My friend Miko invited me to attend a flower show at Lyndhurst. One of her lovely employers, Gerald, had some arrangements in the show, and I was excited both to visit the historic mansion and to see his creations. I’ve never known anyone so in love with flowers like Miko, and Gerald was Miko’s flower mentor, so I was curious to meet the man who had inspired her.
I got there just as the show was opening, and I didn’t see my friend right away, so I wandered into the library. Lyndhurst has a nice collection of antiquated books, and it was peaceful in that room. I savored the quiet for a moment, and then I walked upstairs to the art gallery. Among paintings and triptychs, I felt just fine. The mansion’s art collection was impressive, and I know in the future I’ll spend more time up there.
Miko texted me, so I met her back downstairs. Gerald’s arrangements were displayed in the gorgeous Blue Room. This was originally the parlor where the ladies gathered. The Blue Room had a spectacular view of the grounds and the river. I imagined the women in there, holding their salons, talking about art.
Gerald’s arrangement added grace and color to this already beautiful room. The oranges of the fragrant lilies and the gloriosas complimented the blues of the decor, and the purple-blue delphiniums highlighted the stained glass windows. There was a modern element to Gerald’s flowers too with his choice of Gomphocarpus fruticosus, more commonly known as the balloon plant. This member of the milkweed family is especially attractive to monarch butterflies, and it’s beautiful in its transparency and texture.
I shook hands with Gerald and complimented him on his work. He and I easily fell into a conversation, first about flowers and then somehow to our mutual love for David Sedaris. We laughed together about key passages in Sedaris’s Me Talk Pretty One Day and Holidays on Ice. He and I shared a perfect parlor moment, and it was so good to finally meet him.
Sipping Prosceco through a straw, viewing the flowers, taking in the lovely interior, and conversing with Miko’s friends and co-workers, I really had a good time at my very first flower show and my first trip to Lyndhurst!
