Forever flowers

Flowers don't last forever, but there are ways around that if you go the crafty route. I did just that with two recent purchases to add flourishing touches to our living spaces: a crochet bunch and hand-painted wooden petals.

I love fresh flowers as much as anyone else, but we don't have a garden to pick from and you wouldn't believe how expensive flowers are where we live in Australia.

I remember my first sticker shock over the price of a small bouquet of native flowers at the shops. We had just moved into our first rental and to me, a few items can instantly make a house like a home: slippers, a comfy throw blanket, and fresh flowers in a vase. I desperately wanted/needed beauty inside the house but also could not stomach paying the equivalent of $50 USD for what I was used to buying at Trader Joe's for $12.99 USD.

Once in a while, I'll come across a good deal at a country road flower stall like this:

Or at a local street market with a $15 AUD bouquet, direct from the grower (closer to $10 USD):

I jump at the opportunity to have these native floral punches of color and textures on our dining room table ... at a reasonable price.

Between these moments, I'm loving the artificial blooms set in a clear vase in our living room (pictured below from Adelaide makers Petal & Yarn) and some from Branch & Bloom that sit on our kitchen window sill (not pictured).

I must have been riding a forever-flower wavelength because shortly after my purchases, I learned about the plush Flower Market by NYC-based Australian artist CJ Hendry. It was so popular that authorities shut the venue down on Day One due to overcrowding.

Perhaps we're all desperately seeking a bit of beauty in our homes, one real or artificial bloom at a time?

FYE (for your enjoyment), here are some images from the Adelaide maker I recently purchased from, as well as a video from a fabric flower man bringing beauty into the world through craft.

Whatever the variety, there's something powerful about flowers, whether made effortlessly by Mother Nature or meticulously crafted by humans. Lucky us that we get to enjoy all of the above.

Petal & Yarn

"What is a flower guy? a flower guys is a man who ... goes out and sees a gorgeous flower that God made and comes here and takes out tools and recreate it. I'm grateful to be one"