At this year’s Celebration of Art benefit for the Cylburn Arboretum Association, sculpture was shown for the first time. Although every one of their floral arrangements at past Cylburn events has been eye-popping, this year Nolley & Fitzpatrick Event Design created a sculptural masterpiece. Their arrangement was a garden in itself, right inside the lobby of the Vollmer Center. In one tabletop-sized planter were the who’s who of spring: globular purple allium, feathery astilbes, nodding hellebores, statuesque hydrangeas, ladylike roses, luxurious lilies, variegated Solomon’s seal, striking hostas, hardy pink spirea and dozens more. Annual deep pink stock and chartreuse bells of Ireland played off each throughout the arrangement. A pair of moss-covered mushrooms furthered the enchantment. Even the plague of some gardens, invasive houttuynia, contained here, added variegated grace and elfin white blooms. And whoever placed John Dunn Ferguson’s tabletop bronze, Octavia Crashing Waves, near the Nolley & Fitzpatrick showpiece enhanced both sculptures.
It was gorgeous! I got a picture of it with the setting sun making it glow!