Monday, August 3, 2020

The Flowers Of Summer

Hi, Friends, 
How are you holding up? 


I don't know about you but July seemed a million months long. 
I'm so glad it's August. 


I usually have a sunflower situation in the works shortly after August 1st but I'd like to try to hold off bringing those warmer tones into our decor.


If you have been around a while, you know how I feel about orange.
It is not my favorite color.
Yellow is better but I always gravitate to cooler tones. Our hot climate may play a big part in that.


I've been very intentional about cutting flowers and bringing them into the house this summer.  One of my gardening goals was to have enough cut flowers for weekly arrangements.


That goal has been successful except for two weeks when it was just too hot for the garden to produce enough flowers.
I bought grocery store flowers to augment what we had going on.


It has been so much fun changing out the flowers on a weekly basis.


I love pairing different flowers together.


I have learned a few things.
Hydrangeas are hard to dry. I thought an arrangement would dry as the water evaporated.
Nope. I even dipped the stems in Alum to prevent wilting.
They lasted about a month but one by one they wilted away.
I haven't cut anymore of them. Hopefully, they will dry on the shrub.


Even though I have many more flowers this year than in previous years, it is still hard for me to cut them. I feel like I am depriving the yard of their beauty.


I'm preparing for the seasons to come.
I'm drying roses.
I'm saving seeds from my zinnias, cone flowers, vinca, and four o'clocks for next year.
 I'm even trying to root some cuttings.
I'll let you know how that goes.


"As sweet as summer roses may all past memories be.
And bright with hope and promise may the future prove to be."
I love the sentiment on this vintage postcard.


The flowers have brought me such joy.
While I'm ready for the season to move forward, I'm trying to live in the present and enjoy what is.
A mix of flowers live and dry will ease the transition from one season to the next without resorting to those warmer tones.



Thank you for visiting. I hope you are well.

Katie

6 comments :

  1. I was traveling and working in WI and clipped a bunch of the strawberries/cream hydrangeas from a tile store bush. I dried them in the back seat of the car on newspapers and they have lasted for 5 years. At home in FL, I dry stuff by hanging it in the garage. We have started the August month with a storm -hope that's all for this year.

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  2. I'm sure it's different in the south. We feel like we wish August would never end and it has only just started! Summer felt late this year. I never have dried hydrangeas starting with water, just cutting. But it is usually later in the season so maybe that's why they work. They seem to last forever.

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  3. Hi Katie. I have pretty good luck with the hydrangeas. I just put about an inch of water in a vase, put them in and let them sit until the water drys up and that seems to do pretty good. My hydrangeas are not that good this year for some reason so maybe I won't get any to dry. Your flower arrangements are all so pretty. I love little vignettes to look at. Katie, when exactly do you publish Keep In Touch?. I am always so late to the party that I don't know when the time is right. Usually it doesn't matter, but with this new blogger crap our timing with when I post and you do is not matching up and maybe I am missing something but I don't know how to do it now when I post. If that makes sense. I'm only saying because if I miss one don't take it personal!! At firtst I thought it was so easy, I didn't seem to have a problem, Now I'm thinking there is probably a lot more to learn and I don't like it..Stay well..xxoJudy

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  4. Hi Katie,
    I am loving our weather here in Illinois this week. Only in the 70's and no humidity. The heat will return this coming weekend but for now I am enjoying having the windows open and cooler temps. I love all your sweet flower vignettes. xoxo Kris

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  5. Your flowers are pretty. I have great luck drying hydrangeas. I will be cutting some Limelights soon to enjoy in the house. Our bushes are enormous.

    I usually dry 30 ever fall.

    Cindy

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