Morning Glories

Cuttings of the Day - 07/10/08

Morning Rose
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Peg Rack Yarrow
~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Single Hydrangea
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

People from a planet without flowers would think
we must be mad with joy the whole time
to have such things about us.
Iris Murdoch

Kissed by the Morning Sun (Alternate Version)

Double Impatiens 'Fiesta Pink Ruffle'

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(The "original version" of Kissed by the Morning Sun is here.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

HAVE A HAPPY.....

Simple Pleasures - Kissed by the Morning Sun

Afternoon Glories

Yesterday was one of those 12-on-a-scale-of-1-to-10 gardening days. For the first time in a l..o..n..g time the sun was bright, the air was fresh, the temperature was comfortably cool, and the humidity -- what humidity? It was gorgeous! I spent most of the afternoon doing yard and garden projects. What took the day from a "mere" 10 to a glorious 12 was that I had new things to plant. Things that filled in empty spaces. Things that added a splash of color where it was sorely needed. Things that were super bargains from the Parking Lot Sale I went to on Saturday. Things like this:

Safari Yellow marigolds and Becky Mix black-eyed susans (rudbeckia) add a cheerful dash of yellow to the left front border.

Here's a closer look at the rudbeckia, which fills in an empty place at the back of the bed. As I'm learning more plants I notice them all around, and I have seen rudbeckia everywhere. I love it, and I'm happy to add it to my garden.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Portulaca (purslane) has replaced the lobelia that never met expectations in the Rose Garden. The portulaca has the look of a succulent's waxy leaves on stems that swirl out from the plant's center, generously filling a lot of space. (I actually could have used about three more to fill this area even tighter. I'm learning to always get more of each plant than I think I need, but I'm not quite there yet!)

Here's a close-up of the portulaca foliage and its sweet white flower with yellow center:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Safari Bolero marigolds replace the daylilies (whose stems I cut back) and violas in the planters by the front entrance. They look better in real life than their somewhat pitiful appearance in the photo below, but I can see that some spanish moss is needed at the base to finish it off a little better.

Here's a close-up view of a few of these beauties: 

I wrote in a comment on another blog that I've never been a big marigold fan, but I'm coming around. I forgot about their lovely aroma! They also make such pretty cuttings -- the boldness of the rich colors contrasting with the frilly, ruffled petals:

Green Thumb Sunday - 08/26/07

Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning
can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day
-- like writing a poem, or saying a prayer.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

To all, happy...

Green Thumb Sunday - 07/29/07

Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence

seems to me to rest in the flowers.

All other things, our powers, our desires, our food,

are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance....

It is only goodness which gives extras,

and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.

~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle~

Simple Pleasures - Mint Tea

Green Thumb Sunday - 07/15/07

Beauty in the Beginning... and the End

Every moment of this strange and lovely life, from dawn to dusk, is a miracle.

Somewhere, always, a rose is opening its petals to the dawn.

Somewhere, always, a flower is fading in the dusk.

~Beverly Nichols

The Art of Impromptu Flower Arranging

One of the most delightful benefits of gardening is fresh flower cuttings throughout the season. When you can't be out among the flowers, you can have them indoors with you. Unless you have a carefully planned garden design that adheres to its blooming schedule without fail, creating flower arrangements with fresh cuttings from the garden is often catch-as-catch-can. Sometimes the types and quantities of flowers are limited. I have learned by trial and error that with a little creativity and a collection of containers to choose from, you can still put together a variety of arrangements with different styles to suit any mood or decor.

STEP 1: Gather cuttings from the garden. Whatever is in bloom will do just fine!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

STEP 2: Spread the individual cuttings out so you can see what you have to work with. (Clockwise from right: hydrangeas, hosta stem with bud, roses, violas, vinca foliage, cosmos.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

STEP 3: Review your selection of containers. Their styles will lend ideas, themes and moods: casual, sleek, modern, feminine.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

STEP 4: Choose containers that suit the flowers you have to work with, then  select specific flowers or combinations to suit the containers you've chosen. It's a give-and-take, create-as-you-go process. Some flower combinations blend harmoniously, while others are unexpected juxtapositions of color or texture. There is also great beauty in a single flower artfully placed. (And the single-flower arrangement concept is a great option when time is tight or pickings are slim.) Arrange the flowers in keeping with each container's style and size.

This hydrangea group includes all single-flower arrangements with very different styles: fun/unique (the "poufy" bowl), feminine/romantic (the small Victorian decorated pitcher), and simple/traditional (the matching white teapots).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The minimalist clear glass vase containing the hydrangea blossom and hosta stem with bud is dramatic, sleek and elegant.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This down-to-earth clear glass container lets the playful, colorful combination of yellow violas and pink cosmos stand out. The color of the violas is picked up in the centers of the cosmo flowers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The combination of violas (with leaves and extra stems remaining) and vinca foliage in an antique mason jar creates a wildflower style bouquet with a casual, country feel.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The simple pairing of two small, delicate white roses in this tiny paint-splashed modern vase results in a high-style, contemporary look.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

STEP 5: The really fun part is to find a home for each of your new creations!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As I expand my gardens (and resources for cuttings), I also want to expand my knowledge and understanding of floral arranging. Here are a few sites that I'll be studying in order to develop my skills:

     Flower Arranging 101

     FloralCraftResource.com

     A Flower Arranger's Garden

     Flower Arrangement Advisor

One final note: I've decided that just as an avid reader can't have too many books and a music-lover can't have too many CDs or audio files, a gardener simply can't have too many vases! The more containers you have to choose from, the more arrangements -- and the more different styles of arrangements -- you can create and enjoy.

Simple Pleasures - Star Rose

Happy Fourth of July!