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Flowers bloom in landscapes and gardens around the world during thewarm summer months. The colors and shapes of the landscapes change constantly as new blooms open and old blooms are spent.

Gardens are a ever changing work of art. Gardeners can make design a garden, making decisions about the kinds of plants they want, sizes, shapes, colors and placement and then sit back and watch the ever changing show of blooms and textures.

It’s wonderful to view this show of fresh flowers in the garden, but it’s also wonderful to bring some of the fresh flowers inside to decorate the home. Flowers in vases always give a great lift to the look of the house and uplift the spirits. Fragrant flowers are even better, as they add their perfume to the room.

A cutting garden includes the best plants for displaying in vases. There are many annual flowers that work great in cutting gardens, such as zinnias. Annual flowers last only one season. Gardener’s love annuals for their ease of producing colorful blooms. Annuals can be planted from seed or purchased as plants at garden nurseries.

Perennial plants reward the gardener by returning year after year, for a show of color. Perennials vary in their length of bloom time. The flowers appear at different times of the year. Perennials may not be in bloom all summer long, but they add texture and shape to the garden. When planing a perennial garden, consider the bloom times of the individual plants, Plant a variety of perennial plants so that something is always in bloom.

A combination of annual and perennial plants adds beauty and color to the landscape from spring to fall. Plant flowers with long stems that can be successfully cut and put into a vase for color indoors.

Perennial flowers can be purchased as plants from garden centers and nurseries. Following is a list of perennials that make great cutting flowers. There flowers bloom at different times of the year for an ever changing season of color.

Spring – Early Summer: Bellflowers, Columbines, Coreopsis, Daffodils, Foxglove, Globeflowers, Iris, Lupines, Peonies, Sweet William, Tulips, Wild Blue Phlox.

Summer: Astilbes, Baby’s Breath, Balloon Flowers, Beardtongues, Bee Balm, Blanket Flowers, Canterbury Bells, Crocosmias, Delphiniums, Feverfew, Lavenders, Lilies, Pinks, Purple Coneflower, Sea Lavender, Shasta Daisy, Speedwell, Torch Lily, Yarrows.

Late Summer – Fall: Asters, Black-Eyed Susan, Chrysanthemum, Fall Blooming Japanese Anemones, Garden Phlox, Gayfeathers, Globe Thistle, Goldenrods, Monkshoods, Orange Coneflowers, Ox-Eye, Perennial Sunflowers, Sneezeweed.

When cutting flowers, perennial or annual, to put into vases, it is best to cut them in the morning and put them into warm water immediately. The vase of warm water can even be taking into the garden so that the stems can be placed directly into the vase. Hold the stem under the warm water in the vase and cut again, at t slant. Take care not to crush the stem. Remove extra foliage. Don’t submerge any leaves in the water, cut them off. In the house, place the vase in a cooler area that the flowers not exposed to sunlight. Mist the flowers occasionally for longer beauty.

A beautiful cutting garden enhances the outdoor landscape and the indoor decor.

Resources:
Burpee, The Complete Flower Gardener, The Comprehensive Guide to Growing Flowers Organically, by Karan Davis Cutler and Barbara W. Ellis.

Vietnam Flowers

One of these top 10 choices for personalized gifts to give to your flower girl will be sure to commemorate the special day and her special place in the wedding.

Girl’s Sterling Silver Heart Locket

Give your flower girl this locket to wear on your wedding day. The sterling silver heart-shaped locket comes with a chain, and you can have engraved a name, monogram, or initials in a selection of font styles on the pendant’s face for an additional cost. Purchase this gift at ThingsRemembered.com or visit a local jewelry store to view similar selections.

Trinket Box

This keepsake is perfect for a girl’s little treasures. Most personalized trinket boxes are either heart-shaped or ring-shaped and are silver-plated. At Bluechopsticks.com find a heart-shaped, silver-plated trinket box set that comes with a sterling silver bracelet and free engraving of a single initial on each piece. Another option is the ring-shaped jewelry box found at Etctrade.com, which includes professional engraving on up to seven lines for free.

Piggy Bank

This ceramic barn-yard animal comes hand-painted with roses and bows from Inspiredbrush.com or with flowers and ladybugs from PersonalizationMall.com. Either choice includes a free personalized name and the opportunity for your flower girl to begin saving for her future wedding.

