June 1, 2014

Cannes. November, 2012


I am always amazed and touched at the importance Europeans place upon flowers. Especially southern Europeans. Each market seems to offer a wonderful variety. And I love watching people carrying their flower purchases home with them. I’m surprised each time when I see again Roman matrons carrying their flowers with the lower stem ends in their hands and the blossoms pointed downward toward the pavement. Just the opposite of how we tend to carry flowers here.

2 comments:

  1. Every European is born knowing how to "do" cut flowers. You go to the market and buy everything according to its perishability ... non-perishables first, fresh-cut herbs and flowers last. Then on your way out of the market, you stop by your favorite flower vendors. They know you anyway and have the flowers you want. And if you're really smart, you stopped by first on the way into the market and asked them to set aside the flowers you want.

    So on the way out, you grab the flowers and hurry home ... making sure to hold them blossom-downward to retain water pressure in the leaves and petals.

    Arriving home, as soon as you get through the door, even before you take off your coat, you drop everything else and spread the flowers out on newspaper. Working fast, you cut the stems AT AN ANGLE so that the thirsty stems can draw water better.

    (There is some debate as to whether it is better to cut the stems on the dry table or under water, and also whether a sharp knife is better than shears. From personal experience, I find that coming indoors on a cold day can fog my glasses. If you are using a sharp knife under water and the water turns pink ... you have cut more than just the stems.)

    You have already set aside your favorite vase and have filled it with room-temperature water. So now all you have to do is place the thirsty flowers in it to give them a drink of water ... while you unpack all the other things you bought at the market.

    That done, you go back to the vase and squat down and take a good look. You already had an idea how they would look when you first saw them at the vendor's. Now, like a sculptor, you set about turning your image into reality.

    The flowers have their own ideas, of course, and so you work with them ... lovingly arranging each one to best advantage ... snipping a bit here ... pinching off a leaf there.

    Eventually, the arrangement is done and you can sit back and slip off your coat and your shoes as the flowers enjoy a good drink ... and you do too. (Make mine Valerian tea, please.)

    Of course, the arrangement is never "done" and you end up making minor adjustments over the hours and days to come ... especially as nature takes its course and the arrangement settles and droops, despite your changing the water and re-cutting the stems on a regular basis.

    Soon it's market day again. The old flowers get thrown out. The vase gets a thorough washing and is filled with tap water ... so that the water will be room temperature by the time you return from the market with more flowers.

    Every European is born knowing these things.

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  2. I learned all of this from Klaus. Come to think of it, there have been no flowers in the apartment since he died. I hadn't realized that before now.

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