My IAVOM (In A Vase on Monday) this week contains half garden/half purchased flowers. The foliage from my garden is Pine, Holly, and Aucuba leaves. The arrangement is my revolving Christmas table decoration. As the flowers fade, I remove them and add new stems.

The greenery will last for the entire month and even longer if I keep it. The Aucuba stem has rooted for me in the past, but the bush takes years to become full size, and it is easier to purchase a nursery plant if you want to include it in your garden beds. I love Aucuba greens. They are lovely for arranging flowers. The sturdy, long stems are like a grid inside the vase and will help separate your flowers and hold them steady.

A Christmas Angel and an old antique crystal dish holding extra ornaments are alongside the vase. I have many empty vases and bowls filled with baubles in dark areas around the house. They speckle the dark corners in the house with Christmas cheer.

The red mini-carnations are over a week old and still blooming nicely. They have a mild cinnamon fragrance. The white roses were a lucky find, purchased in the supermarket; it is rare to find roses with such a high petal count and without browning for under $10.00.

Flower Arranging Tip: To choose a bunch of roses that will last, gently squeeze the base of the rose where it joins the stem. If it is squishy, it won’t last. If the feel is firm, the roses are fresh. Slightly open Roses will continue to bloom. Flowers that end in a sharp point are unlikely to unfurl. Cut the stems underwater at a diagonal to make roses last even longer in an arrangement. This technique keeps the stem from forming an air bubble and allows the water to flow into the entire stem. 

The white rose is my choice for Cee’s Flower of the Day.