4 minute read
Nature, Take It In! Interior
connected we become – to ourselves, our loved ones and our surroundings. Who wouldn’t want to bring some of that wonderful energy into our indoor spaces? And it doesn’t have to cost a dime.
Whether you have a wellgroomed garden full of annuals and perennials or prefer to let Mother Nature do the planting, all you have to do is look around your backyard, along the roadside, in grassy meadows or on lakeshores to find flowers, grasses and shrubs that make wonderful arrangements you can bring in and enjoy for weeks at a time. A few plants dry naturally, such as straw flowers – all you have to do is put them in a vase and let them sit. Others, such as hydrangea, will dry beautifully if you add just a little water to the container they are in. Once the water has been absorbed, leave them in the container to dry naturally. Some of their colour will fade, but it gives them a vintage look.
How to Make Arrangements
Gather five or six containers you’d like to use. You don’t need fancy, store-bought vases. In fact, the more original and unique the container, the more interesting the arrangement. Consider where you will put them and what type of flowers you will use. Tall flowers like lupins, foxglove and pussy willows need a tall container. If
Christine Kew photo
you are placing your flowers on a small table, or vanity in the half-bath, you’ll want to use a smaller container, which doesn’t necessarily mean smaller flowers.
Here are some “vase” ideas to consider: mason jar, ceramic jug, tea pot, gravy boat, glass canister, large mug, wine bottle, vintage tins, vintage glassware… pretty much anything that holds water. Have fun, be creative – flowers always look great!
Once you’ve chosen your containers, it’s time to collect the flowers. If you’re lucky enough to have an abundance of blooming annuals in your garden, you’ll have cuttings at your fingertips from June to September. If
you’re going for wildflower collection, your options will depend on location and timing. Perennial flowers each have their favourite blooming time. The beauty is, you can keep a display of fresh flowers in your house, in your cabin or on the patio table all summer long.
Most wild flowers lend themselves to a more casual arrangement. Scoop up an armful of lupins and plunk them down in a tall container and you’re done. They demand some vertical space and look best in an area where they can dominate, like the centre of a table. Wild roses, the pink and white varieties, are best displayed in a wide-mouthed, fairly low vase or bowl. Careful of the thorny stems: leather garden gloves are your friend for these beauties. Their abundance of leaves help fill out the arrangement and the scent is intoxicating. Other wild flowers – such as daisies, clover, buttercups, musk mallow, goldenrod, fireweed – all look great mixed in with some tall grass, placed in a mason jar with some jute
tied around the mouth of the jar.
If you want to create a monochromatic arrangement it’s easy to find three or four different varieties in the same colour family, which works great if you’re making a statement or creating a particular look. Take blues, for instance (my personal favourite). Who knew there were so many blue flowers to choose from, both wild and cultivated? Irises, hydrangea, lavender, foxglove, fireweed, forget-menots, lilacs, asters, for starters. Good grief!
Large flowers have an amazing impact, whether with a single bloom or in a cluster of half a dozen. Peonies, hydrangeas, oriental poppies, dahlias and sunflowers create quite a centrepiece with their stunning presence.
And let’s not forget the greenery. For arrangements that need it, you can add ivy, ferns, grasses or even stems of interesting leaves from dogberry, magnolia, birch or maple.
To keep your arrangements fresh for as long as possible, clip the stems on a 45-degree angle, cut off any leaves that will be sitting below the water level and add two teaspoons of white vinegar with one teaspoon of sugar per litre of water.
Summer, the most wonderful time of the year! Sit back, breathe it in, and as it winds down, make the most of our colourful outdoors. Spread the joy, bring it in, show it off, share it with friends and neighbours. It’s a way for everyone to love their space!
