I’m back to share my monthly bouquet (a super sweet Christmas present from the hubs). And just like last month’s roundup of roses, this month’s blooms didn’t hail from the grocery store at all. In lieu of the normal $3-5 bouquet, we spent nada and headed out the back door to clip some white lilies for a quick little display in our sunroom. Here they are adding some life to a collection of vases and recycled beverage and wine bottles (some which are left over from our wedding):
I love the big white petals and the chocolate polka dots that seem to hover above each bloom.
I’ve also noticed that we seem to especially love putting our budget bouquets in different vases and locations for a totally new effect each time around. While last month’s collection cheered up the living room, our new arrangement greets us at the door (we park in the back and enter through the sunroom so we get to see ’em coming and going). It’s also nice to remember that anything can be a vase (so save those Pellegrino bottles and old toothbrush holders!).
What about you guys? Have you clipped any happy little flowers courtesy of your backyard or rescued any bouquets from your local grocery store? We’d love to know what blooms are tickling your fancy these days- and what free fauna your backyard is yielding now that summer is in full effect.
Wanna see our first grocery store bouquet from last January? Itching to check out February, March, April, May, and June too?Just follow the links for some pretty sweet cheap-o bouquets.
I think white lilies are so beautiful and classic. Here there are wild orange lilies all along the roads which is pretty, but I’m not a fan of orange. How great that you inherited landscaping that included so many pretty flowers!
Oh, what gorgeous blooms! Great that you have them in your yard for another “score” free bouquet.
I was fortunate to inherit a huge perennial garden when I bought my house two years ago, so I make it a habit to cut a large bouquet in the backyard, arrange it in a vase and bring it when I visit someone’s home.
I cut daisies, chrysanthemums, tiger lilies and some smallish yellow flowers. I use big fern fronds to frame the back of the bouquet and the result is a very fresh, summery bouquet. I brought a bouquet into work yesterday for a company breakfast meeting and got several compliments.
I even taught my 13 year old son how to properly cut the stems and arrange them – explaining that if he does this with a handful of flowers before giving them to a future girlfriend, it will have way more impact than handing her a cellophane wrapped bunch and he will be a superstar!
I love the simple clean look! And, from my little apt with a very sad little bamboo plant, let me say, I am so jealous of your backyard flowers!
I’ve been stealing from my mom’s back yard! Her flowers are just so pretty. Last month I used four mason jars for vases and I loved the look: http://courtbaker.blogspot.com/2009/06/kwerner-color-inspiration-54.html
It has been my favorite so far this summer.
Beautiful white lillies! Right now I have some leftover carnations in red and white from the 4th tablescape and a couple of weeks ago I was sporting the hydrangea blooms from the front yard. Once the carnations are done I’ll probably grab some of my herbs for just a simple, clean look that also smells good!
I love the two blue frosted vases and the larger round bright blue one! I just cut bright yellow and orange lilies to bring them in (and put them in a rice vinegar bottle – round bottom skinny neck), I LOVE it! Usually I have a hard time cutting flowers from the yard, but there were plenty so I did it. Next up… callas!
Beautiful flowers! I was able to cut some beautiful glads from my garden this year, and I should have zinnias within the next few days!
Fresh flowers just add such a nice touch to a home.
Beautiful flowers! I love lilies!
I just heard Smith and Hawken is closing. Sniff, sniff!
The arrangement is beautiful. One important note though – you should cut off the little brown balls on the spikes in the middle of the bloom as they tend to disintegrate into a powder like susbstance which will stain anything they fall on. I would hate for your tray to be ruined.
Hey Natalie,
Good to know. Off to get the scissors…
xo,
s
I am orchid loving here, your lilies are beautiful!
As Natalie said, the pollen from lilies stains. My method for removing them is to grab a kleenex, wrap it around the stamen, and pull them all off in one go (they pop off really easily).
