Monkey puzzle

Monkey Puzzle (Araucaria araucana) | 12.18.23 - present

first arrangement, pictured 12.19.23

second arrangement, pictured 12.19.23

purchase date: 12.18.23
purchase location: nyc flower market (28th st.)
first arranged: 12.19.23

processing & arranging:
cut lower branches from larger stems to arrange in yellow bowl. while processing one leaf slipped under my nail causing a cut as it was very sharp. after a break, I completed the smaller arrangement using the monkey puzzle to accent white dendrobium orchids, white veronica, and white daffodils. the larger arrangement was designed quickly with each material going in it’s own section from left to right.

there was a lot of leftover material that I arranged later that day.

third arrangement, pictured 12.20.23

fourth arrangement, pictured 12.20.23

observations: the monkey puzzle didn’t age while all the other flowers aged and were ready to be discarded after about 2 weeks

pictured 12.30.23

first re-arrange:
after discarding the other flowers from the first arrangement, I cleaned the monkey puzzle and did a second arrangement using aster (trader joe’s, williamsburg) on 12.29.23

observations: the aster did not last longer than about 5 days. but the monkey puzzle kept drying, losing color as it aged. I removed the monkey puzzle from the water and haven’t placed it in water after the aster died.

pictured, 1.23.24 (with parrot tulips & larkpsur)

i’ve continued to use monkey puzzle in other arrangements as accents, for example with the cherry tomatoes. and will continue to use it indefinitely it seems.