bud vase Archives - Linda Nelson

GRAB YOUR PRUNERS AND TAKE A BOUGH!

November 22, 2015

‘Tis the season to make some evergreen statements, be it bud vases…..

©Linda Nelson 2015

fresh bouquets……

©Linda Nelson 2015

or front porch arrangements!

©Linda Nelson 2015

A pair of hand pruners, a few vessels or containers and some fresh cut greenery are all you’ll need. There’s no need to wait for December, either. Feathery boughs of cedar, juniper, arborvitae, microbiota, chamaecyperus, fir and spruce fit right in with and nicely complement all those decorative Thanksgiving trimmings.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Two of my favorite trees to snip from are Japanese umbrella pine(Sciadopitys verticillata) for it’s leathery-like whorled needles…..

©Linda Nelson 2015

and white fir(Abies concolor) for it’s clean, citrusy scent.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Both were ones I bought live and that served as my Christmas trees many years ago. My, how they’ve grown! The Japanese umbrella pine was a very pricey purchase. I slapped down a hundred bucks for what resembled a three-foot Charlie Brown tree; I just had to have it. My kids were very young at that time, and were absolutely mortified. “Mom….. this is not a Christmas tree!”

Assemble your outdoor arrangements in containers filled with damp soil or old potting mix. Make use of decorative plastic nursery pots if you live in an area where freezing weather is a concern. If you hate that idea and absolutely must use your cherished glazed pots, simply make your arrangement in an old plastic pot then insert it inside the nice one. I also use that approach when choosing to work with metal pails, as frozen soil expands and could bust open the pail’s seam.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Embellish with baubles of your choice, and you’re all set!

©Linda Nelson 2015

I made this arrangement just for the birds; after all, they deserve a pretty feeding station, right?

©Linda Nelson 2015

Well, there you have it.

Now, grab your pruners and take a bough!

GRAB YOUR PRUNERS AND TAKE A BOUGH! Read More »

GARDEN HAPPENINGS AT THE CREATEAERIE

June 8, 2015

Today I decided to take a little extra morning time for myself. The trade-off….. I’ll work a little bit later into the evening. It’s no problem, though.

It’s a peculiar, rather coolish June here in the eastern most tip of New York. I feel borderline silly wearing a sweatshirt and turtleneck, but hey, I’ve done sillier things than that. Anyway, this is what’s happening among the garden beds at the createaerie.

©Linda Nelson 2015

The peonies are looking gorgeous, don’t you think? And, while I’m not exactly fond of the current color combination pictured below, I’m enjoying the lovely show, courtesy of my Baptisia australis, achillea ‘Moonshine’, and the scarlet foliage of the Cotinus in the background.

©Linda Nelson 2015

I delight in the quirky looking stalks of Euphorbia ‘Fireglow’ poking up among the ferns and Alchemilla mollis. Some folks might categorize this plant as a nuisance, but mine behaves quite nicely.

©Linda Nelson 2015

And, I’m super delighted that my Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ weathered the severe winter just fine, as you can see here. They’re known for being a little temperamental in this region.

©Linda Nelson 2015

I’m a big fan of gray. Are you? I know that Dusty Miller can have the reputation of being a bit stale with regard to all the wonderful plant material out there, but it works. It just works….. especially paired with a nice decorative rock.

©Linda Nelson

Oh, let’s take a quick peak at my vegetable garden.

©Linda Nelson 2015

The potato plants are looking good and are just setting some flowers. My swiss chard………I think it’s time for a small harvest.

©Linda Nelson 2015

The kale, pictured above, is coming along nicely. Last year it experienced a premature bolt, then crop failure. That was on account of unusually high temperatures early on in the season. This year we are experiencing the exact opposite.

Though not in my vegetable, and not exactly a culinary pick, my citronella balm(a little less hardy than lemon balm) wintered over in the ground just fine. I chose to pot it up and place it near my patio sitting area.

©Linda Nelson 2015

And, finally…… my first little summertime bud vase, set upon my kitchen windowsill. I enjoy creating dainty sized arrangements. To me, they’re little bursts of sunshine and happiness.

Enjoy your day!

GARDEN HAPPENINGS AT THE CREATEAERIE Read More »

VEGETABLE GARDEN BUD VASES

July 26, 2014

Who says tomato plants aren’t decorative?

Incorporating fruit and vegetables into floral design arrangements is nothing new, be it artichokes, lemons, cabbages, etc…. This post is not about that. It’s about something more humble, rustic and more close to home… as right in your own back yard. Snip from your vegetable garden what you would otherwise not think to use for filling little bud vases. You’ll be delightfully surprised and amused by the smorgasbord of plant material there is to choose from.

One of my carrot plants, pictured above, went to flower. I love the delicate, lacy umbel shaped inflorescence it produces. And, hey, if your bottom half is cute, you might as well show that off, too, right?

Nasturtium leaves remind me of Thumbelina size flat-topped parasols.

Leeks, belonging to the allium (onion and garlic) genus, produce globular blooms that look beautiful long after its petite white florets drop off.

I think sage leaves and dill blooms(another umbel) look lovely together.

The apricot-orange flowers of the zucchini plant, though only lasting for a couple of hours in water, is worth the short lived show.

There you have it, some vegetative inspiration. Now, go snip.

VEGETABLE GARDEN BUD VASES Read More »