Monday, January 4, 2021

The post-holiday mantel

I've said it before, and here I am saying it again. As much as I LOVE decorating for the holidays—which I do immediately after Thanksgiving—I also LOVE taking everything down as soon as Christmas is over. Bam! Outta here. In with a fresh new look for the longest, darkest, month of of the year. This transition usually involves buying cut flowers in the genus protea, and this year is no different.

Let's start with a close up of my New Year's wreath, made from foliage of Grevillea Ivanhoe and a few NOID leucadendron flowers.

Unfortunately neither of these are from my garden, they were purchased with this creation in mind.

Having worked with both of them before I am confident they'll dry nicely.

The guzmania I'd purchased as part of the Christmas cheer are still going strong and have been moved into different containers at the base of the fireplace surround.


Now let's look at close-ups of what's on the mantel. I've considered doing a purely cream and green pottery arrangement before, but I think this might be the first time I've actually followed through with it.

Starting on the far left. I am unsure of the species name of this one, but I love it's furry top.

Each of these pottery pieces has memories attached to it. I might not be able to remember the plot of a movie we saw last month, but I can tell you who I was with, and where it was that I bought each of these. For example, the piece with the candle. This is the first time I've used it. I bought it in December of 2019 when I was up in Spokane visiting my parents on my mother's birthday. It was a little bittersweet digging it out and remembering time spent together—since I haven't been able to see them since then.

In a post I did on Instagram I called the big pink bloom a Protea 'Pink Ice', but have since learned (thanks to a protea grower) that it's actually Protea 'Venus'...

Whatever it's name, it's gorgeous.

These dried blooms have been in my collection for years. You know that memory I was just touting? Well it's failing me as to when or where I bought them. I just remember that we left town shortly afterwards and I was thrilled to come home and find them "preserved"...

Years back I scored a gorgeous black jewel orchid at Portland Nursery. It looked fabulous and I gave cuttings to several friends. Then it just sort of imploded. Dead. I've wanted another but since then this plant has become one of the darlings of the houseplant craze. In other words I could not rationalize the cost. So I was rather happy to find this tiny start for a reasonable price at Marbotts.

Did you spot this print in earlier photos? Here's a bit of synchronicity for you. I'd already planned to redo the mantle with some of my cream and green pottery, then on Christmas morning I opened this chromolithograph from Andrew, it took what I wanted to create and turned it into a landscape. The plants and colors, they're perfect.

Here's a close up. Mittelmeerflora is German for Mediterranean flora, at least that's what Google Translate tells me...

Another jewel orchid, this one 'Lightning Bolt'...

Looking further to the right...

Since candles seem to be rather hard to find these days I had to settle for ones of a smaller diameter than I'd hoped for. Nothing a little moss and palm seeds from the trachycarpus display couldn't make up for...

Actually you've probably noticed I used those trachycarpus seeds quite liberally, they have a nice opulent quality to them. Like grapes in a painting, but longer lasting.

Cryptanthus NOID

And a planter filled with black anthurium, I went a little crazy when I saw these at a local garden shop.

Drama to the tenth degree...


So that's how 2021 rolled in here at my place.

Hopefully most of these things will sail right on through this long, dark month and the next thing I know it will be February!


Weather Diary, Jan 3: Hi 54, Low 43/ Precip .16" (with .96" on the 2nd and .20" on the 1st) 

All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

19 comments:

  1. I purchased a couple of bunches of greenery from Trader Joe's, being smitten with their shape and color. I had no idea till just now those were Grevillea branches. I popped them in a vase and they lasted a very long time. The mantel is a thing of beauty, as usual, with lots of little treasures to feast the eyes on. Andrew is a card-giver extraordinaire!

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    1. That foliage is very long lived, definitely a good return on investment. Rather than a card the gift from Andrew is a page from a book. I need to go frame shopping someday soon!

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  2. This may be my favorite mantelspace ever. I love the lithograph and I think your plant and pottery choices did a masterful job of playing it up. My sad, empty mantel is in serious need of a mantelscape too.

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    1. I'll be right over to help with your mantle! (I wish)

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  3. Happy New Year! Your mantle decorations give me hope that it'll be a good one. Gotta base it on *something*, ha ha.

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  4. I usually decorate the week before Christmas and undecorate right after New Year's Day football. As I was getting ready to do the deed this morning R said "Let's leave them up and if all goes well in Georgia, we will celebrate." Your January decor was just the boost I needed to make it 'til then. Thanks!
    rickii

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    1. Ah yes... all eyes are on Georgia. Fingers crossed.

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  5. NICE! I love your mantle displays and this is no exception. I love how Andrew's gift fit in perfectly– you two are in sync, of course!
    My spouse surprised me with two protea with eucalyptus/grevillea foliage recently. I am loving the grevillea foliage esp. I hope they dry like yours did.

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  6. The trachycarpus seeds really do look like grapes, and orchid ‘Lightening Bolt’ is amazing!

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    1. Those seeds are starting to turn blue and look even more like grapes now. I wasn't expecting that since we cut them while they were still green.

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  7. Nice mantlescape as always Loree--I'm a little jealous of the green matte pottery. Keeping myself from opening ebay--

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    1. I had spent a little time on Sunday morning perusing the vintage pottery on Etsy. Then after reading your comment last night, and having a couple of adds pop up with the pieces I was considering... well, I may have spent some $!

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  8. I am torn between leaving some of the lights up and cleaning it all away. Trying to think spring but not easy when the ground is snow covered. Are the jewel orchids actually orchids?

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    1. Snow would definitely push me towards leaving some of the lights up! And yes, those are really orchids! Crazy right?

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  9. As always your decor is creative and beautiful. You have inspired me to do a little better on my own and to change it up occasionally.

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    1. Our house is small, and this is really the only "display" space I have. Thus it gets more attention than it would if I had a lot of other surfaces to work with.

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  10. So calm and restful and absolutely wonderful, Loree! What an eye you have!

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