foraged flowers

Don't laugh... OK, do if you must...

when i was little i used to forage for flowers to make arrangements for my mom... when i mean forage i mean going into people's yards (i was little) and picking their flowers, and also going to edge of a small airport field (when i lived in Nashville) and picking wildflowers, there was also woods that i would explore and forage too.  then using whatever container i could, i would cut and arrange the flowers for mom.

Driving on Sunday with my fiancé we saw a vacant lot a few blocks away from our house, with TONS of wildflowers.  It’s not a neighborhood garden, it's not some one's garden, it's just rubble of old foundation and lots of flowers that took over, most would be considered "weeds" by the home gardener... not me!  I love "weeds".  "BABY LOOK, STOP, I HAVE TOO...)

My fiancé parked the car with a shake of his head, and I got picking, making myself a nice kitchen table bouquet, that I later added basil flowers (from my harvested garden basil -tutorial coming soon), grass cat-tails, and a rose from the garden, then I added water into a vase, and then later changed into my vintage pitcher *took the picture before the change and set it on my table, it’s now been a few days and my lovelies still holding up just fine.

My mother and I will be foraging for some wildflower elements for the engagement party flowers… that’s going to be quite a sight on Undercliff Ave. that day.

I'm hoping that she'll know what we're picking, I'd love to plant them for next year.

(Don’t you love when you get to do childhood things unexpectedly?)

three

 I enjoy a drink, or two (three) after work, and on weekends, and any other time.  I really love to collect the bottles.  For our centerpieces for the wedding (we are going sans-florist) we are going to use various collected bottles with flowers such as Queen Anne's lace (one of my favorites), poms, and statice (amongst others).  St. Germain Bottles are the best.  After boiling them, using a steel pad to scrub off the labels, and snipping the metal ring once attached to the screw top, they are quite pretty with one cut flower from the garden.

Case in point...

1.

This is definitely on the list of crafts.

2.

3. All the pretty colors.

...how does your garden grow?

As promised, here are current pictures of my garden.  Please excuse the dried grass in the garden (my landlord mowed the lawn and left me to clean up...thanks?), that will be this weekend's project.  I learned a few things.
1. Rose bushes like to be cut before spring season, I did this and It BLOOMED there are tons of gorgeous playboy roses. Compared them to last year here.
2. Don't expect your bulbs all come up, my ranunculus did, but not my tricyrtis, I'm still hoping for next year.
3. Learn what poison ivy, oak, and sumac look like, this year (thus far) I've managed to rip it up, and not get it... last year over the course of a summer I was lucky enough to get it 3 times.
4. Weed your garden a little bit every 2 weeks, it keeps it looking fresh and doesn't make it confusing when bulbs are coming up.
5. PLAN your space, I read this in Martha Stewart's Living (one of my favorites), I didn't do this and before I knew it I was planting two many conflicting plants.  Rule of thumb, high growers in back, to low in front, this year I have a hodgepodge because of my travels and randomly picking plants I see and like.  From the garden store to (admittedly) pulling over on the side of the highway for wildflowers that I MUST have.  Really, I did this 3 weekends ago and love my purple flowers  that I dug up and transplanted in my garden.  Word to the wise: Don't be greedy ( I only took 2 plants), and don't transplant flowers that aren't native- you don't want an invasive species in your backyard.  To put it lightly I am going to have to transplant and replant next year to get things in order...at least I'm learning right? RIGHT!
 6. LOOK FOR GREEN OPTIONS... I know it is frustrating when you have a garden being eaten away by something... just ask my sunflowers.  I was going to spray pesticides but if I am going to harvest and eat the seeds later, I don't want to.
I am going to brew a Garlic Pepper tea to spray on my plants, I got the recipe here.  I can't wait to try it this weekend!

Three.

1. Dutch Tulip field from afar.

2. "The" Perfect Engagement Photo (see next post)

3. My Pride and Joy of my garden this year...Columbine Flower.