AUTUMN'S PASSING: A FLOWER ARRANGEMENT IN ANTICIPATION OF THANKSGIVING

When Ariel and I met for a flower day on Friday, the context had been readied. Our materials were assembled, the table where we work was cleared and we had set aside time for  Kado practice.  Ariel brought lilies and branches.  I had eucalyptus, chrysanthemums and thistles.

I knew I wanted to work with multiple containers, the bunch of wheat and a tray.  I wanted "simple" and "spare."  No other flower says fall like chrysanthemums. The simple thistles reinforce the message.  I knew I wanted to work with both, as well as a bunch of wheat purchased recently at the Farmers' Market.

Color, line, mass and contrast were considerations, too. Yellow chrysanthemums, the color of sunshine, attract attention, arouse cheerfulness and evoke pleasant feelings.  They also provide mass.  The thistles provide line and contrast.

I named my completed arrangement "Autumn's Passing." The open spaces, something I associate with autumn, are one of the things I appreciate most about the arrangement.

A friend who was here for dinner would have opted for even more space.  She wondered aloud, "What would the arrangement look like minus the wheat?" This was not something I was willing to consider. "Harvest," is an important part of the late November/Thanksgiving story I wanted to tell.  The wheat stays!