If your name is Michael Howells or Cathy St Germans or Lady Boyd or Kitty Arden then please could you go and look at another blog ...you're judging this and it's secret.
Right, so I know I really should have asked you first, but there was no one here to save me from myself, it was a spur of the moment thing ...I've entered us (that's all of you, and me) collectively as 'dovegreyreader scribbles' in two classes in the Port Eliot Festival Flower Show.
This was on the assumption that collective imagination and inspiration from 185 countries around the world would help us to come up with some stunning ideas, which we (Bookhound, Offspringette and I) will then transform into entries.
I did check with Lady St Germans and have been reassured that this is not cheating, and that indeed there is much excitement about our entry... no pressure then.
Now the folly of this becomes apparent when I tell you I am not God's gift to flower arranging let alone the Constance Spry of the blog world, and right now the garden has Ox-Eye Daisies which smell vile, Rose of Sharon, Honeysuckle and not a lot more...but this is no ordinary flower show, this is the Port Eliot Flower Show. It won't matter if the Oasis is showing, normal rules of flower show etiquette don't apply, technical mastery and floral precision are thankfully not a pre-requisite, and though natural plant material must dominate, it's about imagination and a love of flowers.
We can think laterally and very creatively and cook up a real storm of an installation which may well veer into a terrible mess, but it's the taking part that counts.
So if you could get your thinking caps on we'd be very grateful...
I won't need too much help with with Class 8
"Hoe, Hoe, Hoe!" An arrangement of weeds not to exceed 18" in any direction.
But all suggestions welcome, I've got a container lined up but when is a weed a wildflower...I've located a plentiful supply of Rosebay Willowherb about a mile up the road for some colour, will that count?
It's Class 2 that is more of a challenge...
"In the Library" - An Arrangement of Flowers Depicting a Great Novel.
Not to exceed 24" in any direction. Props and drapes may be used. In fact, do not hold back. To be viewed from the front.
Now there's nothing more exciting than having four visiting Canadians, vibrant inspirational women all, you feed them a delicious cream tea (well done to Bookhound) and then you trap them in your book room and ask for ideas. In a flash CanadaGill came up with a brilliant suggestion for the book which we'll have to keep secret... so can you not tell anyone, we'll have to keep it under wraps, keep our powder dry, beware of pale imitations.
But we have great expectations about any ideas you might come up with and with some lateral thinking around the word 'expectations' suddenly we were brain storming and had it sussed.
I've developed the theme a bit further and picked up some old lacy net curtains in charity shop today which I'm going to tea dye, because I'm thinking Miss Havisham's veil as a draping backdrop, and what's the betting the very time I want white nets to go yellowy-brown they stay pristine.
Next I plan to pin our 'expectations' on to the veil. much as you pin your hopes on something, or lay them around and we've been looking at dictionary definitions.
The act of expecting.
Eager anticipation: eyes shining with expectation.
The state of being expected.
Something
expected: a result that did not live up to
expectations.
Prospects, especially of success or gain.
I'm wondering if you're getting the gist, if so all ideas for 'expectations' gratefully received and they can take the form of pictures or actual things that create a mood of expectation...so far they include
a half-knitted sock (has to be in there somewhere)
a sealed letter
a little parcel of books
a picture of the England football team (ha ha)
eggs
closed flower buds
seeds
caterpillar
various newspaper headlines
quotes from books
adverts for plastic surgery
a bus ticket
and I'm sure you can think of more, it can be as weird, whacky and wonderful as you like and if it's a picture and you want to email it to me please do, we'll put your name and location on it as the suggester or find a picture of it ourselves and print it off.
The flowers will have to be mainly the daisies (just pray they last until Friday which is setting up day) but with a Miss Havisham wedding bouquet look to them, so plenty going over to seed and there are a few foxgloves left...digitalis and all its poisonous connections with the heart, more lateral thinking about that jilted bride and there's plenty of ivy around. The Tinker has suggested that we arrange for it all to catch fire at the end of the show, I thanked him profusely for the idea, but said perhaps not.
I have a feeling this is going to end up looking more like a fusion of The Old Curiosity Shop and The Darling Buds of May but never mind, over to you, please do name your 'expectations.'
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