Quince, Of Course {+ Other Garden Developments}

In the last week, our garden has erupted in color as flowering bulbs, shrubs and trees awaken to the spring. I wish we could take credit for each one, but we are the lucky beneficiaries of a previous owner's choices, which include a mature pink magnolia, a star magnolia and two coral quince.

This weekend the quince buds opened and, despite their thorns, invited me to snip some for display around the house.

Gardening Goals This Autumn

This is a banner day here on Meet Me in Philadelphia. For the first time I am delving into the topic of gardening, a topic that I've never known much about but always appreciated from the sidelines.

This is our first autumn as homeowners and--as any good gardener knows--this season is prime time for garden clean-up and the ideal time to prepare for beautiful results the following spring.

So, let's gab about the fall garden, shall we?

The Book of the Peony

It's easy to be inspired by the naturally-sculptural shape of flowers; for me, my favorite flower is the peony and one of the aspects I love most about this variety is the full shape of the bloom that practically defies gravity. Each stem is like a tiny piece of art from the garden.

Published in 1917, Alice Howard Harding's book The Book of the Peony captures the organic beauty of my favorite flower in a series color and black-and-white photographs that deserve to be framed like art and once you see these images, I think you'll agree.

Festive Holiday Plants and Flowers

Though harvest time is over and outdoor plantings have started their long winter sleep, our homes can still show signs of nature deep into the season. Sure, we bring all sorts of coniferous plants inside during the month of December, but there are several types of flowering plants that add a punch of color to our homes during the holidays. 

Ode to a Humble Bloom: The Carnation

There's nothing quite like a vase full of fresh flowers in any home to brighten it up, but if you're like me you can't always splurge on fancy flowers like peonies, tulips or hydrangeas. When I want to add a floral touch to my home regardless of season, I opt for a few bunches of carnations from the supermarket.

Sure, carnations don't have the same pedigree as roses, but these flowers still represent love. Until very recently, I associated carnations with Valentine's Day 'flower-grams' that my friends and I sent each other in high school for a dollar a piece. Talk about a cheap thrill!

Lately, I've been picking up bouquets of red carnations, grouping them in tight bunches throughout my home, and beaming when I see how great they look in a deep scarlet cluster.

But I'm not the only one who's smitten with these affordable flowers; carnations are popping up in the homes of some very talented folks as of late.

For one, Kevin Sharkey, the Senior Vice President of Martha Stewart Omnimedia, merged modern art with a lush arrangement of ombre carnations in his Manhattan home.

(via Martha Stewart)

Master of luxurious color Miles Redd incorporated red carnations in his chinoiserie tablescape.

(via House Beautiful)

Eddie Ross utilizes carnations for arrangements frequently, and in one use he transformed colorless flowers into a sculpture that is reminiscent of a winter snowball.

(via Eddie Ross)

When paired with kumquats in a Staffordshire tureen, deep pink carnations become anything but ordinary.

(via Apartment Therapy)

Jenny Komenda shared her love of single-color carnations in Better Homes and Gardens, also opting to use a soup tureen to hold the flowers in the spread below.

(via Little Green Notebook)

Still unsure how to elevate the look of these deli-sourced flowers?
On marthastewart.com, event planner Bronson Van Wyck shared his expert tips on how to select the perfect  varieties of carnations.

(via Martha Stewart)

So, what say you: are carnations worthy of your empty vase or are they just a blah bloom?