Today’s Blog is about creating simple flower arrangements from the plants in your garden. Welcome everyone! The garden is blooming and it is such a nice thing to be able to walk outside, clippers in hand, and return with a basketful of flowers. When the flowers are so abundant I like to display them in beautiful containers and place them in the rooms where we spend the most time.
You want to begin by choosing containers that will compliment the flowers that will hold them. I started with two today…..one crystal with beautiful cut glass and a scalloped rim that flows up and down around the vase. The second container is a hand-thrown pottery pitcher with hints of purple and blue.
You want to add flower food to the bottom of your container and then fill the container with water. The water should be changed every three days or so to keep the flowers in their best bloom.
To measure the flowers for the correct height for the container, place the container at the edge of a table. Hold the flower up to the container so that the stem is along the side of the container and hangs over the edge of the table. Look at the height of the flower in relation to the container and adjust the height for your arrangement. Mark the place where you will cut the stem. Make a diagonal cut on the stem. if you want a more uniform look, you can measure all the flower stems to the original cut stem.
Add the flowers to your container. You can have all the same color or add several colors. I added a single white camellia to the grouping as I was using this arrangement with a particular table setting in mind.
You can see that the little bit of purple in the pitcher is intensified by the purple in the flowers. I also followed the line of the container allowing the flowers to follow the upward curve of the spout.
In the next arrangement I used a mix of blue and white flowers…..hydrangea and camellias. I wanted the blue to be the dominant color but lightened by the addition of some white. All the stems were cut to a uniform length then dded to the vase.
The large, loose hydrangea blooms contrast with the tighter more compact camellias adding some interest. I wanted more of a cottage style effect for this arrangement, nothing too stylized. Pretty, casual with just a touch of formality in the choice of camellia blooms. They also smell wonderful.
Two arrangements, two different looks using the same types of flowers. The hydrangeas will last a long time but you will need to replace the camellias every few days.
When I change the water I also cut off a small piece of each stem on the diagonal. This helps preserve the flower’s life span in the container. As you pare down the stems over time you may need to place the shorter stems in a different vase. Gives you a new look for the same flowers.
A single flower is a simple glass pitcher can be beautiful. Enjoy!