By Anita Garner
When we merged households a few years ago my daughter and I found out how many vases each of us owned. Last year we moved into a different home and vowed to pare down. Cath and I visited the room where our vases occupied the spacious, wraparound top shelves of built-in bookcases. We intended to say goodbye to a few but each of us emerged from the vase room to report that we didn’t choose any to give away.
This isn’t an intentional collection and it’s certainly not expensive. Our vases come home from thrift-ing trips. Knowing we’re fully supplied and with an eye toward our downsized storage, I’ve been trying to avoid them, however one of my favorite shops, Mt. Carmel Salvage on Lovell Avenue in Mill Valley, recently offered this one.
I can’t resist this shade of green. Would you call this celery? And that lovely light pottery rim. “Celery With Bone” could be the caption in a fantasy decorating magazine called “Better Homes & Vases.” It doesn’t even need flowers. It’s quite fetching, just the shape of it.
Here are some. There are also jars in different sizes that live on kitchen shelves and often hold bouquets, plus huge vases scattered around the house. I don’t think we’ve ever paid over $5 for any of these treasures and when one breaks it’s a sad occasion until one of us visits a thrift store.
This week’s flowers occupy a few more. This one reminds me of my mother, Fern, who would love this dusky pink.
Cath favors this little ribbed purple glass with the rusted handle.
I like this tiny green one which looks like a miniature of every arrangement received from every florist during the 60s, 70s, 80s. This one’s only about 3″ tall. Remember the larger version of these green curvy vases?
Sweet little kitchen table trio
Next week we’ll rotate, depending on which affordable flowers the store has to offer. We never underestimate carnations. They last all week.
To fill the giant vases not pictured here, there are always big show-off ferns from the garden. Wouldn’t a big green vase shaped like that miniature above look great filled with ferns on the hearth, while the fireplace is not in use? If I see one it’ll probably need to come home with me.
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