More Flowers

Our grocery store is having their annual Rose sale, so for 50¢ each, I had to get some. Roses, alone, however, do not a beautiful display make.

One of my ambitions is to have a garden with enough beautiful things in it that I can keep some fresh, beautiful flowers in my home all through blooming seasons. My vegetable garden is a marvel, but I'm still slowly figuring out flower and landscape gardening, although a lot of things could have gone better for us this year. I really think my new house will have sprinklers. Yes, definitely.

Some examples:

• Our siberian irises almost died because of lack of water while we were in Utah. As a result, they never bloomed. Their greens remain, though, and I am hopeful for 2013.
• Our peonies, in the same bed as the irises, suffered the same fate, and I just pray they return for next season.
• Hydrangeas ditto. They'll be dynamite next year, vibrant and blue. 
• Our roses are beautiful on the vine, but not hardy indoor display. They are loose buds, better suited to the outdoors.
• Our lilac tree took a freeze just as the buds started to appear. I didn't think the branches full of tiny, dry black buds would be very attractive on our dining room table.
• Daylilies are just ugly in the house. Actually, I don't really like them outside, either. End of story. They must die. This time I mean it.

 So, I'm going with what I have, and I figure if it grows outdoors, I might as well bring it in to enjoy more often. As a result, I've been experimenting with different greens, flowers, and fills. My herbs are awesome this year, so I'm using them extensively in flower arranging. As long as I don't use basil, which isn't very pretty, anyway, they don't smell so strong. Thai basil works, though. So, here's a walk through of how I've used things from my yard in my arrangements. Only now am I regretting pulling out those statice bushes. It's alright, though, because they smell like dog crap. True.

• Bushy fill: Oregano. Right now I have some with buds, so it's extra fun. Also, it's so prolific; I can't even tell I cut it for the last arrangement, and after a severe cutting today, it still looks great. I have also used Tarragon for this, but it doesn't wear as well because it's a more delicate herb. It does have a nice spindly, wild look to it, though.
• Leatherleaf lookalike: Mexican Heather. Also has some purple buds, so it's a flower and a fill.
• Ruscus: One of my favourite greens, I use vinca vines to get the look. I also threw in some vertical Thai Basil that mimics the look. I also just looked out at my monster, out of control patch of mint and realized that it would have filled that purpose, as well. It's in flower, though, and I didn't want to fight the wasps for it.
• Bear/Lily grass: Last time I used garlic chives, but this time I used the scapes, or the unbloomed flower shoots from them, to create a dramatic, strong arch. Little bunches of Sage also give a nice firework effect here and there, much like a loop of grasses would.
• Salal: This one I cheated on. I bought the roses and used the leaves as large-leafed fill. They didn't come from my yard. 

Today's additions included some garden phlox (big purple bunches down low,) and the greens from our thread leaf coreopsis, whose bright yellow flowers have faded. I also tucked one little bright rose from our climbing bush into the back, although it doesn't have much time left. I weeded out some Queen Anne's lace earlier this week, and i was just thinking about it and how lovely it would have been in my arrangement today. Alas.

So, there you have it—my magical fake cutting garden. Good thing there was a rose sale . . .