Behold the big hairy ball. The Pièce de résistance of my fall flower arrangement.
Part of the reason I love the town I live in and this time of year is the farmer's market. I featured it a couple of years ago here on The Art of Doing Stuff. It's open throughout the summer and fall and has every delicious ingredient you could imagine.
What it also has is a plethora of fresh flowers.
I have made trips to the market without buying a vegetable, but I've never left without an armload of flowers. One of the main reasons is how inexpensive they are, and another is how unusual they are. The farmer's market has locally grown flowers that you'd never find anywhere else. I've yet to pass through a high end floral shop that offered me a handful of giant, hairy balls.
Total cost of this arrangement? $23. Unless you count the mushrooms. Then it's probably closer to $23.50.
And that squash you see in the foreground? That thing caused quite a commotion. I asked what variety it was when I bought it, but the girl working at the market wasn't what you'd call well versed in squash. She tried though. She offered up Hubbard as the answer. Hubbard was not the answer and I knew that.
So I came home and posted that little squash on my website and got every answer from Queensland Blue to Jarrahdale. As it turns out it's a hybrid variety of my favourite squash type ever, the Kabocha. That little blue squash has officially been identified as a Grey Ghost Kabocha.
It's fairly small and round and as you can see ... an incredible blue colour.
So I figured I'd put them side by side. My giant hair balls living side by side with my blue one.
For Thanksgiving dinner, I did something similar but a little more over the top and a little more colourful.
You should pass through the little flower shop I work at in Muskegon MI we have hairy balls in the store right now.. come to think of it we have everything you had in your arrangement for about the same price ( just a little more for us to arrangement it though, for those who don't like to cut the rubber band ) Just saw your article in the new bhg christmas idea!! loved it!!
Love this arrangement. Just read your article in the Lee Valley newsletter about pumpkins and squash and now I want to plant some. Thanks for the inspiration.
Oh! I didn't even know it was out yet! Thx. :) ~ karen
Wow, I love how you arrange flowers, Karen! I'm afraid I'm the type who leaves the elastic around the bouquet because when I cut off, I just stare at them and wonder why they just lay there, all spread out like a bunch of lazy....flowers......&*%$ And mushrooms? Too cute for words....:) Do love those hairy balls though, might try my hand at arranging just once more....
Beautiful!
I love me some big hairy balls. I should take up flower arranging so i can play with them more frequently.
So Kabocha had a trist with Jarrahdale?
Exactly! ~ karen
I found some big hairy balls the other year at a roadside flower stand. Had to buy them and put them in my arrangement. They last forever (almost). Loved them, so glad to know the name of them.
I do love those big hairy balls.....and as a florist of sorts I really LOVE them in the flower arrangements you've done here. Also loved the Thanksgiving arrangement with cabbage rose type florals in it! Lovely! You've got the touch girl!
Those are ornamental cabbages! Green and pink. Beautiful! ~ karen
Yes, I know. I just loved the way they "look" all cabbage rosy! Like the old Victorian pictures with the cabbage roses! Beautiful! We worked with them sometimes in the industry. I forgot how lovely they are in arrangements!
Looks great, Nice Job! And that's coming from a former floral designer of 12 years ;-) We loved Hairy Balls! (exactly what we used to call them). May I suggest taping off the top of your container with floral tape? It will give you a lot more control. (I show how to do that here: http://theyearoflivingfabulously.com/2013/06/29/a-how-to-diy-stunning-star-spangled-4th-of-july-fresh-flower-arrangement-from-grocery-store-flowers-cheap-16-bucks/ ) Also, I'll share with you another politically incorrect flower name. Anthurium, or as we liked to call them, "Penis on a Platter". ;-)
-Marie Vlasic
I coworker of mine who was born and grew up in Hawaii told me years ago that they call Anthuriums "Little Boy Plant" on the Islands.
Nancy Blue Moon~ This year I too grew hairy Balls. The balls are surprisingly soft and not pricky. The plant grows to 4-5 feet tall, gets small white flower clusters which turn into the balls. It's really pretty cool!
I have never seen these big hairy balls you speak of..do they blossom and open up?? Are the little spiky hairy things sharp?? I also have a blue pumpkin..And I love farmers markets!!