The Hollyhock

It's that time of year again! The hollyhocks are growing and setting forth blossoms. Their vibrant clusters of blossoms really bring cheer to the heart.

I can remember hollyhocks as a child. They grew abundantly in the apartment complex where our family lived when I was very young. My sister and I enjoyed gathering the flowers to make dolls out of....and reveled in collecting the dried seed pods after the blooming season was past. When we opened the pod there were hundreds of tiny, black seeds that were all packed together so perfectly and tightly. Mother considered them a "junk" flower, so never grew any in her gardens in subsequent homes we lived in. Initially I accepted that as truth, but in recent years have enjoyed the abundance and beauty of this pretty plant.

When I clean up the garden each autumn, I am careful to break open the seed pods and sprinkle the seeds all around in the area where they grow so that I'll have another crop of pretty hollyhocks in the spring.

Do you like the humble hollyhock? Any memories to share?

Mini Yellow Roses & Snapdragons Bouquet

I hope you had a wonderful holiday week-end. Our family enjoyed a relaxing time together. The weather was breezy and cool. We even had several days of rain showers. This evening the rain stopped and the breeze was mild. It was so pleasant. I walked around the garden, looking at the flowers and how they have been growing and blooming. The yellow miniature roses drew me in. Although most of them are pure yellow, some have tinges of dark pink and a few are light cream-colored with pink shadowing the edges of the petals. I had to pick some to enjoy inside. 

I really wanted to arrange them with blossoming stalks of lavender. The hybrid lavenders are so perfect and pretty as they grow in bunches. But, I didn't really want to spoil the effect by picking any of them. Instead, I decided to pick some pretty orange and yellow snap-dragons to go with the roses.

Each rose is so different, yet each is perfect in its own way. I love observing how each petal spirals from a central point and how they flair in wider and larger semi-circles.

Arranging them was relaxing. I found a place to display them in the dining room where the family can view them all week long. I've enjoyed a cup of Adagio Yunnan Gold tonight as I edited photos and created this post. I hope you enjoy a wonderful week! May will be gracing us a few more days and then the warmer, sunnier days of June will appear. May your week be blessed with many good things!

Flowers as Art

There are many objects that can be used for media when it comes to art. Flowers, with their variety in shape, color, and texture, come to mind when I get the urge to create something. Sometimes it is fun to experiment with new shapes and ideas. As a general rule, I feel most comfortable with traditional and symmetrical shapes, especially when it comes to flower arranging! But, with the beautiful flowers this May, I thought it might be time to try something a bit more challenging, so I ordered a floral frog and putty. What an experiment! I immediately learned of several things that I did wrong! But, since it is "art" I've decided to appreciate my first attempt and count it as a happy experiment. Arranging on a low plane changes the entire structure and formula for floral design. There's so much to learn, both artistically and mechanically.

But, although this arrangement has fatal flaws, I also appreciate the casual lines and the natural form and shape that flowers provide. Each kind has its own unique droop and flair. It didn't seem fair to try to coax them into a way that was unnatural to how they grew, so I let them be.

This picture replicates the effect that occurs when you squint your eyes and look at something in order to see what pops out at you! What do you see in this picture? Purple? Red? Or are they equal to you? My desire was that the red compliment the purple, but I really think it worked out to be the other way around.

Flowers represent such uniqueness. Just like human faces, each is special in its own way. I will keep working on my asymmetrical, floral frog arrangements until I get it right. But, just for fun I'm sharing my first attempt with you today. Breathe deeply and imagine the fragrance. See the colors, shapes and sizes. Look for radiation, repetition, and gradation. Imagine the harmony and unity that could be there but is yet not seen. See if there is a fragment of harmony and unity already there. Search for dominance in size and color. And seek the balance in the whole. Tomorrow is another day. I will try again.

Roses Red

The spring has been cool and damp, creating perfect conditions to make roses blossom and thrive! May was a great month for rose blossoms and it looks like June will be running a close second.  I enjoy them in my garden! So much, that I have a difficult time cutting them to bring inside for floral arrangements. They look so beautiful on the rose bush, growing in whatever arrangement God decided upon for each specific rose bush and bloom. But, I am trying to remember to cut some so that I can enjoy them indoors as well.

These red roses come from a large, abundantly blooming bush that's right off the back porch. The bush is nearly as tall as I am, and is prolific this year! Simple and sweet, this arrangement consists of four blossoms and a bud. Three Japanese iris in purple add accent in color and spike!

Simply beauty. God's creation. I'm trying to remember to "take time and smell the roses" and I hope you are too!

