Crazy for Daisies!

 This photo of the Sweetwater Daughter is one of my favorites.

You know it is truly summer when the field daisies bloom.

This little flower is so abundant and cheerful.




Click Here to read an old post and learn how to hand tie a daisy bouquet.






I did something a little different with my daisies this year.

 The components are:

Pachysandra, a great ground cover and a wonderful base for low floral arrangements.

Lady's Mantle, a low mounding perennial with very pretty chartreuse colored flowers in early summer.

And of course Daisies.

The surprise is the fact that the container used here is actually a JELLO mold! I found white ceramic t one at the thrift store years ago.

It is the perfect way to arrange flowers around the outside of a candle.


 




 If you aren't lucky enough to find a ceramic mold, look for molds that look like this....

You can easily use a bit of spray paint to pretty it up.
I have seen people use these as a way to encircle the patio umbrella.

Speaking of JELLO......
Take a gander at this jello salad from "The Joys of Jello".
It absolutely strikes terror in my memories.....the only thing worse was when the whole thing got slathered with MAYO!

And last but not least...on the subject of Jello....

This is a wonderful read about the history of the family that invented and marketed our favorite guilty pleasure.

Then go out and and get yourself some Daisies to enjoy!

Have A Wonderful Day!

Peony Hack!

It's finally time!

The peonies are blooming!

Okay...We admit to being just a little peony crazy around here.

Maybe 20 plants is a bit of overkill, but each one is special. 

I love using peonies in arrangements.

BUT....

I hate how quickly the blooms fade or fall apart.

I tried this little hack this year and am quite pleased with it.

The trick is to let the glass container support the blooms.
That way the flowers stay together for a lot longer.

I love the way these colors are enhanced by the glass.

You may remember this vase from the arrangements of tulips using the same technique.











This rose bowl is the perfect way to use the trick.  The Coral Charm and Yellow Garden Treasure blossoms are particularly prone to dropping petals and fading.
These lasted for 4 days in the rose bowl.

Other People....parade pictures of grandchildren or vacations.....
Me....
just a few of my favorite flowers!

It is too bad that they don't last longer.




I wrote a post a while ago about a way to keep some peonies in the refrigerator to extend the season.
Read about that here:  How to Extend the Peony Season










I didn't feel that ambitious this year.  Maybe it is because my plants are blooming later this year and when they are done, there will be lots of other garden blooms to enjoy.

Anyway...I leave you with this thought!

Pinterest

Have A Blooming Great Day!

How To: Asymmetrical Floral Arrangement

Loose, unstructured, asymmetrical floral designs are on trend right now.

Sweetwater Floral did the florals for a country wedding last weekend.  The bride asked for an unstructured bouquet and some added texture with little succulents tucked in.

Creating a loose, "messy" bouquet should be easy....right?
Not so much....it is actually more difficult to let the flowers cascade and flow than to tightly fit them together in the traditional nosegay!
I guess we pulled it off though!


Your vocab lesson: two words starting with A.

asymmetric: adjective. not identical on both sides of a central line; lacking symmetry:

armature: a metal framework on which a sculpture is molded with clay or similar material.

There are always a few flowers left after we do a wedding. I decided to use the leftovers along with a new bunch of carnations to create an asymmetrical arrangement to enjoy here.

I also wanted to play around with using a wire armature to support the stems and let them cascade. 

Flexible floral wire in pretty colors is available at the Dollar Store.

It is a simple matter to twist it around in a loopy way and tuck it into the floral foam.

This gives a pliable "frame" for the stems.

 This is the finished project.  

The stems could have just gone into the foam at an angle, but I like the way the wire supports the heavier flower heads that are cascading.

You can just barely see the wire....but I like the little glints of glitz!

I did not do a step by step of each flower...you are probably able to figure that out for yourself.

Here is a video to watch if you need "expert" advice

This is a nice text and photo tutorial from Janecanblog.com 

I hope you look at these beautiful examples of asymmetrical designs and the find inspiration to try something a little "messy" the next time you have flowers to arrange.

https://www.jennikayne.com/ripandtan/a-romantic-early-summer-arrangement-by-tinge-floral

 

My style still tends to be a little structured.....but I am trying to "loosen up".

And hey....the wire can be used again next time.

Have A Great Day!