Karen Blixen - Isak Dinesen home

Question 13: Karen Blixen's flower arrangements?

Q. I would love to know more about Karen Blixen's passion for flower arranging - any leads, references in her writings?

A. Karen Blixen's Letters from Africa mention a few times *growing* flowers, but not arranging them. For example, she mentions the white lilies in her garden in 1922 (LFA 138). (And mentions lilies in a story, "The Dreamers"(SGT 310).

In 1926 she says that she is planting cinerarias. "On Wednesday when I was working in my garden,--which gives me much pleasure..." (LFA 266) "when I replant..my cinerarias twenty times in different sorts of soil..."(LFA 279). That same year Denys Finch Hatton sends her daffodil and crocus bulbs from Europe. (She mentions in 1917 that she has brought landscaping plants on the boat from the botantical gardens at Durban (LFA 47).)

Descriptions of her later flower arrangements might be obtained from the Karen Blixen Museum, Denmark, where fresh flower arrangements like the ones she made are displayed every day.

See also Karen Blixen's Flowers: Nature and Art at Rungstedlund. Christian Eilers Publishers, 1992 (Still in print in Denmark). 134 pgs. Catalogue contains

1. an essay by Steen Eiler Rasmussen with his own color photographs of Karen Blixen's unique flower arrangements
2. an essay by Frans Lasson with color photographs of Karen Blixen's African artwork
3. an illustrated essay by Lisbeth Hertel about Karen Blixen's choice of flowers
4. an illustrated essay by Sven-Ingvar Andersson which discusses the landscape design of Rungstedlund, with color photographs by Steen Eiler Rasmussen.