Flower Lady Gourd

I thought you might enjoy looking at an "autumn bouquet" from last year.   Karleen made this cute bouquet for Mrs. Flower Lady's birthday last year.  She used the same technique that we used for the pumpkin bouquets, but with a few different materials.  Instead of a pumpkin, Karleen used a decorative gourd for the base.  She covered the base completely with mums, stalk, asters, and boxwood.  The small, handle portion of the gourd became the head.  She attached flowers to the head to create a hat.  A ribbon around the next created a scarf and she was set to go.  A little imagination and a bit of time can work together provide a very rewarding and creative time!

Bouquets for Autumn

Karleen and I  spent a day together recently when we made pumpkin bouquets.  I've shared the arrangements we made in a previous year, but I thought you might enjoy seeing this year's bouquets.  As usual, we started by raiding our flower gardens of any flowers we could find.  It's getting late in the season, but we found asters, mums, baby roses, and lavender.  We also added amaranth seed stems and rose hips this year.  Instead of the tiny decorative pumpkins, we decided use the larger sugar pumpkins that are generally used for pumpkin pies.  

Clippers, a drill, and some florist picks were added to our supply table.  While we were creating, Karleen got side-tracked by another project (which I will share another day), but we had a wonderful time chatting, creating, and sharing together.  Doing a project with a friend makes it so much more fun!

Our first arrangement is the one shown at the top of this post.  It consisted mostly of mums, rose hips, and dried seeds from plants in the yard.  We added a sheer ribbon for accent.  Some of the stems were difficult to get into the pumpkin, even with drilling, so we added floral picks and then were able to apply greater pressure with a pair of pliers.  Tools are so practical for flower arranging!  This arrangement went to Mrs. Flower Lady.  She lives down the road from Karleen and it was her eighty-second birthday.   

We decided to try something different for the second bouquet.  This time we cut the top off the pumpkin and hollowed out all the seeds.  A small piece of Oasis (floral foam that soaks up water) was cut to fit inside.  After a good soaking we put it in the pumpkin and started arranging.  Stems from a boxwood shrub created a triangle-shaped framework.  Then we added large stems of rose hips and clusters of mums.  Accent was provided with asters and baby roses.  The crowning piece to this arrangement was the addition of swags of amaranth.  They took the arrangement from traditional to just a bit quirky!  How fun!  All in all, a good time was had by all --- and I am already looking forward to NEXT autumn so we can do it again!

If you want a closer look at the collage or any of the other pictures, just click on them to enlarge. 

Pumpkin Bouquets

Yesterday I received a phone call from Karleen, saying she was working on a birthday gift for her friend "the flower lady", and wondering if I would like to come and make one too. It sounded so interesting, using pumpkins, and ice pick, and fresh flowers. Housework could wait! I gathered my kitchen shears and a container and went out to my flower garden to see what I could contribute to the flower craft.

Karleen had small pumpkins set out on her counter and some sharp tools so we could poke holes in the pumpkin to stick flower stems into. The ice pick worked great, but as time went on we decided her husband's electric drill worked best!

Roses, lavender, mums, and amaranth, provided us with more than enough blossoms. Although we've had our first frost, there were enough nice flowers left for this fun project.

Karleen and I each used a different method of tackling our project. I started at the top, creating a cascading effect in an asymmetrical way. Karleen chose to select points at strategic places equal distance from one another all the way around her pumpkin. Her approach was quite symmetrical and balanced. Both methods created fun and pretty pumpkin bouquets. I couldn't help but think how each style reflected our personalities and the way we approach life. I have learned much over the years from my friend about balance and how to tackle a project. Karleen is the one who always finishes a project before she starts the next one; I tend to have a dozen projects going on at once and sometimes some get forgotten before I complete them. I am trying to be more like my friend in this regard!

At first it was difficult to know how to deal with flower buds that were taller than others on the pumpkin surface. I finally decided to embrace the difference in height, making it part of the balance and decor.

As time went on, I admit to becoming a little bit outlandish with the heights, but I was satisfied with the end result. Bunches of lavender poking out from the sides, and cascading amaranth gave a very eclectic feel to my bouquet.

It was hard to get enough leverage with the ice pick once we had flowers on the top. So, Karleen found her husband's drill and it worked perfectly in making holes at the base of the pumpkin so we could finish our project. Thanks, Richard! I hope we didn't leave any pumpkin pulp on the drill bit!

Drinking glasses provided as base and height as we neared the completion of our projects. It was easier to see and work with the pumpkin bouquet raised to near eye-level.

This is my finished pumpkin bouquet; bright colors, sprigs of lavender, and dangling amaranth set in a base of miniature roses and mums.

Karleen's bouquet is soft and sweet with the addition of a strand of mini-pearls on top. Her arrangement is beautiful and is now gracing the home of "the flower lady" down the street. Happy Birthday, flower lady!

