Pretty lil’ thing

I’m a nut for flowers.  All year, no matter what the season, I rely on flowers to add a little “pretty and happy” to the space I’m living or working in.  Right now, my mass planting of paperwhites is doing a great job (as usual) in sight and scent, and will probably keep me going well into February.

But every early January, when I see my first grocery store Primrose of the new year, I can’t resist this pretty little taste of spring.  This type of Primrose is offered in a wide assortment of colors, and is extremely inexpensive (at my local market they’re 2/$5) – not particularly hardy, but with a little bit of care will thrive for several weeks.  Bottom line – it’s a quick fix for the wintertime blues.

I deliberated on what color to go with – so as I say, “when in doubt, go with white” – half a dozen bright white with a little dab of golden yellow in the centers.  And when it comes to decorating – buying multiples in one color creates much more of an impact for your dollar and efforts. When I got them home, I took them out of their plastic containers and popped them into individual mossy clay pots that are the same size (I don’t need to add any soil this way), which – decoratively speaking – takes them instantly out of the right-from-the-grocery store look to more of a right-out-of-the-garden look, and ultimately gives me flexibility.

I start by grouping them on a galvanized tin tray and place them in my dining room’s bay window that is bright and maintains a cool temp – and be sure to water them daily so they don’t dry out. To keep the blooms blooming, I pinch off spent blossoms at the base of their delicate stems.

I can split them up and run them down the center of the dining room table interspersed with small votives, or place them individually throughout the house in a spot that needs a little brightening (for example, on the sink vanity in the powder room, or the nightstands in the bedrooms).  Or just leave them on the tray as a whole cluster, making them easy to move around and use as a pretty centerpiece for any table in the house.

I second that, Monsieur Monet!  

Have a wonderful Monday.

Love, Nora