Over again...

The calendar says it is fall and today the sun is brilliant but there is definitely a change coming - it is no longer the soft warm breezes of summer but the brisk winds of the northeast that are threatening to call an end (hopefully temporarily) to summer's warm days. The cooler evenings are bringing changes to my garden as well. The hydrangeas bright blues are now subdued greens and lavenders and many leaves are dressing themselves in golds and reds.

My last arrangement had a few hydrangea blossoms and as they dry so wonderfully on their own - I saved them to use again - adding some of my favorite roses from the yard. They are a soft delicate white with very tender pink undertones. I love how the delicateness of each flower compliments the other.

Some may call this recycling but I am choosing to call it re-using.:)

More than a blessing...

What could be better than playing trucks with your grandson? Well maybe having Elisa and Sadie here, too. Now that would be terrific.

Sunflowers and Herbs!

I have this crazy part of our gardens that is full of miniature sunflowers that dance atop 10' spires! I really did try to keep them tied up this year but they have still found a way to flop over and fill the pathway! I love them anyway. They remind of a daisy in their delicate petals (daisies are a favorite of mine) but they are so tall. I found a few black eyed susans to fill in and give some more interest.

I also have a wonderful herb garden outside of the kitchen - so I cut some of the sage, rosemary and thyme to use for greens - plus it smells heavenly - I often wonder how wonderful flowers must smell in heaven - I bet even daisies will smell sweet!

Needless to say, this arrangement is in my kitchen. I tied the stems together before placing it in the vase. I love how it looks just like a handful of gathered flowers - right from the garden!

From the Garden!

I really wanted to try and do a large arrangement with all kinds of flowers - the problem lies with having blooms that are tall enough and sturdy enough and still from my garden (the most inexpensive kind!) to create such an arrangement. I spent some time wandering through the paths of my garden and decided that a shorter but full arrangement would be a better choice. I chose pinks, purples and whites and added some great greenery and "feathery" branches - I love these tall slender branches that are adorned with a tender variegated leaf and now are bursting with delicate little flowers. I collected an assortment of blossoms and started cleaning the stems and soaking them in water.

Next - choosing a vase - why is this so difficult for me? I chose to use "oasis" this time - for the practice - and finally decided on an oblong crystal bowl. Al and I had picked it up at a "seconds" shop in Germany when we lived there.

After about an hour and a half and a few more trips to the garden - I finished it! Some of the flowers should have been picked a few days earlier so they would last longer in my bouquet but overall I think it turned out ok. Included were pink rose buds, dahlias, hydrangeas, white roses, a pink flower that I have no idea what it is, sedum and blue astilbe.