Living wall

Whilst on a mission in town yesterday I took some photographs of the living walls

created in Siam Paragon shopping mall.

By chance the photograph next to these on my camera's chip was of Floors Castle in Scotland which we visited in September last year, and I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition to see the Virginia creeper providing the living walls of the Victorian palace of the dukes of Roxburghe.

Twelfth night, plus twenty

The orchids we bought for Christmas are still flowering, and in the case of the ones in the black pot in the kitchen, still producing a welcoming scent.

When I was growing up we were always under strict rules to remove Christmas decorations by twelfth night, to avoid misfortune. But there is some dispute as to when twelfth night occurs. That notwithstanding, it seems entirely appropriate that these plants should be given maximum exposure during this phase of their flowering cycle.

Christmas flowers

and my alternative to a Christmas tree, in a black glazed pot in the kitchen.

A close up of this orchid, with its exquisitely delicate flowers.

A smaller "tree", in a yellow-glazed pot, in the drawing room.

Again the flowers are an unusually delicate species.

We decided rather than cut flowers this year, we'd buy potted orchids to decorate the two rooms that will be used most over the Christmas period - the kitchen, when we're either cooking, making drinks or drinking drinks, and the sitting room, where we shall entertain our guests on Christmas Eve, whilst we sip cocktails and nibble on fois gras that a couple have brought from the south of France, from whence they travelled earlier this week without encountering the chaos being experienced by their countrymen in the north, and indeed those in northern Europe generally.

I am immensely grateful that I am not caught up in that, and consider my own little inconvenience of a fire drill on the 25th insignificant, with its alarm, which I'm now considering a Thai version of Christmas bells, or as one of our neighbours said: Fire drill on Christmas Day...what are they afraid of...that Santa has set the chimney on fire? Or the power cut by the Metropolitan Electricity Authority of Bangkok on Boxing Day, from 08.30 till 15.30.

As you an see, we have flower power instead.

Christmas Greetings to you all.

Gilding the lily

One of my delightful guests sent over a bouquet of flowers. It needed a bit of tweaking, (such as the removal of the pink and gold-threaded ribbon), and placement in a grander and more over-the-top bowl with gilded lotus flower feet. He did not see it before it left the florists, and was terrified it might be too ghastly for words, but I assured him, when I rang to thank him, that it was exquisite, and I'm sure you'll agree. But apart from that thoughtful gesture, its arrival in the late morning meant that it was not something that needed my attention when guests were arriving.

At about the same time, I was preparing the set up, with champagne and wine waiting to be placed in the fridge, once room had been made by the removal of the large casserole of coq au vin, which we had made the previous evening. Champagne does slip down easily. All of this did.

The table was laid during the late morning. Cleaning it all the next morning, (by hand) is a task that concentrates the mind and is certainly not quite il dolce far niente which would have been my preferred activity for the day. But it's good for the soul, and there is a reward in doing things for others whom you cherish.

Natural adornment

Whether outside on our balcony, such as these white orchids with their delicate pink tinges, or the bougainvillea in my favourite purple-pink,

or pink roses stripped of their leaves and cut down to fit

tightly into a silver bucket, 

or these deep purple orchids placed in a glass vase, giving an unusual surprise to the red lacquer chairs in the dining room,

flowers do make a wonderful accessory, and when they are so very inexpensive, (especially the orchids), it's madness not to have them around. Everywhere.

Cote des fleurs

Thanks Joni of Cote de Texas for your kind comments. These are the purple orchids I mentioned on your post about flowers. They're still going strong...

Let a thousand flowers blossom

"Burnt" Yellow orchids in a lacquer vase in the hallway.

Pink roses in a silver bucket on the newly named "bling" table, (formerly known as a "tablescape").

"Elephant ear" leaves in a Chinese yellow-glazed pot.

The quieter streets of Bangkok over this long Lent weekend have made trips to the flower market a bit of a breeze, and the market itself less of an obstacle course. Anyway, it provided the ideal opportunity to venture forth and see what is on offer.

The temptation is always to buy far more than is required without turning the place into a flower shop, or at worst a chapel of rest, so as in many elements of design, less is better. I'm reminded of the advice given by mothers to their young daughters before going out on a first date, "now take one thing off". (It's important to remember the suggestion of the article to be removed is usually jewellery, lest you think a mother is accused of encouraging her virginal daughter to be provocative in her dress sense.)