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but Lillies (of all sorts) are poisonous to dogs and cats. They are especially dangerous to cats who can more easily jump onto tables with vases of flowers and injest some of the pollen. They are pretty and cheap, but for pet owners, please be careful! I have three cats and I won’t let Lillies into the apartment because its just not worth the risk.
http://www.entirelypets.com/toxicfoods.html
I think the best arrangements come from the yard. I planted 2 bold, blue endless summer hydrangeas last year and they provide me blooms for months in the summer. The bonus is how long the blooms last. As they fade, they change colors but still look as beautiful. Flowers brighten up every room (even my office…)!!
YOU’RE PREGNANT, AREN’T YOU??? HA! I knew this was coming!
If not, well.. that’s just not an option!
I just did this last weekend with my white lillies too! I also snipped a few coneflowers and some yellow thingys (I’m not sure what they are called, my mom gave me the plant). I have a few test tube bud vases around my house, so I threw one bloom in each and then made a couple larger arrangements. I love having flowers around the house! P.S. I also cut a hydrangea and used your tip of dipping the stem in boiling water and it lasted so much longer!
I have to say, those flowers are exquisite and I can’t believe they came from your own yard. Flowers like that don’t grow here in south Florida due to the hot weather. Also I love your little monthly bouquets. That is definitely what I will be asking my husband for this Christmas.
I have a blck thumb. Everything I plant shrivels up and dies within a week. Still, I’m lucky enough to have a huge lilac bush and 2 large crepe myrtles in the backyard, courtesy of our ranchalow’s previous owners. Although neither bloom lasts long when they’re clipped, they’re absolutely beautiful and fragrant when brought inside. The only problem is that they’re delicate and tend to loose their tiny pedals almost as soon as they’re in the vase.
Love your recycled bottles and jugs!
Black thumb that is!
My neighbors are vacationing for a month in India, and I am lucky enough to have to tend their lovely four rose bushes. I have a dozen beautifully sweet roses on my kitchen table right now!
just curious if you guys are experiencing any fruit fly invasion as i am…they’ve moved from my bananas to my flowers! =( i cant seem to get rid of them! help?
Hey Priscilla,
Hmm, no fruit flies here but maybe placing your flowers outside on the porch, patio, or doorstep for a few hours will “air them out?” Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Love those white lilies! I too like to clip my flowers for indoor use. This week it is lady’s mantle…hopefully next week it will be pink lilies.
I have had that flower in my house for a few weeks and then it had to go..I have replaced and replaced and they just get to messy. The brown/red stuff falls all over the place..yuckkkkk..they are pretty though.
Hey Tamstyles,
A few readers chimed in with a tip to avoid the messy brown/red droppings from the flowers: just snip them off with a scissors or pull them off with a tissue to avoid them dropping and staining stuff! As soon as I heard those suggestions I took them off mine and they’re still just as pretty but hopefully a lot less messy!
xo,
s
I love spreading the flowers throughout the house. We use all kinds of containers….right now it’s brown root-beer bottles for white spider mums.
I have tried to cut things from the yard, but then, I find I have ants on the table, or little bugs. Do you all “wash” your flowers first?
and cause I’m lazy and don’t feel like going to the other post to comment, am loving the wedding series you are doing. I just know you guys are going to be together Many young houses from now!
Hey Tracy,
We’ve actually heard this question before thanks to our past monthly flower posts and although we haven’t had the bug issue, other readers have suggested leaving their blooms outside on a porch or patio for a bit to be sure the bugs vacate before they bring them in. We’ve also heard dipping each stem in a bucket of water (submerging them momentarily) can be a good way to de-bug them. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
How beautiful. I have one from my garden in my kitchen window right now, the smell is simply wonderful.
I picked up some flowers from Giant (our local supermaket) and put them on a shelf shown here. I don’t know what they are, but I love orange flowers!!
After I read your post we had a baby shower at my office. The arrangements (in baby bottles I might add – super cute) were from a coworker’s backyard. http://pecan-pecan.blogspot.com/2009/07/monkey-bread.html Look for the last picture in the post. The picture doesn’t do it enough justice…they even put flowers in a metal baby buggy found at TJ Maxx. Great idea for any of you throwing baby showers (I will be in a month and totally using this idea).
Our favorite bouquets are made from our incredible herb garden.