Bringing the outside in

Peach Rose

Pink Rose

              

                     Believe in beauty.
                            Let its Magic heal your soul.


 I don't know if you are like me but I used to hesitate to cut my flowers and bring them in. I'm not sure what the reasoning behind that was, maybe I was thinking it would leave a noticeable hole in the flowerbed or take away from the overall look of the garden.

Hyacinth and Daffodils

Coneflowers

The only time I didn't mind was in the Spring. Bringing spring flowers inside is like freshening the house, getting rid of that winter staleness.
 Hyacinth is one of my favorite spring blooms. It's scent wakes up the sense's with the promise of summer close behind.
  Lily of the Valley is  another favorite of mine, I love their fragrance and their delicate little bell like blossoms. I have a round white vase that I got from my mother and it works perfectly with the Lily of the Valley, the stark contrast of the green against the white is beautiful.

  I like to place flower filled vases in areas that I tend to be in most often like the kitchen, hallway, bathroom or dining room.

Coneflower

 In the kitchen I place them on the window sill and try to make sure it is a flower with a lovely fragrance, that way when the sun shines in it will heat the flower releasing it's scent. It just makes it that much more lovely to have inside.
 One of the Roses I bought this year has the most powerful scent that just by bringing one rose into the kitchen, it can add fragrance to the whole floor of the house.

Dried Rose buds

 I also dried some of my rose buds this year. My Rose tree was overgrown and I needed to cut it back so instead of throwing away the buds I decided to dry them. They have a wonderful peppery scent and I have placed them around the base of my candle holder.
 Hopefully when the flame is lit the heat will stimulate the roses and emit it's scent.

 Coneflowers are another great flower to bring in. I have planted about ten different varieties so now I have plenty to bring in. The nice thing about Coneflowers is that they last a long time and stand up nice and straight.
 Some flowers do not have a very strong stem so think about the container you are going to put them in or pair them with a another flower that will give it support.

Hydrangea

Hydrangea do not stand up well in a tall vase, they are top heavy and need support. The best way is to cut them short so that it's head rests on the lip of the vase. You can do the same with Peonies, just remember to give them a good shake before bringing them in so you don't have ants everywhere.
 Don't forget about fall cuttings. Some of the fall flowers we may not think about are Sedum which make a beautiful Thanksgiving centre piece as do Oat Grass. They dry beautifully and  last a long time. Think of flowers in your garden that dry naturally, they will be a good one to bring in.
 
 So don't hesitate to bring your flowers in, just plant more flowers so you don't feel like you are stripping the bed.
 When you think of it, having flowers in your home that you grew yourself is a lovely reward for all your hard work. It brightens our home, our senses and our spirits.

Happy Gardening!