Christie’s Blog

Mid May 2024

Make Yourself Happy

Pick a Bouquet

Years ago I was working in a lovely garden. I went inside to speak to my client and saw a beautiful huge bouquet on the kitchen table. I said, “ Where did you get those?” She looked at me in dismay and said “Christie, from your garden!” (Meaning her garden.)

Yesterday as my talented team of garden workers were finishing up with their weeding and pruning , I asked them each to pick a bouquet. I heard comments of delight while they quickly made their way to different parts of the garden.

I put out different shaped and sized vases and watched through the window as they brought handfuls of perennials, wildflowers and some evergreens to my terrace table, and started to arrange.

Here is the outcome.  Each vase is different in its composition. Each telling you a little bit about the ‘picker’.

Nick’s bouquet from left to right- shasta daisy, poet’s laurel, gaillardia, red hot poker, baptisia, and sweet William.

Emily’s wildflowers- coreopsis. daisy,  bachelor button, poppy and field grasses.

Dez’s nose gay- shasta daisy , gaillardia, coreopsis, bachelor button and Russian sage.

Christie’s mason jar of zinnias.

For those of you who say, “ I’m no good at doing that”,  I’m right there with you. My usual approach to cutting flowers is the last photo of 3 zinnias. I know how to grow flowers but never changed my perspective to ‘see’ them in a bouquet.  For a few of the flowers, I  had to ask where they were on my property!

Maybe for Mother’s day you take a chance.  Go out with your pruners and a bucket, (or send your husband or kids out) and cut what you think is pretty. Then choose some container for the flowers,  and design away.  No negative judgements are allowed.  Spring flowers are beautiful wherever they are.

Christie lives in Manakin Sabot , Virginia where she manages a 3 acre garden. Her blogs are written from her 35 years as a personal and professional gardener.