There are many successes and joys around here so I am afraid to complain to much, but the persimmon tree is seriously breaking my heart. Several years ago I did the funeral flowers for a Loudoun County legend. His name was Whitey Hubert and he started Tarara winery. Whitey brought the idea of wine making to Loudoun County. He also was a serious grower and his vineyard/nursery featured acres of plant stock, trees, asparagus, berries, and even mushrooms.  When he passed away his wife asked me to do the funeral flowers. Margaret assumed that I would use my wholesale resources and make Whitey traditional funeral flowers, with a Holly style of course. However I had something else in mind, the thought occurred to me that this man who spent his life growing should have flowers from his own land. I think the work I did for Margaret and Whitey that day was my most inspired work yet. I was insistent that every flower I used had to come from his land. I spent hours cutting and gathering the greens, and flowers I used. Whitey died in April and the property was completely in bud. I used flowering branches, evergreens, daffodils, asparagus, foliage’s, mushrooms, and even the last seed packets he had touched. This was the most fulfilling order I have ever delivered.

This was for the guest book.  This design featured Whitey’s seeds, mushrooms, moss from Tarara, asparagus, vine, and branches.

Altar flowers look closely….

Just a few weeks after the funeral Margaret sent me a persimmon tree. Whitey had started the persimmon trees and I was so honored to have his tree on my land.

The tree has an incredibly beautiful foliage and I am dying to cut it for my designs but I have been using serious cutting restraint though when it comes to this tree. I want this tree to thrive. For the last two years the tree got a few precious pieces of fruit but the fruit fell to the ground before it ever developed.  This year the tree was completely full of persimmons and they had reached full size. I was so hopeful and excited about this. A few nights ago I saw the first persimmons on the ground, the large still green persimmons are falling to the ground.

Even though the fruit is failing or falling, the tree is thankfully leaving behind one precious gift. The gift is a beautiful little pod. It has become a painful nightly ritual to check the tree and unfortunately each night I walk away from the tree with my little persimmon pods.

I have one precious bowl of these pods and I am going to make something special and inspired with them. I don’t know why some things fail to thrive, all I know is that it hurts. Watching something fail hurts!! This one is out of my control though, so I am going to enjoy all that it has to give and pretty soon when that last persimmon falls, I am going to cut some gorgeous green leaves and I am going to give that tree a chance to shine!!! Perhaps next year Whitey’s tree will thrive.