Charm Bracelet

An item of jewelry worn around the wrist, a charm bracelet displays decorative pendants to signify important things in the wearer’s life. A bracelet with a pendant engraved with the words “Flower Girl” or the flower girl’s initials is perfect for capturing the moment. KenneBugBoutique.com offers a selection of bracelets, created from Swarovski crystals and pearls to match your wedding colors if you so choose, with a sterling silver “Flower Girl” charm. Another option is the Girls Pearl Bracelet at ThingsRemembered.com, which consists of a strand of silver-plated beads, a strand of semi-precious pearls, and a heart charm ready to be engraved with the flower girl’s name or initials and the wedding date.

T-Shirt

A t-shirt is a quintessential commemorative gift. Choose one with the flower girl’s name and designation from PersonalizationMall.com. One design even comes with a cartoon character dropping flower petals across the t-shirt. Another option with a cartoon character can be found at PersonalCreations.com. At both sites the personalization is free.

Tote Bag

A canvas tote bag with decorative accents is perfect for carrying wedding day essentials or dolls. MarilynsKeepsakes.com has two options, one with the designation “Flower Girl” and the other embroidered with the flower girl’s name. Both are made of white canvas with pink trimming.

Puzzle

PersonalizationMall.com offers a custom puzzle for any flower girl. Choose between a heart or circle, including the flower girl’s name, the wedding couple’s first names, and the wedding date on the chosen design. The puzzle arrives ready to present in a black drawstring bag.

Bookmark

For the little girl who loves to read, get her a bookmark. The Inspirations© Personalized Heart Bookmark from PersonalizationMall.com is silver-plated, comes engraved with her first name in the center of the heart crown, and arrives ready to give in a drawstring bag.

Picture Frame

For the wedding photo of your flower girl, get her a picture frame to display it in. ThingsRemembered.com has a silver Princess Carriage Frame that can be engraved with her name and the wedding date. Another option is a wooden frame from Etctrade.com that has her designation engraved down the side and that can be laser engraved for free with the flower girl’s name. The wooden frame also includes your choice of one of three poems.

Gift Set

Are you still unsure of what to give your flower girl? Get her a gift set. CookiePots.com offers sets tailored to fulfill a flower girl’s needs. The sets come in totes personalized with the words “Flower Girl” and an assortment of items, including a picture frame, bubbles, flower girl cake mix, and practice petals.

Lotus Flower Drawing

Is there anything cuter than your little baby in a brand new outfit, with a new haircut, and a bright basket from the Easter Bunny? These are the moments you want to capture and look back on as your baby gets older. These are the moments you want to make copies of and send to Aunt Lucy in Jersey. These are the moments you want to pull out of the photo album and show your baby’s prom dates.

So this year, make sure you capture those moments in photographs the way you see them instead of making all-too-common, fatal photography mistakes. With a little patience you can skip the painted bunny backdrop at Wal-Mart and still make timeless, quality portraits of your cute little darlings in their Easter finery.

The first thing to decide is what kind of backdrop you want. Spring is such a perfect time for making portraits with all the bright, colorful blooms. Everything is fresh and new and complements your child’s innocence. However, spring still has a few cold curveballs to throw, so check the weather reports and plan your shoot for a sunny day. Keep in mind, since you’re not paying a professional, you can always re-shoot if it rains or is too cold for your child.

Keep your background simple. Don’t try to include too much of the flower bed or too many props. You want the focus to be on your child. For infants and toddlers fold a colorful quilt for them to sit on. Place it next to a stump with a few daffodils, or next to a few bright bunches of tulips. Make sure there are no cars or buildings in the background.

Position yourself a few feet in front of your child and set your ISO to 5.6. This means if you focus on your child’s face, very little behind him will be in focus. This is the most effective ISO setting for portraits. On automatic cameras you probably have an ISO priority setting under manual. You set the ISO and the camera automatically picks the shutter speed to properly expose your photo. If that’s too confusing, just set it on portrait mode (this will look like a single head icon). Your photo will have your child’s face in perfect focus and a nice, green, slightly burred background.

Another important thing is perspective. Most adults make the mistake of pointing their camera down at children to photograph them. Sit, kneel or even lie down in front of your child. When you look through the viewfinder you should be looking directly into their eyes. Getting down on a child’s level is the difference in snapshots and portraits.

For a twist, consider lying down and shooting up at your child as she hunts eggs. Position yourself on the ground next to eggs you have hidden for her. Wait for her to come over and just adjust your position to get the best angle. She will appear taller in these photographs. It’s a great way to capture her world the way she sees it.

