This post is an unabashed excuse to use the term ‘postprandial’. For, after my visual feasting on so many lovely, virtual Thanksgiving dinners, I am in a postprandial state of being; which means, in my case, replete, satisfied, satiated and inclined to tread the hours, softly, softly, ever so softly.
Yesterday was particularly postprandial , even though it was some 36 hours since I first sampled the smallest imaginary sliver of sliced turkey (one has to sample judiciously when such a huge repast is on offer via the interweb)……and I tried to move in a quiet and orderly fashion through the tasks of the day: a little internet banking, some bills to pay; some online shopping; a few cards to make; a birthday card to write; and, then, a tiny time of tidying and trimming and weeding in the garden…….which, although brief, suddenly seemed lack lustre, so I did this, in a moment of whimsy : I scooped up all the clippings and trimmings of Portuguese Laurel, heuchera, fern and borage and teucrium fruticans , as well as a few handfuls of sage and mint, and placed them in my precious Royal Doulton bowl.
Dressed Up Leftovers
And, I thought, “What fun!”, and proceeded to post this photo as my Facebook profile.
Whereupon, one of my astute and very practical-minded Facebook friends, who knows my garden well, immediately commented “Looks like a lovely bunch wild growth! ” Oh, how I laughed, for no matter how I might try to style my floral/foliage arrangement, its base material is just that: the wild (over) growth from the garden; the trimmings and leftovers that were originally destined for the compost heap, before my imagination grasped them and gave them another life.
However, laugh as I did over my friend’s reaction to my act of whimsy ( or was it folly?), I did think this: that we can’t always fill our vase of life with beautiful, elegant, perfect roses; sometimes we simply have to do the best we can with the leftovers, the dregs, the crumbs from the table. And, why not, make the most of them; my dog thinks they’re delicious. He spends half his life begging for them 🙂
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- Whimsy?
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- or Folly?
© silkannthreades
silkannthreades 
Beautiful arrangement , Gallivanta ! Many herbs inside, isn’t it?
I really love the banquets on your table❤️
Yes, lots of herbs. Malus would love investigating all the scents in the arrangement. They would tickle his nose.
Oh… I think it’s absolutely delightful. A true feast for the eyes…
Thank you Catherine 🙂
I love that bowl… and that gorgeous arrangement! And that I learn new words (and things) when I visit your blog! 🙂
Thank You Miss Marzipan. I love your generous comments.
Sweet! You are welcome, but I mean what I say 🙂 x
I love the arrangement, as you say it does not always have to be a rose. Some weeds are in fact very beautiful, just because they grow where we don’t want them makes them a weed.
We should be more welcoming of all sorts of plants, shouldn’t we? We are supposed to live in an all -inclusive society and not discriminate; maybe we need to apply those standards to our gardens 😉
I agree with everyone, it’s a lovely bouquet! …. “postprandial”…. I can’t wait to find an opportune time to use that in conversation!
p.s. I thought of you yesterday as my gardenia produced its last flower of the year. We moved the plant indoors for the winter and the flower is in a little vase in our kitchen. Every time I walk by, I’m rewarded by its intoxicating scent.
Come to think of it, I don’t believe I have ever used the word ‘postprandial’ in real life conversation; it is used a lot in my head but not been said out loud, by me, in a very long time 🙂
How lovely to be thought of in connection with a gardenia. It has done well to still have a flower at this time of the year. Glad it will be cosy indoors for the winter. Do you keep it in the basement or in the warmth and light of a living room?
Always something different to offer from our dear Mrs. P. Lovely.
Ahh, the Royal Doulton again – it really is beautiful. And I love the “wild” display. If I ever have a large garden I would love to let one area just go fallow and let nature make the flora arrangements.
Oh, thank you for reminding me of the word ‘fallow’. I decided to let my vegetable planter boxes (and myself) rest this season. I kept using the word ‘rest’ but I am really letting them lie fallow and the resulting wilderness has been fascinating to watch. Bird and insect life have flourished. I think, from now on, I will always allow a small portion of my small garden to be fallow; it’s very beneficial.
I do like wandering through your garden – it is my Zen moment. I hoping that I have many more Zen moments when I stop by…
“A weed is but an unloved flower.”
― Ella Wheeler Wilcox
I hope so too. Zen moments are so…well….so Zen 🙂 The more we can have the better.
Yes!!!!
Leftovers or not, I think your display is gorgeous!
Thank you. I am so glad you think so.
I, for one, think your arrangements are inspired and inspiring, literally and metaphorically! 😉
That makes me happy. Thank you 🙂
Postprandial . . .I learned a new word today. I’ll have to try to remember it so that I can impress my kids after the next big holiday meal. 🙂
And you can add exciting things like ‘I will now take my postprandial constitutional” or ‘postprandial nap’ or “postprandial brandy” ……..good fun!
I love that you ‘rescued’ the overgrowth from the compost heap and fashioned it into what I think is a pretty display.
“Waste not, want not” as our elders used to say 🙂 Does anyone say that anymore? It used to be such a common expression.
I vote for whimsy! It’s a lovely, delicate bouquet.
I don’t know when I’ll use ‘postprandial’ in a conversation, but I’ll try to do it soon!
Thank you, Marilyn. If postprandial doesn’t fit, may I suggest a you try prandium “Prandium
(Latin) in Rome, lunch; a light midday meal that might consist of bread, marinated vegetables, cheeses, hard boiled eggs, salads, cured hams, and salami; in Rome, consuming a large lunch was considered vulgar.
Found op http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/glossary/glossaryi.html” That sounds good, doesn’t it?
