Tag: wildflower

Posies – Arranging Gangly Flower Stems

On By TimelessladyIn Posies10 Comments

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Lance-leaved coreopsis is  blooming this week in my wildflower garden. The plants are loaded with dozens of flowers, providing the perfect opportunity for creating a tabletop bouquet.

The stems of Coreopsis lanceolata (Lance-leaved Coreopsis) are gangly, and quickly droop upon cutting. To use them for an indoor bouquet requires breaking the traditional rules of floral arranging. Instead of placing  foliage sprigs beneath the flowers, place the blooms around the rim of your vase, allowing  the foliage to take center stage. The vase supports the weight of the flowers forming a circle of gold around the bright green foliage. Beautiful! A lovely informal bouquet for your kitchen table.

Planting – Sprinkle and Step Wildflower Garden

On By TimelessladyIn Planting4 Comments

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In the Spring of 2015 I sowed several packets of wildflowers in my garden beds. They performed well, and I enjoyed the surprise of seeing well-known and less common varieties of flowers grow and blossom. The biggest surprise are the biennials and perennials that returned this year. Oh the joy of seeing an unknown plant grow, bud and blossom into this lovely cantaloupe-hued flower. Even better, the scent of these Wallflowers (Erysimum cheiri) is sublime.

Wildflower packets run the gamut of price points, from 25 cents in dollar stores, to near $10.00 for a large box with shreds of colorful mulch included for easy and even sowing. I’m enchanted by my wildflower garden and bought a few more packets to add to it this year.

My method of sowing wildflowers starts with roughing up the garden soil with a trowel. If needed, I work in a bit of fresh soil, then I SPRINKLE the seed and STEP gently over the entire area. A light spray of water helps the seed stay in place. In a few weeks new wildflower plants will be my reward.

Problem-Solving, Plant and Pressed Flowers – Jewelweed

On By TimelessladyIn Plants, Pressed Flowers, Problem-Solving2 Comments

While on a recent bike ride, I spotted the trumpet-like orange flowers of Jewelweed. This wildflower grows in moist, wet places and blooms later in the summertime. For those of you who react to the urishol oil in poison ivy, crushed jewelweed foliage applied to your exposed skin can save you from breaking out in a rash.

For a look at the foliage of this plant and more information take a look at this link: Jewelweed

Jewelweed also makes a decent pressed flower, but it needs a bit of drying out before it can be used. I usually lay the blossoms on a towel and press them flat with my fingers. This removes a bit of inner liquid in the flower. Because of their moist nature, not every jewelweed flower will retain it’s color. I will keep trying though, it’s unique shape, intense color and plentiful growth along streams makes it a good candidate for pressing.