Lavender Bottles

Lavender bottles are a beautiful and fragrant way to embellish your lingerie drawers or armour shelf. They are quite simple and quick to create. Whereas the lavender bud cannot be seen when stems and flower stalks are woven into lavender wands, the lavender bottle allows for the bud to be seen and enjoyed. Pink, white, lavender, and purple lavenders can all be crafted into bottles for variety in color and even in fragrance. Once made, a lavender bottle is hidden among lingerie to add fragrance --- and as the stem and bud dries, little bits of bud fall into the garments, adding a Victorian effect and allowing the fragrance to meld with fine and delicate fabrics. Pure delight! After a time, the lavender fragrance may seem minimal. When this happens, just squeeze the bottle gently in your hands, crushing the dried bud and activating the sweet fragrance.

To make a lavender bottle:

Gather about 20 long lavender spikes with bud. It's best if the bud is just ready to bloom. Generally, once lavender has bloomed it's "too late". If that's all you have, don't worry --- just use it. I love to see the lavender on the plant and frequently harvest too late, simply because I enjoy the lavender in my garden so much!

The technique for a lavender bottle starts out much like the lavender basket. It's best to harvest lavender and then allow it to rest for a day or two before crafting. Just set the lavender spikes on a sheet or towel in a protected place without direct sunlight. Once the spikes wilt a day or two, they are more flexible and easier to use.

Bunch all the bud on spike together so that they are all together in a floral bouquet. Leave the stems as long as possible, but snip them with scissors at the bottom so they are all the same length.

Tie a piece of ribbon around stems at the very base of floral bouquet (for the basket this knot is lower on the spike). Secure tightly and snip off ends of ribbon. The knot should be small so it's easy to hide

Fold the stems backwards, up towards the lavender bouquet. Arrange each stem around the flowers in a pretty manner. Try to keep them from stacking on top of one another.

Once this is done, tie the end that's now at what was the top of the lavender bouquet with ribbon and secure tightly. Trim off ends of ribbon.

Wrap a long piece of ribbon around base of bulb several times and then wind it up and down the long stems, creating a criss-cross effect. At the base of the stems, wrap in a circle once or twice and then wind ribbon back up towards the base of the bulb. Tie off by looping through itself and then cut ribbon (attaching end with craft glue).

Add a bow with streamers at the base of the bulb. Add a ribbon loop through the other end of the bulb and tie into a pretty bow with streamers.

Allow to dry --- and enjoy! You may add another bow to the base of the stems also if you desire.

The lavender in the photo is "Melissa", a pink lavender.

More Lavender Baskets

Here are several more lavender baskets, these without handles. A small magnet glued to the back of each will make these lovely refrigerator magnets. They differ slightly from one another. The pink one is woven through each stem while the purple is woven around sets of two stems and the lavender through sets of three.

What to Do with Wild Baby's Breath

Last week I promised to show you what I did with the wild baby's breath. Here are the anticipated results. The flowers on wild baby's breath are quite tiny, but when clumped together have a pretty, cloud-like effect. So, I gathered my tools and set about making a car trunk load of flowers into a smaller, but more usable bouquet. I've decided to use this bunch of baby's breath in a wreath. I have 'no plan', so this is an 'invent as I go' project. I think I'll mix it with several colors of lavender and see what happens.

Floral Picks & Flowers

Each bundle includes a bunch of baby's breath and a floral pick.

Winding Wire

Wind the wire (attached to the pick) around the stems.

Floral Tape

Use floral tape to wrap the wire and pick.

Completed Pick

A completed pick, ready for drying and use in a wreath. By the way, if you decide to do this, be sure to wrap the flowers when they are still fresh and dry them on the picks. If you dry them first, they could crack and break or the tiny flowers could fall off. Fresh is best for this project.

Baby's Breath Mound

An entire trunk full of wild baby's breath has been reduced to this mound-in-a-tray! It's been set to dry --- and is ready to be used in floral projects.

Please check back again!
Next I'll be demonstrating how to
make lavender baskets.

Split Complement

The garden is alive with vibrant yellow daffodils. I couldn't resist a cheerful theme for this St. Patrick's day. Instead of one bouquet, I made three!
Simple, yet cheerful, the yellow was accented by orange and purple. . .a split complementary color scheme. A touch of green was added for St. Patrick's Day fun.

Primroses with Calico Jeans

Last week I received a lovely gift from my friend, Karleen. It's so creative and beautiful that I even re-wrapped the gifts in the white paper wrap and have left everything 'as is' for awhile yet so I can enjoy the packaging. Karleen took an old pair of jeans and stitched together a bag which contains the contents. Calico in bright colors is braided together to make handles. Tissue paper, colorful primroses, and gifts wrapped in white with color coordinated markers and ribbon complete the ensemble. I think it's so cute and just had to share this idea! Enjoy!

November's Rose