Props can be a lot of fun, but are usually best with older children. Cute ideas to try:

- Have your infant side inside a large Easter basket. Place the basket outside next to bright Spring flowers. Hide a few Easter eggs peeking out of the flowers and place a few in front of the basket.

- Fill your toddler or pre-school child’s Easter basket with a mound of eggs (especially if they helped decorate them) and let them set behind the basket. Zoom in so you get your child’s face, framed by the basket handle, and the loaded basket. Don’t be afraid to zoom in close. Digital cameras are great for creativity. Take 100 frames, switch cards, and do it again. Delete what doesn’t work and learn from the mistake.

- Borrow a rabbit, kitten or puppy from friends or neighbors. Be sure the owners can vouch for a sweet disposition in the animal and stay an elbow’s length away as your child’s plays. Never, ever, ever purchase an animal from the pet store just for this purpose if you don’t plan on keeping it after the shoot. Also, never dye animals unnatural colors. It’s wrong and tacky. Remember, animal abandonment doesn’t just breed bad karma, it’s illegal too. Still, there’s something timeless about a child holding a sweet, white rabbit. Just be cautious when working with animals.

- Other cute props include: water pails, kitschy gardening equipment, plastic Easter eggs with Easter candy, colorful hats, bunny ear headbands, stumps, logs, benches, antique wooden swings and rock walls. Look around you and be creative. Google to get ideas from professional set-ups.

- Don’t forget the power of candid moments. As you children dye eggs, sit down with them and photograph those moments. Don’t just walk around the table taking photos of the whole room. Focus on one child, zoom in so their face, torso and hands fill the frame. Don’t try to include too much information in each frame. Simple is always better.

- Consider touches in printing too. If you’re shooting film, pick up a few rolls of black and white film. Velvia and Provia are amazing films to shoot outside color. They really show rich, bright hues and are worth the extra money. If you’re shooting digital, play with black and white or sepia tones before printing. Almost any photograph looks timeless when printed in black and white.

Most important of all, don’t try to force good photographs out of your child. Their laughter and smiles should be natural and these should be fun. If your child is tired or bored, do something else and whip out the camera again later. That’s the best part about learning to take good photographs yourself – you can capture these moments anytime, not on a photographer’s pay-clock.

Flower Clip Art

Flowers, keepsakes of a first date or our wedding. What happens to them in the end though? They shrivel up and fade away. But what if you could save your flowers? Would you? Well, here are one or two ways for keeping your flowers so they can stay with you and hold your memories.

When drying flowers of any sort you have to know how they’re going to dry. All flowers are mostly made of water and as the water leaves them they shrink. With some flowers, like roses, that really doesn’t matter, they keep their shape though lose their color a bit. But with flowers like carnations or mums they won’t last too long if they are let to air dry. They shrivel almost to nothing. So when drying you have to remember how to treat each flower.

When drying roses, let them open almost to full bloom. You want the bigger blooms because the rose, when dry, will look fuller. If you have one rose tie a string around the stem and hang it upside down in a low humidity room with little or no light. Make sure air can circulate around it well. A closet works quiet well as long as humidity doesn’t build within it. Within two to three weeks the rose should be dry without any mildew or mold on it. You can also do this with bundles of roses. And the drying time is the same as with the single rose. Baby’s breath can also be dried this way along with a few others.

Now if you’re wondering why you hang the flowers upside down there is a simple reason. If you dry a flower, or batch of flowers, up right, then the flower will dry open in an unattractive way. Many petals will most likely fall off the stem also leaving bare patches in the bud. If you hang the flower upside down it will dry almost like it was dried in bud form. Bud form being how most people like to receive flowers.

Another way to dry flowers is with a drying compound. You cover the carnations or wild flowers with it and the compounds within the mixture take the moisture out of the flower with out shrinking the flowers too much or changing the color. A mixture of borax and cornstarch can also do this if mixed right and nothing gets in to eat the cornstarch. You have to make sure that none are touch and the container holding the mix and flowers are no where near a source of humidity. You’ll find a really icky surprise if that happens after two or three weeks.

Another much, much simpler way of drying flowers is pressing them. Usually done with ferns or many flat wild flowers like daisy’s or daisy mums this method has been around for a while. You can make your own press with non colored paper towels, wood, cardboard, and clamps as a press or a regular giant phone book. Usually you get the same effect with both.

