TULIPS--Spring-flowering bulbs for arrangements

This spring arrangement is comprised entirely of  one variety of tulip--a single early-blooming pink called "Pink Impression." Even with cool temperatures, bulbs put on a fabulous show of color in early spring. And by planting tulips in the fall, selecting ones that bloom early, mid and late spring, extends the season sometimes up to a month. 

When using in arrangements for lasting quality, cut in the bud stage. They will open up in a day, but the arrangement will last a week or more. Keep out of direct sunlight and drafts. I use a wet florists foam and a floral preservative to ensure longevity.

When selecting tulips, I like to know what the heart looks like. This one has a beautiful blue-green star. Many have black or yellow centers.  I think it's the prettiest part of the flower.

Fully open on day two of the arrangement. 

ROSES, ZINNIAS AND GLADIOLAS -- A COMPATIBLE MIX

Cheery blossoms of a mix of State Fair Zinnias in shades of pink and corals, with cool colors of gladiola and yellow Hybrid tea rose "New Day" make this compact arrangement a lasting bouquet.

These summer, sun-loving blooms require similar soil conditions, fertilizer and care. They will continue to bloom all summer and into the fall until a killing frost.

State Fair Zinnias usually come in a mix---the stalks will bloom in various colors from creamy white to dark red, with yellow, coral, several shades of pink, rose, and fuchsia.

Zinnias are annuals, but propagation is easy. Collect the tiny seeds after the flower has bloomed by taking a piece of paper and shaking the dried flower over it. Store seeds in a cool, dark place, then sprinkle in beds in spring when all chance of frost has passed. Thinning may be necessary. When plants are 2-4" tall, careful dig up with the root ball attached and plant where you want it. Or, nurseries have started plants that can be planted out as well. I've done both, and each is successful. 

PEONIES FOR LONG-LASTING FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS

2016 was a banner year for peonies of all types--tree, herbaceous, and Itoh. I used them in several arrangements during May and June because they were so prolific. This mid-June arrangement was the last of the peonies, after more than a month of their beautiful, big and colorful blooms.

The five peony varieties used in this arrangement are pictured below: 

"Dinner Plate", a huge, clear pink, with blooms reaching 8" across--hence the name; "Mons Jules Elle", a beautiful bomb, with darker guard petals below the tuft of lighter petaloids; "Felix Supreme", a popular dark red; "Eden's Perfume", a soft pink with an enchanting aroma; and, last, but certainly not least, "Do Tell," a gorgeous semi-double bloom with pale pink guard petals and a tuft of several shades of pink, rose and white finely cut petaloids.

Peonies are one of the easiest flowers to grow. The plants look nice spring through fall, the foliage turning shades of golden in Autumn.  The stems are easy to work with, and are long-lasting in arrangements. In addition, when cut in the early bud stage, they are easy to keep for two weeks or more in a dark, cool place, or even in the refrigerator.  I have a refrigerator in my garage that I have for flowers. I keep the temperature at 40 degrees. 

Peonies are one of the longest living perennials. It isn't unusual for them to live 100 years or more, planted in the right place. I have some that are approaching that old, transplanted from my grandmother's.  

In my opinion, no garden should be without a peony or two.  

ZINNIAS - State Fair variety are big and bold!

On August 31st there are lots of bright-colored, huge State Fair Zinnias blooming for the weekly flower arrangement.The blooms can reach 6-8" across, and are born on tall stems, some stalks reaching as tall as 5 feet, but the average height is about 3-4 feet. Some are singles, some semi-double, and others are fully double. There can even be each kind on 1 stem, as well. When purchasing, I get the State Fair mix, and so I don't know what colors will be blooming, but they are predominantly all shades of red, pink, orange, and yellow, with some white and coral. These annual flowers are easy to collect seed from. To collect, wait until flowers are spent and have gone to seed--you'll know because the blooms will be brown. I collect seed by shaking the dry, spent bloom onto a white piece of paper. The tiny seeds will fall out, and then I store the seeds in a labeled, legal-sized envelope in the refrigerator over the winter months until ready to sow in the spring.  You can plant indoors 6 weeks before time to set out in the spring. They are not true to the parent plant color--they will be variable.   

