Tag: flowers
Flowers are coming! Get ready…
Freesia on hand blown glass.
Circles within circles.
Think beyond flowers.
Design Dose
Peonies – my all time favorite flower!
Favorite Things: Holiday Flowers
For dressing up your own home for the holidays or as a hostess gift, nothing makes people smile like fresh flowers.
For dressing up your own home for the holidays or as a hostess gift, nothing makes people smile like fresh flowers. The holidays are a great time to year to add flowers to your decor, whether you use them to add cheer to the mantle or the dining room table. You don’t have to stick with a red and green theme — instead, think white, purple, and green. Rustic elements like branches, pine cones, berries, and luscious greenery also evoke the season. Here are some of my favorite examples of holiday flower arrangements.
Floral Prints
I don’t know if it was the long snowy winter or what, but lately I have been drawn to really pretty floral prints.
Floral prints are a high fashion element this year. It’s a look people are receptive to after a long winter. I think this time of year, I am looking for more color and brightness, both of which can be found in flowery fabrics. I know I’m not along in this springtime longing when I see some of the gorgeous floral fashions on the runway.
Floral patterns translate well into interiors. It’s a refreshing look and reminds me that old trends always resurface. It’s nice to see this look come back in a more lively way.
What do you think of floral designs?
New Perennials for 2015
It is never too early to start thinking about your gardens!
It is never too early to start thinking about your gardens! In the fall, we begin to prepare the garden by planting bulbs that will bloom in the spring and putting plants in the ground so they become established over the winter months.
I am always looking for perennials that are different, whether it be color, shape, or size, to add to the garden. Looking over the new variety of plants for the 2015 year, there were quite a few which caught my attention. I would like to share a few of them with you, though I have to admit I had a hard time choosing!
One of the earliest plants to bloom are Hellebores. They bloom in late winter to early spring, though mine have bloomed through the summer. A woodland plant, they prefer dappled sun. I loved the color of this variety.
David Austin English Roses are on top of my list. I started a rose garden last year and love these roses. They combine the forms and fragrance of old roses with the repeat flowering of modern roses. They are easy to grow and are disease resistant. Their extensive collection contains a rose for almost every garden situation. This year there are four new releases and I have included two of them.
Another favorite plant variety of mine is the Hydrangea. I have to admit, I do have quite a few varieties including trees. They make gorgeous cut flowers. The newer varieties are repeat bloomers and bloom on old and new wood. There are quite a few new varieties available. I may have to add this blue variety to my garden this year; it is such a beautiful color.
Clematis are graceful vines meandering over fences or trellises, or arched over doorways. With so many varieties to choose from, try to look for one that will rebloom. Here are two beauties, the latter being a shorter variety.
Echinacea are easy to grow, blooming summer to early fall. They make great cut flowers and are the perfect addition to your butterfly garden. I love all the different colors, sizes, and varieties. These are a must for your garden. I love this color!
Astilbes are mainstay of shade and woodland gardens; their foliage is attractive for the entire season. They look great planted in groups. This new variety is especially gorgeous.
When shopping for perennials, there are a few websites I would recommend for choice and quality. Bluestone Perennials is one good source. Another site I like is Monrovia, and for roses I enjoy the selection at David Austin Roses.
Many of these perennials can be potted in containers for those who do not have space for a garden. Try planting a rose bush or dwarf hydrangea in an attractive container. There are so many different and quite beautiful varieties of perennials available; do you have a favorite?
