farewell to summer: floral potluck

All throughout my schooling, my math teachers would continually recite: "mathematics is the universal language." Without a doubt this saying was employed to raise our interest in the subject. Rationally, I can accept that math is the language used globally when considering engineering, chemistry, physicals, etc. But can it communicate love, sympathy, joy, compassion, and beauty - that is where math fails. For me, flowers immaculately capture emotional gestures amidst pure stillness. 

With summer coming to a close, I decided to host a floral potluck as one last moment to bask in blooming brightness. Every lady that attended was to bring their favorite flower either picked, purchased, or planted. Any fillers could be found in my garden. The only thing on the agenda was floral arranging, flower crowns, and food. 

We gathered on my front porch in late-afternoon on a Sunday in August.  If you aren't familiar with the humid bubble of Chattanooga, Tennessee then here is a brief synopsis: Chattanooga is a rainforest. Heavy rains and thunderstorms visit almost daily in the summer. This gathering was not exempt from the traditional Southern rains; but we were profoundly lucky as the rain passed minutes before the soiree was to commence.

Jessica wearing her crown that is bursting with color

Ayesha of Homespun showing off the dahlia in her topper

Meghan outfitted her crown with an asymmetrical assembly

Everyone wanted to kick off the gathering by constructing their own crown. They always look far more complicated than they are. With the leftover blooms we created arrangements. My front porch had petals, leaves, and stems scattered and tossed about. The porch floor and tabletop were carpeted in the residual foliage - giving the illusion that a flower bomb exploded. If a mess is any indication of a good time then good times were had.