameter to replace it (something with a lip that would grab the wire rim), and what I came up with was this cut glass vessel used upside down. It's a container I've always loved because my mother kept safety pins in it. I have no idea what its real function was supposed to be, but it's concave on both ends so it holds water upside up or downside up.

Anyway... while I was searching for that replacement vessel, I came across the stemmed piece of glasware also used below. Have no idea where it came from and I have only one of them, but I wanted to use it because its unusual shape seemed to suit a single tulip blossom (it narrows just below the lip then flares again sort of like a lily-flowered tulip). Made a great vase for one tulip blossom (with its petals folded back), some Vinca major (periwinkle) blossoms, a couple of squills (hyacinths), a stem or two of epimedium foliage, and some new hydrangea foliage. And, beside it, in my mother's safety pin holder, is a clump of violets, dug up with roots still attached.

And this was really fun to do because the colors were so wonderful. The 'Princess Irene' tulip has purplish striations in its orange petals. The most interesting thing about doing this, though, was letting my need for a replacement vessel lead me to some new containers.