Fourth of July - part one

Patriotic...exuberant, corny, tasteful?

“I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy “– flags are sprouting in planters in anticipation of the Fourth of July.  Is it possible to have tasteful Fourth of July designs?  

Or should we just go for the exuberant  or corny?  As Kate Winslet says in “Holiday” “I want corny in my life right now”.   Let’s just avoid the mundane!

Red, white and blue are the colors of 24 of the flags of the world’s countries.  These colors are chosen for their bold ability to stand out and be seen.

Patriotic ...exuberant, corny, tasteful…what is tasteful anyway?  My taste is surely different from yours, my tasteful may be a horror or boring to you.  However since it is my blog……..my taste!  

The secret lies in the proportion of Red, White & Blue.  Somebody has to take a back seat. In the banner above, Which proportion of red to blue to white do you like?

This is a lacquered bamboo (or cane?) container from Target, that most useful of stores.  It stands 24” tall – definitely does not hold water.  Don’t you love the color?  Originally bought for a Christmas design, this is a bold red for the 4^th.  To hold the hydrangeas, a plastic container lid is placed across the top of the vase,  with oasis on top of it.  With painted blue bamboo stakes,  a patriotic statement on the front step, well, maybe a little too tasteful, ie., boring, or worse at little FDT (that devastating critique)?

Adding visual fireworks in the form of sparking wired flags and navy blue painted dried Allium christophii.  These exuberant seed heads are almost more versatile dried than when they spark the June garden with fresh lavender fireworks.

Crafted a couple of years ago, the same Target container was ‘upholstered’ in various hand-made papers, mostly in blues, using Modge Podge, a collage (a waterbased sealer, glue and finish).  A froth of double baby's breath is reflected in the mirror.  A necklace of carnation buds adds a touch of red.  The baby's breath is really in water in a jerry-rigged pile of plastic containers!

Using the same mechanics (oasis on a plastic lid), this modern mass (see "The Pastels of June") uses  clockwise from 1PM blue trachelium, dark rich red carnations, white hydrangea,three artichoke flowers baby's breath and, last, peeping out brighter red carnations.  The container is definitely an element in the proportion keeping the blues, which tend to recede, dominant. 

The artichoke flowers come on long fairly thick and tough stems, to keep them in place, a skewer is used to act as a kind of fulcrum without having to put a longer piece of stem in the oasis. Two skewers are always better than one, but it was worth my life to even get one in the tough and prickly critter so I left it at that.

To be sure that I didn't get too far away from corny, a metallic flag/star wire winds through the design! From Michael's at $.79, surely I could have bought some more......

All these flowers, except the artichoke, are available at the supermarket when you pick up the hot dogs and hamburgers, don’t forget the relish!

Cheers and part 2 on Sunday...