LILIES, GLADIOLA & ZINNIAS for SUMMER BOUQUETS and ARRANGEMENTS

August 9th finds the garden lilies coming to an end.  "Anastasia," with it's huge white and pink upward-facing blooms, is very fragrant, and is very long-lasting in arrangements--upwards of two weeks. "Stargazer," a smaller Oriental lily, is also fragrant, and usually blooms a little earlier. Arranged with glads and zinnias, this feminine pink arrangement, in a lime green ceramic container, with wet foam oasis for flower arranging, will be long-lasting. Always use a floral preservative and cut flowers early in the morning or after dusk in the evening.  Keep flowers in a cool, dark place until needed.

MULTI-COLOR SUMMER ARRANGEMENTS with DINNER PLATE DAHLIAS, GLADIOLA, LILIES and STATE FAIR ZINNIAS

Bright colors in a myriad of warm tones make up the July 26th arrangement. Gladiola's are used again, and they will continue blooming until early fall, after planting them at two-week intervals through late spring.The mix today has yellow, white, pink, purple, and a multi-colored pink, red and white blooms.The first dinner plate dahlias of the season are out, and Kelvin Floodlight is one of my favorite yellows. State Fair zinnias, which will bloom through the fall until a killing frost and the last of the lilies, Flash Point, an OT lily. OT lilies are crosses between a trumpet lily and an Oriental lily--with the best of both combined. I like them in my garden zone 6 because they are more hardy and long-lived than the Orientals.

EARLY PEONIES FOR SPRING ARRANGEMENTS - Extra long-lasting in the vase makes these easy-to-grow flowers a must in the garden!

Each spring I am always happy when the herbaceous peonies bloom!  The weekly arrangement for May 17 is an assortment of early and mid-blooming peonies. In every shade of pink--from the lightest baby pink to the dark ruby red blooms, and every shade in between, these "queen of the garden" flowers are not only long-lived specimens in the garden, but they have an extra long vase life as well. Paired here with 3 different shades of pink lupine, this arrangement is a pink-lover's delight.

Cut stems in the bud stage, and immediately plunge into deep lukewarm water with a floral preservative and you will have a display that will last up to two weeks!

"Do Tell" herbaceous peony

"Doreen" and "Celebrity" herbaceous peonies

"Bowl of Beauty" herbaceous peony

"Dancing Butterflies" single herbaceous peony

"Festiva Maxima" herbaceous peony

"Mons Jules Elie" herbaceous peony

"Single Rose" herbaceous peony

"Celebrity" herbaceous peony

"Sarah Bernhardt" herbaceous peony

Peonies like to be planted in the fall because the energy then goes to the roots, not the leaves. Prepare the soil and amend, if necessary. I use a handful of bone meal in the hole, mixed in well with the soil. Don't plant too deep! A common mistake is planting the "eye" more than 2" under the soil. This will affect the bloom--in fact, the plant may not bloom at all if planted too deeply. Make sure that there aren't any big trees or bushes that will compete for nutrients near by. Your peony will be long-lived, so choose your planting site carefully--as they don't like to be transplanted. Then ENJOY!

SPRING TREE PEONY BLOOMS WITH SINGLE LATE TULIPS - A romantic color palette

The first blooms of romantic tree peony blooms, paired with the delicate colors of a variety of single late tulips make this arrangement of April 19th an eye-pleaser.  The peony blooms, when fully open, can be as large as 8-10" across.  Pink and white-colored lupine finish the arrangement off. Peonies used are light pink "Yoshina-Gawa," white  "Sugared Silk," and red "Shimi-Nishiki."

As always, choose flowers that are in the bud stage, or close to it.  Harvest blooms before the sun comes up, or after dusk in the early evening, after the sun has gone down.  I always immediately plunge the cut stems in cool water.  When ready to arrange, cut an additional 1-inch off stem under water.  This unseals the stem end so water can continue to travel up the stem to give water to the bloom.  Arrange, and keep in a cool, dry, dark place until ready to use.  Change water every other day if possible.