Transferware Love in the Potting Shed and Valentine Floral Inspiration

Happy February!

It’s one of my favorite days of the month when I join my

Monday Morning Blooms’ friends to share some flower therapy.

We’re celebrating Valentine’s Day for February’s edition of Monday Morning Blooms.

You can find Pam and Lidy’s links to their Valentine’s Day

floral inspiration at the bottom of this post.

Flowers provide a cheery antidote for cold, gray winter days and

 Valentine’s Day offers the perfect excuse

to treat yourself to flowers and be your own Valentine!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information see my disclosure policy. 

As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I’m sharing my love of transferware with a blooming vignette

and table in The Potting Shed.

The grocery store was bursting with blooms in anticipation of Valentine’s Day.

 I picked some carnations, hydrangeas, stock, mums, Charmelia and tulips

to fill some jars and pitchers on the window ledge and table the Potting Shed.

Tulips were on sale for $4 a bunch -> happy dance!

Vase life for cut tulips is 3-10 days, depending on variety, care and maturity.

Carnations, mums and Charmelia have a long vase life naturally, with proper care.

Stock is usually the shortest-lived flower for me but their fragrance makes up for it,

and hydrangeas are notorious for wilting, but Crowning Glory prevents that!

Regular readers have heard me sing the praises of Crowning Glory

before, as I have had flowers that last easily two weeks when using it!

If you’re not familiar with  Crowning Glory, it’s a transpirant spray

that seals in moisture and dries clear.

It’s safe to use on all flower types and is especially beneficial

for flowers that are prone to wilting due to moisture loss, like hydrangeas.

Two products I swear by for long-lasting flowers are Floralife Flower Food and

Crowning Glory Solution Floral Spray.

Tip: If you’re buying flowers from the grocery store, always use the flower food packets

that come with your flowers to give them their longest vase life.

Flower food / floral preservative provides nutrients for your flowers and controls

the pH for optimal water uptake, while also reducing bacteria in your vase water.

I like the conveniece of the 10 oz. container of flower food for easy mixing,

especially if you’re using a larger vase. You don’t have to fiddle

with opening little packets to mix up 16 oz. of solution at a time,

and it’s more eco-friendly since you’re not disposing of little plastic wrappers.

One 10 oz. container will make 30 quarts of solution.

After purchasing my flowers, I give the stems a generous, fresh cut

on a 45 degree angle, and strip any foliage that’s below the waterline.

To condition the flowers, I place them in a clean container with room temperature

water mixed flower food and then spray them with Crowning Glory.

Flowers that grow from bulbs like tulips prefer cold water, so I keep them separate.

Note: Wait to spray roses with Crowning Glory after they are open

as it will prohibit them from opening further.

Keep your flowers somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight,

until ready to arrange them. (I keep mine on the porch.)

After arranging my flowers, I’ll give everything another spritz of Crowning Glory.

Transferware in shades from pale pink to deep rose provide some additional blooms

and a soft and romantic color palette and vignette for Valentine’s Day.

Crown Ducal Pink Bristol is a favorite transferware pattern,

 inherited from my hubby’s grandmother.

The 1930s-era plates have some crazing and discoloration but still provide some

pretty-in-pink blooms and a nod to love birds for Valentine’s Day.

Pretty-in-pink Spode botanical plates were a

favorite antique mall find several years ago. . .

Spode Archive Collection Georgian Series ‘Floral’

Spode Archive Collection ‘British Flowers – Rosa’

Spode Archive Collection ‘Blue Rose’

Spode Archive Collection ‘British Flowers – Poppy’

And Spode Archive Collection ‘Jasmine’

A Royal Staffordshire Avondale by J. & G. Meakin creamer

holds Charmelia blooms  . . .

Joining a matching plate.

Carnations and tulips fill Collector’s Edition Vintage Rose Ball Jars,

introduced in 2022.

The rose jars are shown as pink on the Ball Mason Jar website

but are actually a mauve / lavender color.

While harder to find, they’re still available; I spied some quart size jars at Target last week.

Regular readers know I’m a jar-a-holic as well as dish-a-holic ;)

and the rose jars have a textured ‘wavy glass’ appearance, like old window glass that appealed

to me. . .  fun for corralling or displaying blooming flaware as well as flowers.

I’m always on the look out for a vintage fork, knife or spoon

I can pick up for a dollar to two, to mix and match

and create a flatware bouquet. 💐  :)

Vintage-inspired Valentines

offer greetings and sweet messages. . .

“A heart as light as air, to keep and hold with care”

“Be Mine”

“To my Sweetheart”

 Enoch Woods English Scenery Woodsware, provides a rose border

of flowers as the base of the plate stack . . .

Topped with a square Johnson Brothers Rose Chintz plate . . .

And a Crown Ducal Bristol cup and saucer with a napkin folded as a rose.

Here are the easy steps with graphic to create a rose napkin fold. . .

an easy way to elevate your table for Valentine’s Day,

Mother’s Day or teatime!

🌹 Start by folding a square napkin in half to create a large triangle. Roll the long edge or base of the triangle toward the point, leaving a small triangle of fabric.

🌹 Beginning on one end, tightly roll up the long edge to within about 4 inches of the opposite end. 

🌹 Wrap the tail of the napkin around and tuck it in near the base, which allows you stand up the napkin.

🌹 Fold down and separate each small triangle of fabric. 

🌹 Flip the napkin over and adjust the triangular ends to resemble leaves.

Add to the center of your plate or insert in a teacup!

Details:

Plates and flatware / vintage

Napkins, Table runner / HomeGoods

Wood Chargers / Pier 1

Vintage-inspired Valentines

 Visit my flower friends to see their Valentine’s Day floral inspiration:

Pam at Everyday Living

Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse

Thank you for your visit, sharing with:

 Between Naps on the Porch