To make your own press for drying flowers you start with a piece of wood as a base. Try to make it large enough to place multiple flowers on but not too big to have it in the way. Take a piece of cardboard the same size as the base piece of wood and lay that on it. Grab two pieces of paper towels and place on the cardboard. This is the start of where you lay the flowers to be pressed. After you arrange the flowers just right cover them with two or three more pieces of paper towel. Continue this pattern until you think you have enough and top the last layer of paper towels with another piece of cardboard. Add another piece of wood the same size as the base and clamp it all together. The time will vary for drying but you can check it every week if you wish.

Using a phone book is simple also. You can place sheets of paper between the print and place the flowers on the blank paper. This makes sure none of the ink from the book will be absorbed while the flower is drying. Make sure to place the collection of flowers evenly throughout the book so none start to mold too badly. After you’re finished filling a book then set a few more books on top of that one to add extra pressure to it. Check every once in a while but nothing is guaranteed on a set drying time.

Dried flowers are wonderful keepsakes, craft items, and art. If they are dried right that is. Keep these tips in mind and hopefully you’ll be on your way to wonderfully dried flowers that look as if they’ve been professionally dried. Happy drying!

Wedding Reception Flowers

Farmville isn’t just for planting vegetables and grains! Flowers are available as crops in Farmville, giving you the option of turning your farm into a beautiful garden. Here is everything you need to know about planting flowers in Facebook’s Farmville.

Farmville on Facebook: What is the garden shed?
Garden sheds are sold for 30,000 coins but you must have 10 neighbors to be able to purchase. You can get around this neighbor requirement by purchasing the shed for 30 Farmville cash. You can only buy one garden shed for your farm.

Your shed can hold up to 30 “perfect bunches” of flowers. These “perfect bunches” appear randomly when you harvest any of the flower crops (sunflowers, daffodils, lilies, pink roses, red tulips, and so on). To look inside the garden shed, click on the shed and select “look inside.” Inside the shed, you will see all of your perfect flower bouquets and have the option to share the bouquet with your friends or place the bouquet on your farm by selecting “use.”

Farmville on Facebook: Perfect Flower Bunches
Perfect flower bunches can be placed anywhere on your farm as a decoration. Perfect flower bunches stay alive for 14 days after planting. After 14 days, the flowers become “droopy” and you can remove them by clicking “sell.” You will not receive any coins for selling droopy bunches of flowers (hey, that’s reasonable! Who would want droopy flowers? I sure wouldn’t!).

Farmville on Facebook: Earning the “Pretty Garden” Ribbon
The “Pretty Garden” ribbon is awarded when you place flower bunches on your farm. There are two ways to find and place flower bunches in your farm: By purchasing the garden shed and placing your own bunches or you can watch your Facebook feed to grab your friends’ flower bunches.

Planting your own flowers and purchasing the garden shed is the fastest way to earn this ribbon, as you won’t need to wait for your friends to post their perfect flower bunches on their feed.
Once you have the garden shed, any further “perfect bunches” harvested will automatically be placed in your shed. To place your flowers on your farm, open the shed, select the flowers, and place on your farm.

Here’s what you’ll need to do to earn each Farmville Pretty Garden ribbon:

Yellow Ribbon: Plant 5 perfect bunches. Receive 25 XP and a Daffodils bunch.
White Ribbon: Plant 10 perfect bunches. Receive 50 XP and a Red Tulips bunch.
Red Ribbon: Plant 25 perfect bunches. Receive 100 XP and a Pink Roses bunch.
Blue Ribbon: Plant 50 perfect bunches. Receive 250 XP and a Sunflowers bunch.

Crystal Flower Vases

While the average cost of a wedding today is more than enough to make a good down payment on a house, there are many brides and grooms who would rather have that money in the bank. That’s a smart choice during a recession. However, what bride doesn’t want a beautiful wedding and reception? You can have a lovely wedding without filing for bankruptcy afterwards. Making your own table centerpieces for the wedding reception is a great place to start.

Of course, you want something simple, but unique when it comes to DIY wedding tables centerpieces. That’s a pretty hard trick, when almost everything has been done. However, there are some ways to buck the seen-that-done-that wedding centerpieces problem without breaking the bank doing so. Here are three, hopefully novel, ideas for Summer wedding centerpieces that you can make yourself.

Miniature Garden Arbor or Gazebo Centerpiece

The idea of using a miniature garden arbor or gazebo scene as a wedding centerpiece is perfect for an outdoor wedding. Where do I find miniature gazebos and garden arbors, you ask? Well, there are whole websites out there devoted to the making of miniature garden scenes. One such place is www.miniaturegadrenaccesories.com. This site have lovely and reasonably priced garden arbors. Places that sell doll house accessories, as well as eBay, are other great places to find mini gazebos.

