Treat Yourself

Don't forget to put flowers where you'll enjoy them, not just the guests.

I like to fill this ceramic vase (that my dad made) with sunflowers and herbs.  It sits in a garden window above my sink so I can smell the "roses" while performing one of the more mundane tasks of my day.

You have to admit.  It's pretty hard to be sour about your chores when these lovely flowers are smiling down on you.

Irrational Exuberance

One of my most graceful and delightful friends (and role model) has a spectacular garden.  In her well-tended and loved landscape, my pal allows self-sowers to do their thing in a heap of color, texture and scent in one part of the garden.  The result is as wild and spontaneous as this bouquet that she recently brought me.  In it are her signature sweet peas, some California poppies, borage, and salvia (I think).  She just plunks them in this Mason jar and voila, a garden right in your living room. 

Being known as something of a stealth bouquet bestower, everyone knows when Ellen has paid a visit.  Her gifts extend well beyond her flowers.  Among many other talents, she makes an amazing apricot jam from fruit grown in her garden, and you never know when you might be a beneficiary of her burgeoning succulent collection.

Calla Gerbera Calla Gerbera

Callas Gone Wild

In one of my childhood homes we had a forgotten corner of the yard where calla lilies ran wild.  Nobody tended them and they thanked us for respecting their privacy by producing amazing blooms.  I wish I had that small "field" these days.  I'm lucky, as I've said before, if I get three at a time...so I buy them.  But I digress...

I was late getting to Trader Joe's one day and had a choice of white, white or white flowers.  I opted for white flowers. 

This grouping is perfect for a dinner party as the flowers are low enough to talk over and yet they have the impact of a larger, much more dramatic arrangement.  All there are here are gerbera daisies and mini-calla lilies with a few calla leaves added in.  I snipped some clivia leaves and wrapped the inside of the fishbowl vases before adding water and placing the flowers. 

A tip about gerberas.  Try not to touch the stem close to the flower heads as it causes them to weaken and droop.  I'm sure you've experienced that disappointment.

Pack a Punch of Color

I was desperate for a quick punch of color but had spent my flower budget for the week...er, month.  Looking out the back door I spied my geraniums going nuts and swooped down on them.

Here's the thing about geraniums.  They will disappoint unless you select stems that are really newly opened (no petal-shed starting) and not just opening because they probably won't fully open.  Also, they've got skinny legs and big heads so you'll pobably need a frog or foam or some other way to control them or they'll topple over from their voluptuousness. 

I like to include some of those wonderful leaves cut with a hunk of "trunk."  Who knows?  They might just send out roots and then you'll have more geraniums.  Who wouldn't want more geraniums?

P.S.  New lurking cat likes to sip the water out of this container.  Good thing geraniums aren't dangerous.

Be Glad

I'm So Glad

Here's a simple and classic arrangement that is long lasting and dramatic.  Yes, good old gladiolas.  These were all closed when I selected the bouquet and so I wasn't sure about the exact colors but I'd hoped for light colors. 

Actually, it was a little more than a guess.  Here's a trick.  The darker the stalk, the darker the flower color.  You can be fairly certain that if the stalk and buds are on the lighter side, the flowers will bloom out white, yellow or (my personal favorite) a spectacular green.

A nice thing about glads is that they bloom from the bottom up.  So if the stalks are long enough and the tips don't wilt, you can pull off the dying blossoms from the bottom, trim the stems a bit and they'll last a good long time.

Couples

Sometimes Two is Better Than One

I bought two bunches of yellow ranunculus the other day.  One I put into this tall vase and let them be their crazy wispy selves.  I paired it with this simple low arrangement of lycamachia that at this time of year is a screaming chartreuse.  I think it works.  So did the cat (the new cat) who thought it fun to tug at the trailing stems.

It looks better up on the mantle, but it's too hard for me to take good shots of things up there.

Little Vase Big Impact

Here is the second bunch of ranunculus.  Hard to believe that there are exactly the same number of stems in this grouping. 

Goes to show you that you can do a little with a little or a lot with a little.

By the way, ranunculus is surprisingly long lasting.  Don't let their delicate appearance fool you.  Just be careful with their stems, which can easily bruise.

Tulips

The Miracle Flower

Tulips have a wonderful character.  For one thing, they are one of the few flowers that continue to grow after they have been cut.  So don't hesitate to hack away at those stems since they'll be longer in a day or two or five.

They also last a long while.  My friend Carmella would bring a bouquet in on Mondays and they'd last the week, opening, growing, and changing in character.  Tulips also have a mind of their own.  When you want them to perk up straight, they decide to do a graceful bow over the side of their container.  Some folks put a penny in the vase to encourage a vertical habit.  I prefer to allow these free-spirited flowers to do their own thing.  It makes life more interesting.

Also in this arrangement is that "instant bouquet" flower clivia and some early nasturtiums I found in my garden.  Nasturtiums will also morph with buds opening and soon sporting rather buxom seeds right there on your table top!  Let them do what they do and enjoy nature's show.