Tag: backyard bouquets

Red, White and Blue Firecracker

I’m getting ready for the 4th of July with this rambunctious mixture of Hydrangeas in a bold red vase. This mixture features 3 types of Hydrangea: Incrediball Hydrangea, Pee Wee Oakleaf Hydrangea, and Let’s Dance Moonlight Hydrangea.

Did you know that Oakleaf Hydrangea have a subtle and pleasant fragrance? Plus they are one of the first Hydrangeas to bloom!

Happy Gardening!

Autumn’s Harvest

Cheers to warm days, crisp nights and frost on the pumpkin! 

Autumn for a gardener is a time to relish in all your hard work and to enjoy the harvest of your crops.  It is a time of bountiful returns and vibrant colors. For a gardener it is also a sad reminder that your growing season is rapidly coming to an end. And that means you need to quickly winterize your perennials beds. You can either cutback perennials in the Spring or Fall. I am a Fall pruner. I like to cut back shrubs and perennials before the Winter so the garden is tidy.  

Tip: Gather seasonal blooms while you trim back shrubs and perennials to feature in indoor and outdoor arrangements.

The arrangements above highlight a Fall favorite…Hydrangea! Hydrangea bloom blue or white in the Summer and transition to pink and burgundy colors in the Fall. I like to pair these with ornamental grass seed heads, seasonal Kale leaves and Sweet Alyssum.

Fill your outdoor planters with fresh Hydrangea and ornamental grass cuttings too! Throw in a pumpkin or ornamental kale and you will have a seasonal planter that will look great for weeks!

PS – Remember that not all Hydrangea should be pruned/ cutback. Traditional Hydrangea shrubs bloom off their old wood. If you cut them back in the Fall, you will be eliminating any blooms for the next Summer. Generally speaking Hydrangea macrophylla should only be selectively cutback, while Hydrangea arborescens and Hydrangea paniculata can withstand heavier pruning.

Happy Gardening!

Fun n’ Frilly Cosmos

Cosmos soft texture provide a fun and colorful addition to any bouquet. This cut flower grows well in any soil and is easily started from seeds. They perfectly pair with the structured texture of many other summer favorites such as Rudbeckia and Zinnias. Not only will you enjoy this addition to your garden, birds and butterflies will thank you too!

Happy Gardening!

What’s In This Bouquet: 

  • Handful of Rudbeckia, Zinnias and Cosmos. 
  • Loosely place in favorite vase. 
  • Tip: Cosmos are a loose and free flower with somewhat floppy stems, don’t fight this; allow them to  fall naturally.

Pack in the Pachysandra

Many gardeners find Pachysandra to be an encroaching nusiance. But I love this evergreen groundcover not only as a plant bed groundcover, but as a bouquet filler! The large, glossy and grass green lobed leaves help accentuate your bouquet’s colors and textures. The simplicity of the leaves provide the perfect backdrop to make your summer or winter arrangements pop! Cut Pachysandra as low as possible; just above the last bud. This plant has a long life as a cut flower; I can usually use the same cuttings in 2 or 3 consecutive arrangements. 

Happy Gardening!

What’s In This Bouquet: 

  • 3 sprigs of Pachysandra
  • 7-9 Daisys in bloom and bud form (Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’)
  • 3 Cone Flower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Merlot’)
  • 3 grouped blossoms of Veronica (Veronica longifolia ‘Eveline’)