Elaine Martin credits her grandmother for much of her education as a gardener
and flower arranger. She’s paid tribute to her in the naming of Vintage Gardener,
the studio in Toronto’s Distillery District where she sells and designs her
signature botanical creations.
The garden wound a romantic thread through the life of her grandmother as the
place where she accepted her wedding proposal on a moonlit night and later said
her wedding vows. Despite losing her sight in her early 30s, Martin’s
grandmother was able to teach her sewing, cooking and gardening.
Martin’s grandmother is the inspiration for creating an arrangement “using all
of grandma’s favourite flowers”. The list includes a selection of white
blossoms that reflect a bridal theme – peonies, lilacs, bridal wreath spirea,
delphiniums, snapdragons and snowball vibernum.
A weathered container made of wooden slats forms the base for the arrangement.
Martin places a bucket inside to provide a watertight container. When using
wide-mouthed container like a bucket, some might be tempted to use crisscrossed
tape, chicken wire or “evil glue guns”. This vintage gardener takes the natural
approach and with her “plunking technique” drops a bunch of leafy peony stems
into the bucket to serve as support.
She begins with the greenery first and in this case that’s the catoni aster, planted
for its red berries that appear in the fall. Since this is a woody bush, there
is no manipulating the branches. Martin explains that she “works with the
bend”, fitting the natural arches into the shape of the arrangement. Branches
of vibernum and the spirea bush are used in the same way. Straight stems are
ideal for standing in the middle.
Old-fashioned flowers now have plenty of support as well as a lush green
backdrop. Before adding the lilac, Martin cuts up the stem. This allows more
water to be absorbed and extends its bloom time to a week or more. She suggests
cutting out spent blooms.
“I don’t pull it out because I’ll yank the whole arrangement apart,” she
explains.
Among the white blossoms in this floral nod to grandma are snowball vibernum, often
mistaken for hydrangeas. The flowers are grouped together along the stem and Martin
moves them forward toward the edges of the arrangement. This is repeated with
some of the other blooms. The tall snapdragons give height to display.
Vintage Gardener holds luncheons where floral designers provide the
entertainment, creating arrangements like the one Martin has demonstrated while
guests enjoy food and a glass of wine. A variety of workshops give participants
a chance to create their own floral projects.
To find out more about the offerings at Vintage Gardener, visit the website at
www.vintagegardener.com.
