One leaf, one flower. Such a simple concept, right? Well yes and no, it can come together with little difficulty or be a struggle. The first photo is one I had done a few weeks ago, orange zinnia and a Japanese butterbur leaf. The combination of the two and the container worked quite well and fell together with ease. I tried today to do the same with a stem of Lady Bells(Adenophora potaninii) and a yellowed hosta leaf. After turning and repositioning both repeatedly I just could not get the result I wanted. For me it was very frustrating, and so I decided that it needed a second leaf. Not the combination I had intended but instead a variation. I think that is the key to any art, being flexible when you are unable to get the result you want. In the arrangement with two leaves the main focus is the leaves, and the flower becomes secondary, almost an accent to the leaves(I am however thankful for the penstemon since it is one of the last flowers still blooming in the garden).
