florilegium

I like the idea of a floral florilegium. A florilegium - such a lovely word - is an anthology or garland or collection of choice literary extracts - but I feel it's the perfect term for the collection of choice flowers I saw in Suffolk.

The local hollyhocks come in a huge range of pinks and reds, deep burgundies and yellows, some as tall as the houses against which they grow, a kind of of feminine version of a beanstalk for a questing Jackie to climb.

Then there were some stunning no-holds-barred dahlias, like this 'Duet' which lifts my spirits every time I look at it. I've put it outside the kitchen door at home so it can make me laugh with its huge floppy head and utterly wonderful petal design.

It stands next to the 'Akita' dahlia which is more restrained colourwise, but is even madder in terms of spiky, complex construction.

Then there's this pretty specimen which looked amazing against the blue exterior of our rented house.

In fact, the one thing I noticed about so many of this summer's Suffolk flowers was how beautiful they looked against the different shades of blue paint. Although there are yellow and white and 'Suffolk pink' houses, I came to realise just how wonderfully well blue in particular works as a backdrop for a garden. 

Then, just as I was developing this theory, I came across these tall, deep red and pink and white acanthus spikes in front of a deep red and pink and white house. The whole ensemble could not have planned better. Maybe I need to make a little more effort to match my house to my flowers?

And I found myself inspired by all this floriferousness when I went to Quilters Haven and was drawn to these abundantly floral fabrics which will be going into a quilt I have planned. In fact, it may just be a florilegium quilt.

To paraphrase Aristotle, it's not so much swallows as flowers that for me a summer make. Which means it's a good summer.

Comments

[Viv]

Oh, flowers (and in particular hollyhocks and dahlias at that)...

Me, I don't have a garden, not even "a bit of earth" to plant them in. I make do with what our market offers (the dahlias they sell are fabulous) and living vicariously through your photos.

[Christine Hembling]

I keep meaning to go to Quilters Haven (especially as I know the owener!). Thanks for the reminder. The colours are so beautiful in all these photos.

[Jackie]

This Jackie has no ambition to climb..just to grow them..everything in my Northern garden is horizontal..I suppose its 'my own fault for living here'.

[msaims]

an avid gardener once tried to convince me dahlias were weeds... the nerve!

[Jean]

The floral fabric will make an incredible quilt, I love the way the colors play off each other. The background of blue does make a very good backdrop for the flowers, however the last photo is stunning, It does give one incentive to bring out the paint brush! Can you imagine a flower catalog complete with matching house paint. Hmmmm.

[maria]

My parents-in-law live in a pink thatched Suffolk cottage which has some beautiful hollyhocks growing outside their small living room window. Each summer they block out the light into the room. Non flower loving members of the family can't undersand why they don't cut them down!
I left a comment on your last post recommending Quilter's Haven but I see that wasn't necessary.

[Steph VW]

Jane - your pictures and the colours in the cottage make me want to stow away on a boat to England.

[materfamilias]

delurking to say I love that photo of the acanthus flowers. Try as I might, my eight-year old, large, healthy acanthus (mollis) will NOT give me a single spike, and I think they're the most resplendent flower -- this is such a gorgeous shot of their stateliness, thank you.

[Mary K. in Rockport]

Oh so beautiful! I do love your photographs. And Walberswick? I've been there - once, in 1971. I do recall it was not sunny, though.

[Lucy @ Attic24]

I adore those shades of blue, like the colour of the Med and hot summer sky. Is that really the colour of your house??? I am envious!!
xx

[myrnie_twin]

Gorgeous photos..but do you know what that 4th picture is of?? I had one of those pop up in what (I think) was the garden compost pile for the previous owners. At first I thought it was a geranium, then maybe a squash...now, it stands alone and the hummingbirds love it. But I still don't know what it is!

[kathleen]

Love those fabric colors, just astounding. I love hollyhocks they are so old fashioned.

[Sal]

What fabulous colours!
I have always loved Suffolk..such a lovely county. ;-)

[Jo.L]

Oh I love those dahlias. The dotty red & white ones in particular are my favourites. We saw buckets filled with them and gladioli at a recent féte that we went to in France

[Rhiannon]

Absolutely gorgeous colours...especially the first photograph.

[mbutterfudge]

you make me look with different eyes - thank you

[wren]

Very apt. There is The Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society and if Prince Charles can have his Highgrove Florilegium, of course you can have the Brocket Aldeburgh Florilgium. With an unexpected summer bouquet of postings, It is indeed a good summer.

[Lynn in Tucson]

Lovely! And thanks for the blue tip; we have one garden wall remaining to be painted and we're having a hard time deciding on a color.

I have a surplus of pink and burgundy hollyhock seeds. Would you like some?

[Alyssa Goodnight]

I LOVE the dahlias. And what a lovely word...florilegium. Beautiful!

[Alison]

I am ever so slightly in love with the Akita.....
so stunning!

[wynk]

Florilegium.

That's one of those you have to say a few times just to appreciate the feel of it.

I'm insanely jealous of your dahlia-growing ability. My area is too hot to support them.

And what is it about blue exterior walls? Most places they just look awful, but some places they're just so charming and *right*.

[Vicki in Michigan]

Those coral hollyhocks against the blue, with just a bit of green.

Wow.

[Kathy DiGi]

Lovely! I'm happy you're back and delighted to read that your next book will be about quilts. I am tempted to send you photos of my own California dahlias. Such wonderful, silly flowers!

[karin]

I believe the purple "specimen" against the blue house is called Mallow.

Thank you for letting me armchair travel...

[andylynne]

Beautiful pictures, and the quilt will be beautiful. I love blue with flowers it's restful. But the red was pretty too. Maybe any flowers makes every thing look so much more cheerful.