Bouquets from your garden

Author Valerie Easton has given you permission to let loose with your flower arranging. In her new book Petal & Twig: Seasonal bouquets with blossoms, branches, and grasses from your garden she encourages you to look closely at your own yard, find what is beautiful to you, and bring it inside. The simple joy of smelling a fresh blossom or touching a silky petal (and knowing where that little plant grew up) is priceless. It won't last forever, I know, but maybe in this way I'll enjoy the amazing assault on the senses even more since I know the time is limited.

Petal & Twig contains an inspiring, year-long journal that showcases bouquets from her garden with notes on the flowers and plants she uses as well as tips and tricks to make your bouquets last inside.

For the end of June she cut a full bouquet of sweet peas in many colors and collected them in a green glass pitcher. And for the beginning of July Valerie snipped a single apricot-orange begonia and set it in a blue ceramic cup. You see?  Anything is possible and all the choices are beautiful.

Sometimes More is Not Better

I understand the appeal of those huge, complicated, over-the-top bouquets. They are awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping, but if I tried to make one of those I'd be intimidated. There are tricks of the trade that I haven't learned yet. Books on flower arranging can teach me some of those secrets, but right now I just want to enjoy what I've grown.

A few suggestions for variety:

• Herb bouquets (Why not?)
• Bud vases with just one or two or three short stems
• Look at any container (that holds water) as a possible vase: wine glasses, mugs, pitchers, lined baskets, etc.
• Your arrangement doesn't have to be packed full of flowers or have any at all. The texture and line of twigs and grasses can be stunning by themselves.

Bonus from your Bouquets

You know where these flowers and plants grew. Easton says 80% of the cut flowers sold in the US are imported. Yikes! Let's think local. And if you don't have flowers or even lovely grasses in your yard then take a trip to the Downtown Farmer's Market on Saturday. I know of a couple of cut-flower vendors who make amazing bouquets at the market. Ask them about their flowers and how they grow them!

What is blooming in your garden this week?