Outdoor arrangement along West Building Walkway

The second annual Art In Bloom at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh began yesterday. I arrived early and was greeted by colorful outdoor displays.

The walk from the car to the West Building was made special with a row of black urns filled with rich colors.

A series of these urns lined the walkway toward the West Building where the show was held.

Design by Museum Park Volunteers and JAGG Classi Wholesale, Raleigh NC. Primary floral materials: bamboo, upright switch grass, northern sea oats, maiden grass, palmates

Horticulture students from North Carolina State University assembled a friendly planting with allium waving in the breeze above a field of narcissus in front of a Henry Moore.

Narcissus and Allium – NCSU Horticultural Dept

Overnight and early morning rain and winds had knocked over some urns, even breaking one, along either side of the main entrance. While visitors lined up to enter the show, designers were frantically making some last-minute repairs. I liked the grapevines nests at the bottom of each one filled with roses and ranunculus.

These urns featured a grapevine nest of flowers. Partha Daughtridge, patio and Hearth Shop. palm, fiddlehead fern, grapevine, tulip, lily, iris, English rose, poppy, ranunculus.

Once inside it was impossible not to admire the floor to ceiling display of orchids, designed by Steve Taras at Watered Garden Florist.

Steve Taras, The Watered Garden Florist, Raleigh, N.C.
ncma sponsor: Witherspoon Rose Culture

Steve Taras, The Watered Garden Florist

Steve revealed at a talk later in the morning, he had ordered 400 purple and white orchids and received only 30. The stress of creating for events like this must be intense. The museum’s Facebook page has a photo of the design team assembling this work the day before the show opened.

Orchids. Steve Taras

There were 56 floral designs. I selected only a couple to share to illustrate the variety of creations. The inspiration for the first one is The Garden Parasol, by American Impressionist painter, Frederick Carl Frieseke. The summer scene was painted in the artist’s garden at Giverny circa 1910.

The inspiration: The Garden Parasol, Frederick Carl Frieseke

Teresa Godfrey, of Floral Innovations, Washington, D.C., captured the light and the color of the painting using mini calla lily, ranunculus, jasmine vine.

Teresa Godfrey, AIFD, Floral Innovations, Washington, D.C. 
primary floral materials: mini calla lily, ranunculus, jasmine vine

Teresa Godfrey, AIFD, Floral Innovations, Washington, D.C. Inspiration: The Garden Parasol, Frederick Carl Frieseke

The curving line of the flowers and a thin wire framework suggests the Japanese parasol without being too heavy or too literal. Jasmine foliage recreates the shade trees of the painting.

Elements suggest the Japanese parasol and shade trees of the painting.

Dowels placed at the base perfectly match the color of the garden furniture and glass pieces reflect the scattered, dappled light.

The designer used color and interesting materials to sensitively recreate the seating and the dappled sunlight.

Another example from the show is by Michael Whaley, AIFD, Fresh Affairs, Raleigh, N.C. Whaley’s inspiration is Antefix in the Shape of a Satyr’s Head, Etruscan.

inspiration: Antefix in the Shape of a Satyr’s Head, Etruscan

Whaley used folded Cordyline fruticose (Ti leaves, palm lily) in a dramatic way.

Michael Whaley, AIFD, Fresh Affairs, Raleigh, N.C. freshaffairs.com
inspiration: Antefix in the Shape of a Satyr’s Head, Etruscan

On Thursday I also attended two interesting presentations. Will see two more tomorrow and two on Sunday. Perhaps I can describe them at a later time.

To wrap up I leave you with a scene from the Triangle Bonsai Society’s display in the courtyard garden.

Triangle Bonsai Society

Meadow Near Front of North Carolina Museum of Art – 2015 Art In Bloom

Art and flowers are a winning combination in my book. Later this week the North Carolina Museum of Art is hosting the second Art In Bloom festival featuring 56 works from the museum’s permanent  collection. Each piece has been paired with a floral designer who will interpret the art in flowers.

The exhibition opens Thursday and I have had my tickets for weeks. (Yes, tickets, plural. I signed up when February had a stranglehold on me and it seemed the weather would never warm up, much less there would be flowers in the garden again.)  In addition to the main show there are many master classes and demonstrations, each of which is ticketed separately. Participating in the hands-on master classes would probably be the most valuable, but honestly the idea was intimidating.

Instead I have opted to attend a number of presentations, including two by the Steve Taras, owner of Watered Garden Florist in Raleigh and the museum’s primary floral designer. The session titles are Re-Creating Nature and Celebrating with Flowers. I have seen him demonstrate flower arranging 3 other times at the museum. Had I realized Steve would be the guest presenter at last week’s garden club meeting, I might not have elected to attend both of these Art In Bloom sessions, but I am sure each will be distinctive. At the club meeting he designed 7 arrangements, all the while entertaining us with humorous stories and interjecting useful design tips.

Steve showed us an interesting twist on using tulips in arrangements. (Sorry for the terrible image quality.) Fold every other petal back, then go around and fold the remaining 3 petals back.

Steve Taras At Chapel Hill Garden Club

The tulips were added into a container filled with hippeastrum (amaryllis) in a rich red to orange palette, accented with deep red ranunculus. Here you can see him reaching for another orange tulip. I regret not getting better photos.

Steve Taras At Chapel Hill Garden Club

In preparing the hippeastrum Steve trimmed away much of the long stem. He then rummaged through the waste pile for stem cuttings trimmed from an earlier arrangement (hydrangeas, nerine lilies and tulips). He inserted a salvaged stem inside the large open stem of each hippeastrum for extra support and to help them continue taking up water.

These are the other events I am looking forward to at Art In Bloom, with descriptions excerpted from the museum website. Click on the titles if you would like to find out more about each presentation.

Presentation by Olivier Giugni: Living Art

Floral demonstration and illustrated presentation by Olivier Giugni, whose talent and dramatic style transported him from Paris to Tokyo to New York. Olivier is the pioneer of the leaf-wrapped vase, which is now reproduced worldwide.

Olivier Giugni’s designs are considered the haute couture of floral creations. Raised in Brignoles, France, Olivier rose to floral stardom when Pierre Cardin tapped him to create the look of Les Fleurs de Maxim’s restaurants in Paris, Tokyo, and New York.

Presentation by Erica Anderson: Impressions of an Heirloom Garden
As the first horticulture intern on Appledore Island, Erica Anderson stepped into the garden of 19th-century poet Celia Thaxter. Using photographs of her time on the island, Erica transports us to the beloved island and garden featured in the exhibition American Impressionist: Childe Hassam and the Isles of Shoals.

Presentation by David Beahm: Extraordinary Flowers, Extraordinary Destinations

Floral demonstration and illustrated presentation with David Beahm, whose trademark lavish floral creations are featured at some of the most luxurious and exclusive properties in the world.

Your DIY Wedding
Carol Dowd and Stephanie Garrett of the American Institute of Floral Designers demonstrate simple steps to make your wedding flowers perfect, no matter what your style.