One of the pleasures of my corporate contract work is the occasional surfeit of flowers that are still at their peak on the 8th day when I install the new week’s florals. Certain orchid species, Lilies, Mums, Alstromerias, among other varieties, often have an “afterlife”. That is to say, “they are still perfectly good! You aren’t possibly throwing those out, are you?!”
In these circumstances, the options are to given them away, which may be complicated, but the joy in the giving is its own reward! The other option is to take them back to the studio or home to “play with”; to explore new design concepts or simply to enjoy the glory of a great performer.
Today was such an opportunity. I brought these spectacular Vanda orchids home and spread them out on my counter to admire my windfall, my manna from heaven! Like Scrooge I delighted in fondling and admiring each and every stem, editing the fading blooms, sorting the stems, imagining what modest and great arrangements I might make with them.
So for one wonderful hour, before I set off to work, I gathered containers and immersed myself in hedonistic pleasure and photographed the results, a visual record of one hour of indulgence and pure joy! How rich, how blessed I feel with these beauties lighting up every room of my home!
