Aphrodite's Hat
Debbie Teashon
The last thing I did for her was give her a fabulous hat. Then I left. I only hope I can see her again before someone sweeps her off her feet and takes her home.
Aphrodite looks handsome decked out in her hat made of ornamental grass (Pennisetum 'Sky Rocket') and hen and chicks (Sempervivum 'Jade Rose'). I am certain that Aphrodite, a container I planted at work, is going to go home with someone soon. The head pot was one of many fun containers I worked with this year.
Today I learned that this hat style is called a fascinator. Although I knew the style, and was mimicking it when I planted this sempervivum with dangling chicks, I did not know the history behind the hat.
From the National Post: “Fascinator is a recent designation but its ornamental essence is deeply rooted in 18th-century dress. British women paired the popular “Dutch” hairstyle with a topknot, also known as a pompom — made up of ribbons, small feathers, butterflies and jewels and secured to the front or off to the side of the head. During the late 1700s, Marie Antoinette and other French ladies of influence had a strong desire for beauty, prestige and attention, igniting battles in creativity and flamboyancy. Hair-covered cushions stuffed with wool or horsehair, resembled tall egg-shaped towers and acted as foundations for fastened adornment. Flowers, lace, jewelled pins, fruit, garden scenes — anything and everything was considered fair game.”
A head pot is also fair game, and here I was practicing a new art form — horticulture millinery couture. Fascinators may be all the rage, but for me it is all in a creative day’s work.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Wendy Tweton and Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners)
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