I’m no good with flowers — cut or live. As far as I can tell, the secret to a green thumb is replacement. Mrs. E. fares better and is in charge of things green here at the manse. Since I don’t have to think about them, I rarely remember to do anything floral for a centerpiece.
That’s why I was very pleased to read about an easy, and dramatic, solution to my decorating dilemma.
On New Year’s Eve at 9 am, I headed to a local florist and bought four, very fresh, rather large hydrangea and a few black and white pots. I placed one on a table in each of the rooms downstairs; save the dining room where I gave in to the flashier side of my nature (see Exhibit A, above.)
And, since they are live, Mrs. E. has promised to keep them alive long enough for us to transplant outside when the weather is more cooperative. In the meantime, I continue to enjoy them and imagine they will take the sting out of losing the Christmas tree after Epiphany. An easy and elegant solution to the problem of arranging cut flowers and at least a bit more cost-effective.
The last trick I’ll share from the party is to spread the wealth. White, red and sparkling wine was set up in porcelain beverage tubs in the dining room and the kitchen. The full bar was concentrated in the bar room. Although there were seventy people here, there was no real bottleneck around the booze. With age, wisdom. I’ll get there one day.
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