Simple Living | A Living Composition
A capture of the great outdoors
Achingly beautiful, that’s what this fall has been. Achingly beautiful. The gradual sinking of temperatures drawing exquisite color across the landscape. Beauty in decay. The luscious expanse of wild flora and how its color, texture, and scale create a harmony of depth and tone and story.
I’m captured by it.
Sometimes, I’ll pause on a mountain trail, be still, and see. See the details. So many different trees and plants, growing together into one composition. I’ll see the variety of color, of habit, of shape. See how stone is part of the story. See how nature has arranged it all.
That brings me to this. Remembering this living composition I did over four years ago. Inspiration becomes interpretation, indeed. It remains one of my favorite of all time.
I chose a footed vase from a thrift store shelf, not because of its vibrant, gaudy colors, but because of its size and shape. I wanted it to look like the chalky, worn stone I’ve seen in the mountains, so I spray painted it flat white and coated it with wood filler, let it dry and sanded it smooth.
Remembering that I wasn’t simply potting up houseplants, but replicating a nature scene, I chose a variety of plants from my local nursery - something wispy (asparagus fern), something large-leafed (angel wing begonia), several somethings mid-to-smaller leafed (ferns with differing leaf shapes and colors), and something trailing. I covered the soil with sphagnum moss. Colors ranged from deep green to light green, muted to vibrant, from caramel to maroon.
The plants grew lush and full, reaching over the edges of the pot. The trailing one spilled across the table. The asparagus fern grew high and wide, some of its feathery tendrils twining themselves around the arm of the sconce nearby.
There’s something about the way houseplants bring a living presence into our home. How nurturing them, is nurturing me. How I give, and they give in return. And how, sometimes a creative shift is all it takes to have a miniature experience of the great outdoors.
Guess what? GATHER is coming up! Mark your calendars, set your reminders, for this Sunday,* October 22, at 3:00pm MDT, for our third Gather. Gather is slow time, together. It’s your invitation to step away for an hour once a month with me, from September to December. For conversation, rest, and inspiration for living well (handwork and tea are optional, but highly recommended). This is a virtual event (via Zoom) for paid subscribers. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber and you’d like to join us, simply upgrade your subscription by clicking the Manage Subscription button on this post, and you’ll receive the event link when it’s published on Friday.
*NOTICE! All Saturday Gathers are being changed to Sunday due to a conflict in my schedule. The updated Gather schedule is below:
Sunday, October 22 at 3:00pm MDT
Sunday, November 19 at 3:00pm MST
Sunday, December 17 at 3:00pm MST
Thank you, this is the first time ever over the years, had any bloom again. The Swedish ivy, like this variety, your plants in that vessel is Awesome.
I remember when you created that arrangement because it was so beautiful and appealed to my love of the many layers that build a landscape. So nice to see it again!