Summer is a season of abundance, with gardens bursting into life with vibrant colors, captivating scents, and diverse textures. Bringing these blooms indoors and incorporating them into flower arrangements can infuse your home with the beauty and essence of summer. However, to keep your floral creations looking fresh and vibrant, it’s essential to know how to properly care for your summer flowers. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you make the most of your garden’s summer bounty.
Summer Blooms
Before diving into care tips, let’s take a look at some flowers that are typically available only during the summer months:
Sunflowers: Known for their large, sunny faces, sunflowers are a quintessential summer bloom.
Dahlias: These striking flowers come in a variety of colors and shapes, making them a favorite for summer arrangements.
Zinnias: Bright and cheerful, zinnias are available in almost every color of the rainbow.
Marigolds: With their rich, warm hues, marigolds add a vibrant touch to any arrangement.
Hydrangea: A summer garden is not complete without these round textured blooms that depending on the soil range in colors of blues, purples and pinks. Starting in June and lasting all summer hydrangeas create a stablizing force in the garden.
Gladiolus: Tall and dramatic, gladiolus spikes are perfect for adding height and structure.
Cosmos: These delicate, daisy-like flowers bring a whimsical touch to floral designs.
Snapdragons: Offering vertical interest, snapdragons come in a range of colors and can add texture and depth.
Foxglove: These multiflower laterals keep on blooming through the summer and come in beautiful colors. Look close at the varigation of tones inside each little cone. A garden favorite for sure.
Black-Eyed Susans: These cheerful, daisy-like flowers with dark centers are a summer staple.
Care for Summer Garden Flowers in Arrangements
To ensure your summer flowers stay fresh and beautiful for as long as possible, follow these care tips:
Harvesting:
- Time it Right: Harvest flowers in the early morning or late evening when temperatures are cooler and plants are less stressed.
- Use Sharp Tools: Use sharp scissors or pruning shears to make clean cuts, which help the stems absorb water more effectively.
Preparing the Flowers:
- Strip the Stems: Remove any leaves that will be below the waterline in your vase. Leaves left in water can rot and create bacteria, shortening the lifespan of your flowers.
- Cut the Stems: Cut the stems at a 45-degree angle to increase the surface area for water absorption. Recut the stems every few days.
Conditioning:
- Hydrate: Place the flowers in a bucket of lukewarm water as soon as possible after cutting. Allow them to hydrate for a few hours before arranging.
- Flower Food: Use flower food to nourish your blooms. If you don’t have commercial flower food, you can make your own with a mixture of sugar, vinegar, and bleach.
Arranging:
- Clean Vase: Ensure your vase is clean to prevent bacterial growth.
- Fresh Water: Fill the vase with fresh, lukewarm water and add flower food. Change the water every two days.
- Support: Use floral foam or a frog to help support stems and keep your arrangement in place.
Placement and Maintenance:
- Cool Spot: Place your arrangement in a cool, shaded area away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and drafts.
- Remove Wilted Flowers: Regularly check your arrangement and remove any wilted flowers to prevent them from affecting the rest of the arrangement.
- Misting: Lightly mist the flowers with water daily to keep them hydrated and looking fresh.
Tips for Specific Summer Flowers
Sunflowers: Sunflowers are heavy drinkers. Check the water level daily and top it up as needed.
Dahlias: Dahlias benefit from frequent stem trimming and water changes to prevent bacteria buildup.
Zinnias: Zinnias are hardy but can wilt quickly if not properly hydrated. Keep them out of direct sunlight.
Marigolds: Marigolds have a longer vase life if the water is kept clean and changed regularly.
Gladiolus: Remove any spent blooms from the bottom of the spike to encourage the upper flowers to open.
Hydrangea: Another heavy drinker. A great tip is to soak the entire head of the hydrangea in water to get them super hydrated. Even when they look like they are wilted beyond help this tip often revives them quickly!
Caring for summer flowers from your garden in flower arrangements requires a bit of attention and effort, but the reward is well worth it. By following these tips, you can enjoy the beauty of your summer blooms indoors for as long as possible. So, go ahead and bring the vibrant colors and delightful fragrances of your garden into your home, creating stunning arrangements that capture the essence of summer.
Caring for summer flowers from your garden in flower arrangements requires a bit of attention and effort, but the reward is well worth it. By following these tips, you can enjoy the beauty of your summer blooms indoors for as long as possible. So, go ahead and bring the vibrant colors and delightful fragrances of your garden into your home, creating stunning arrangements that capture the essence of summer.