holiday | Deborah Silver & Co.

The Holiday Dinner, 2014

For the past several years, I have posted pictures from a holiday dinner hosted every year by 2 very good friends. They both have careers in the arts and are keenly interested in design. They have a collection of ornaments amassed over a period of many years. They have strong ties to French art and design. All of this shows, whether the subject at hand is their collection of boxwood in pots, their perennial gardens, or their French style potager. Their holiday is ordinarily a very subtle and understated affair. This year’s table is a significant departure.

This holiday featured an unexpected turn of events. The French blue flocked tree around which they had planned their holiday was not available. By the time they ordered their tree, the color was sold out. With equal parts pique and nerve, they ordered a flocked tree in turquoise. M sent me a picture of the tree-I could not imagine what they would do with it. The color was very strong. Intensely turquoise. As they felt it was either a turquoise flocked tree, or a tree with no flock, they jumped in.

Once the initial shock of the color had worn off, I could see them both accepting, and later enjoying the challenge. They kept me updated, as the decorating process unfolded. My part in all of this? Being available to tell them I was sure what they did would be great. The design process always has those moments. A tree that dies, and leaves an attending shade garden exposed to full sun is a design challenge, as it is based on a circumstance that cannot be altered. The one boxwood or lavender that dies out mid-hedge, or an exceptionally cold winter that kills the roses back to the ground can present significant design challenges. Every gardener experiences moments like this.

But the glory of their holiday is in what companion colors and materials they chose to make that turquoise look beautiful and deliberate. They harvested lots of weed seed heads, and hydrangeas from their garden. Those cream colored stems are intertwined, and float over that startling blue.

They used lots of red, as in pomegranate, and red amaryllis. I am not sure why red and turquoise is such a striking color combination, but here it is-with gold and cream as an intermediary. Big splashes of gold, and some silver added to the festivities. It was clear this design process was not drawn on paper, or completely imagined in advance. It was a process for which they both had patience. Do enjoy their pictures.

red for the holiday

the holiday table

Sophia

I thought their holiday was incredibly beautiful. Their willingness to take on an unexpected circumstance with energy and verve is equally as stunning. Taking chances with design-how I admire this.

Posted on: December 31, 2014 33 Comments

Filed Under: Color, Holiday, Parties and Events, Good Design Tagged With: holiday color, flocked trees, holiday dinner, holiday, holiday design

Last But Not Least

We did finish the majority of our winter and holiday work 2 days before Christmas. That meant we had a little time to lend a hand to Rob. Like anyone in a holiday design related business, putting together a holiday home comes last. It was looking like he might run out of time. That would not do; he is someone who gives his utmost to gardening people getting ready for the holidays and winter season. My group was happy to take it on. A multi colored light garland he had looped over the door was brought back to the shop to be attached to a grapevine garland. Harvested and rolled grapevine is springy and airy, and holds its shape in the fiercest of winter weather. We added several more all white light garlands, and ran the entire affair up the shag bark hickory in the front yard.

If you think it looks as if we ran it way up this tree, you are right. Above the second story. A huge capacity, state of the art extension ladder and four people made it happen. One climber, 2 people at the base of the ladder, and one runner on the ground walking in circles. The light garland does a good job keeping the house company. There is also something about the sheer effort of it that was cheery and grand. With holiday decor, I care about the effort someone has made as much as the result. I knew Rob would think it looked swell. It is asymmetrical, surprisingly light and airy, and unexpected-all good as far as he is concerned.

All the different colors, shapes, and sizes of bulbs made quite the light statement. The front of the house-glowing.

His light rings are well known to anyone who frequents Detroit Garden Works. We took a 3′ and a 5′ ring, and added a string of multicolored garland lights to the interior steel wall of the hoop. This form may be very very familiar to him, but this treatment is a one of a kind.

What’s to like about them? The lighted sculpture is striking. They are simple to install. Pick a spot, push the prongs into the ground, and plug it in. We have plenty of clients who run them all winter. Why not? This picture was taken at 5:15 in the afternoon-which at this time of year is better described as 5:15 in the evening.

2 pots had the remains of a summer planting in them. That couldn’t stand. Mixed greens and an a bunch of fresh cut poplar branches makes the pots look appropriately dressed for winter.

Another client made a last minute decision to order up a few winter pots. Might he have a little color? A mass of yellow twig dogwood appears all the more substantial by varying the heights of the twigs. The color of the plum eucalyptus is brilliant and saturated against that yellow.

We have had a very fortunate late fall and early winter, as in moderate temperatures, and no snow. Once the snow comes, it is difficult to work outdoors. Even if your effort is late, it will last a winter’s worth.