With this summer wedding centerpiece idea, you will need to following, aside from the arbor or gazebo: Glass votive candle holders and votive candles, tiny plants such as miniature roses, tiny pots of Johnny-Jump-ups, or little pots of herbs, wide ribbon and sod…yes, sod. Sod is a big hunk of grass, roots, soil and all. You can purchase sod, or you can harvest your own from the backyard or a pasture setting. Ask the groom to do this, as it’s a lot of work.

To assemble the centerpieces, cut a piece of sod into a circle about 12″ in diameter. You will need one sod circle for each table. Wrap a length of the wide ribbon around the sod circle to disguise and contain the soil and pin in place. Position your arbor or gazebo in the middle of the sod circle and place one of the miniature plants of your choice under, or in it. Arrange the votive candles, in the holders, around the periphery of the arbor or gazebo, alternating with miniature plants to create the illusion of a hedge or bushes around the arbor or gazebo.

This a pretty , romantic and unique summer wedding centerpiece that your guest will remember. These centerpieces may sound like quite a bit of work, but once you have all of the materials gathered, making these centerpieces will be a snap. Use your wedding color scheme to help you choose the appropriate color in miniature flowering plants, as well as the ribbons and candles.

Life In A Fish Bowl Centerpiece

The following idea is for a whimsical summer wedding centerpiece. If your wedding is at a beach or seaside location, this centerpiece idea may appeal to you. For this centerpiece you will need round fish bowls. These can be found in the 1 gallon size for less than $3 at www.ablackhorse.com. Next, you will need gravel for fish bowls, live gold fish, votive candles and clean holders, tulle and flowers, tied in bunches. Sand and sea shells are optional ideas.

Fill each fish bowl with properly treated water and add live goldfish. Using a yard of the tulle fabric, bunch it up attractively and place it in the center of the table that you are adorning. If, at this point, you choose to use sand and shells, dump a reasonable amount of sand in the center of the bunched tulle. Place the fish bowl atop the tulle, or tulle and sand, in the center. Arrange votive holders filled with the candles around the perimeter of the fish bowl. If you are using sea shells, arrange them around the bowl, as well. All of these things can be done the day before the wedding, as long as someone remembers feeds the fish.

Prior to the wedding reception, place a bunch of flowers, tied into a bundle, into the fish bowl. The bunch of flowers should be of the height to create a sort of cap effect over the fish bowl, which has now become a vase, as well. When I envision this centerpiece, I see it in a monochromatic theme, with the tulle, flowers and candles all being of one color, as well as the gravel in the bowl. Of course, you are free to use your wedding colors and such, to make this centerpiece suit you best. After all, It is your wedding. The fish bowls can be given away to those who will take them, and they are certain to amuse all of your guests, adult and children alike.

A Pitcher Perfect Summer Wedding Centerpiece

This is, admittedly, the least unique summer wedding centerpiece idea, bit I like it anyway. This is a more rustic, less formal idea for a more relaxed, casual summer wedding. To begin, hit the flea markets and second hand shops to gather a collection of old pitchers, and if you like, old Mason jars–the ones with the pretty turquoise color. The pitchers will be mismatched, but that’s the whole idea. Chose glass pitchers or colorful ceramic ones, it’s your choice. Mix it up a bit by using both pitchers and Mason jars.

Once you have enough pitchers and jar for your needs, you can plan for the assembly of the rest of the centerpiece, best done the day of the wedding. You will need flowers–I see wildflowers, sunflowers or a mix gathering of a variety of flowers with possibilities such as gebera and plain daisies and dahlias. Again, this is a relaxed centerpiece. You will also need a good amount of mixed summer fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, plums, strawberries, and clusters of grapes. You can toss in mint leave sprigs, if you like.

Fill each pitcher or jar with the flowers of your choice, adding water. Put the flower filled pitchers on the tables, as you want them to be. Attractively heap/mound/arrange the fresh, mix fruit around the base of each vessel. Place springs of fresh mint into the fruit arrangement, if you wish to add color and a lovely scent. Encourage your guests to help themselves to the fruit during the wedding reception, as you don’t want the fruit to go to waste and you’re guests will love the edible centerpiece. Looks good, tastes good, what’s better?

Take any one of these three, easy and unusual centerpiece ideas and make it your own. Your summer wedding is a very special event and these centerpieces will help make it all the more special and memorable for all concerned. Best Wishes!

Florida Flower