A true demonstration of “playing” with words…how fun!
It was fun! By the way, I am wondering if the bookmark has reached you yet. It should be there by now 🙂
Oh my…I had hoped that you would have received my thank you card by now…probably delayed because of our holiday. I love it…my note expresses the pleasure received. Thank you so much! 😉
I have a thank you card to look forward to….How Lovely! It is sure to be here any day soon.
🙂
I like the “Dressed Up Leftovers”. It reminds me of wandering a dense shrub in a forest.LOL
LOL; just need to add some butterflies and it would be a perfect imitation of a forest. I did accidentally bring a bee inside with the ‘leftovers’.
Bwahaha.. That sounds perfect for the accent. 😀
I think the prettiest arrangements are the last minute ones, the random ones and the ones closest to nature. I think you accomplished all three!
Thank you Joanne. I like random and I am learning to relax about last minute things. I also think it’s great to take decorating cues from nature
I’d prefer your whimsical follies to a vase of roses any day. Beautiful.
Well, I was a bit cross with the roses because, as I was dead heading them, some of the thorns scratched my hand; at least my whimsical follies don’t have thorns! I did bring in a bee, though, which had to be carefully returned to the garden. Also, I think I need to give you credit, for helping to liberate my mind about what can go in to a vase…..remember this http://afrenchgarden.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/more-plum-blossom/…..
In our spring time I attempted a spring blossom arrangement using cuttings from a tree in our street
Beautiful. I can get very cross with roses because of their thorns. I never touch ours (except to cut the flowers for indoors), their maintenance is completely my husband’s territory.
A great division of labour 🙂
I love off piste bouquets myself!!
Off piste is good! It means I am still on the mountain and haven’t gone over the edge :D… I think?
Neither folly not whimsy, but making the most of plants that have been condemned with a name- weeds – but it’s all in the mind’s eye !
“In the mind’s eye”….that’s a good way to put it……I like that…thank you 🙂
I am reminded of the phrase that’s used in the culinary world…”it’s all in the presentation”. Your vase of leftovers and the ones from our turkey dinner looked and tasted even better by presenting them in a beautiful way (Yours in the Royal Doulton bowl and ours in a layer of deliciousness.) It doesn’t matter what the ingredients are, as long as someone takes the time to create art out of them.
That makes me think about your woven vessels, too; I don’t mean that they are made of leftovers but I am thinking of all the interesting pieces you use to create the beautiful whole. I am also now extremely curious about your delicious leftovers…exquisite, beautifully presented cold turkey sandwiches, perhaps?
nope, a layered effect starting with a small potato pancake, a dollop of turkey and gravy (made from the turkey stock out of the turkey carcass of course), peas and a sprinkling of pan-fried stuffing on top. Heavenly. Tomorrow…turkey soup.
Oh yum! And a reminder to me that I was planning to try making some potato pancakes.
Pure gorgeousness!!! Lovely!
For added gorgeousness I would love one or two of your little hummingbirds hovering above the arrangement; which would then have to be outdoors, of course, and contain something red 🙂 There is plenty of sweetness in the borage!
I see you have blue borage as well…
I do! So much of it in the garden and covered in bees. The birds love the borage seeds and I love the flowers in my salad. It is a plant that pleases many 🙂
Post-what? You must read the dictionary for fun…Great gravy, girl. Nice arrangement, though! 😉
Sometimes I do! I haven’t found ‘great gravy, girl’ in there yet. I like that! You would think that with my love of words I would be able to beat someone at Scrabble or Words with Friends, at least once, but NO…….:( and I am useless at crosswords, too!
Boggle?? 🙂 Your brain must be hard-wired for the input of new words. I love words, too – and feel as though I know quite a few – I just don’t seem to know YOURS. hehe
Nope, not Boggle either. And I probably don’t know YOURS. I’ll expect to see a few intriguing ones in your next poem 😉
Oh, the pressure, the pressure!!!!
“Great Gravy, Girl! ” You can handle a blizzard….I know you can do this……some time…..when you are ready 🙂
Actually I love it, and found it very beautiful -:)! Not folly at all!
Thank you, Daniela. I know you understand beauty. I remember the lovely paintings in this post of yours http://lanternpost2012.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/lunch-hour/
Thank you very much, I am touched you remember it -:)!
Daniela
I forget a lot of things but some things stay in my mind!
How true about life! The analogy about Jack thinks about the left over food. I am sure in his mind, it is the greatest treat.
Whimsy of course 🙂
It is the greatest treat for Jack. He much prefers my leftovers to any of the proper dog food that I put in his bowl. And he watches me like a hawk at breakfast time, just willing a piece of toast to fall out of my mouth…which it does sometimes. Glad you like the whimsy!
Beautiful whimsy!
Thank you April 🙂
Perhaps a little whimsy, certainly not folly…I’d say your floral “leftovers” are beautiful! 🙂
Thank you Sheryl. I haven’t seen nature produce an ugly plant yet, so I guess there must be beauty in there somewhere. And most likely folly can be beautiful too.
What a marvellous word: postprandial. Your Royal Doulton bowl is beautiful, as is the wild arrangement you’ve placed in it.
Thank you Juliet. Aren’t words fun? By the way, I looked for your book, Spirited Ageing, at the library and all copies in the ChCh library system were on loan! I can buy a copy from your website, is that right?
Yes, you can buy from my website and I would love you to have a copy! It is proving very popular at the libraries, and many people are ending up buying it after getting it out from the library, because it’s a book to be savoured over time.
Just go to:
http://www.julietbatten.co.nz/books/
Thank you. I will come on over to check out the process.