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All bets are off this summer; nothing in my garden (or my life) is behaving the way it should.
But the zinnias? They never disappoint. Late August is here, and so are the zinnias, God bless them.
Along with cosmos and tithonia, zinnias are a stalwart presence in the late summer garden. They will bloom until the first frost, making a haven of nectar and pollen for the pollinators.
Cinnamon Sun
July has to be sunflowers, right? They look at their absolute best during the early, very warm days of summer. I grow them in all sizes and colors, usually starting them from seed in the greenhouse, and planting them out in May.
Strawberry Blonde
But, cutting these incredibly large (7-8 foot, in some cases) plants and bringing them inside makes me sad, when the bees and birds like them so much. I really prefer to leave them in place to help the wildlife, plus their sheer size makes such a statement in the garden, that I enjoy them far more outside in the ‘wild.’
Music Box
And during this bouquet experiment, I am also realizing that huge, overblown bouquets don’t really work in our tiny, crowded cottage. The scale is off, somehow. And even one largish bouquet looks kind of like a polka-dot in the middle of our dining room table. I am much preferring small, untidy mixtures. For something like a dinner party, a lot of small mixtures looks nice together, and the scale is right for our home (not that we’re having any kind of party at the moment, so it’s a moot point). But for everyday, I am totally enjoying a little swing-cap bottle, maybe nine inches tall, on the kitchen counter by the sink, in the sun that comes in the window.
Sundancer
This little vase is completely unobtrusive, occupies a niche that nothing else does, stays nicely out of the way when counter space is needed, and cheers up the entire space. When the sun hits the flowers, they glow. I’ve had such a good time keeping this vase filled. Sometimes it holds some yarrow that accidentally broke off while deadheading. Sometimes it holds a small spray of salvia or penstemon. Right now it’s holding some small border sunflowers that started to sway dangerously sideways in a container.
Chocolate Cherry
I have realized that I honestly prefer to keep the flowers outside, where their enjoyment is a hundred-fold; not only do we appreciate their beauty, but so do the neighbors, and the insects, and the birds. Our house is made of windows, and we really get to look out onto a bouquet, of sorts, when we look out into the garden. This is something I planned for. Long ago, I read that a gardener should begin with the view from their windows. Why put a flower garden far away where you can’t see it? So I work hard to provide interesting views from every angle of our home. Adam has a view of a canna lily patch, bordered by rose of sharon and an oak leaf hydrangea, under the mock orange tree - a group of flowers given to him by a special friend. Rin has a garden cart outside her window (made by my dad) that is in the shade of our porch, and it houses several tuberous begonias and an Iresine brilliantissima, whose bright pink leaves light up the shade. Our bedroom window looks out over a Vitex agnus-castus, which I’m hoping will grow much larger and allow for some privacy, and into the herb bed. Our back screen door opens near our native huckleberry bush, which the house finches have found this year, and we enjoy watching them eating the berries. The kitchen window looks over our water feature, where birds and bees come to bathe and drink. I could go on forever about this, but you get the idea. It’s great to make your house, especially if it is small, feel like just a part of the larger landscape.
On the flip side, I’ve also heard that having flowers in the house makes folks feel good, too - sort of wealthy, in beauty if in nothing else. Where do you stand on this? Do you like making bouquets? Are you growing sunflowers, and if so, which kinds? I’d love to hear more about what you are growing and arranging.
I really like to go out into the garden with some clippers, choose certain flowers that I love, and make an arrangement in my hand. A posy, of sorts. Nothing fancy, nothing terribly creative, just wading through the blooms and picking what catches my eye, and then plunking them in whatever vase is handy at the moment. This is my favorite kind of arrangement.
Today, the Monarda citriodora (bee balm or wild bergamot), Scabiosa atropurpurea (pincushion flower), Agastache (sorry, can’t remember which kind), and Clarkia ‘Farewell to Spring’ were calling me, so that’s what I chose.
I’d love to know what’s growing in your garden!
My weather app is inadequately preparing me each day, or maybe it just can’t keep up: We’ve had temps in the mid-90’s, all the way down to the low-50’s with both intense sun and rain showers. May is increasingly becoming a month in which Anything Goes. But finally, between tests and essays online, and anxious trips to the store for supplies, I was able to dodge the weather and cut some flowers for a May arrangement.
I love this new vase, a perfect mix of art and science! It also really highlights the more fragile blossoms, of which we have many this time of year (summer flowers seem much more sturdy somehow). I knew I wanted to highlight the red Flanders poppies, so called because they flourish in a meadow called Flanders in Belgium. During the Great War, they did not bloom for four years, but after war was over, the poppies began blooming again. They symbolize the hope that seized us all after the war. And I figure, we could use a little hope right now, yes?
Poppies don’t last long in vases, but apparently you can extend it by searing the ends of the stems with a match. I don’t bother, because I appreciate their ephemeral qualities. I’ve combined them with other delicate blooms from the garden - white columbine, purple Foothill penstemon, and fragrant sweet peas.
The garden is very much a riot right now, with all kinds of flowers opening up, vines twining, vegetables starting to produce tiny fruit, and bees everywhere. We’re back to getting 5-6 eggs a day and I am freezing some for the next low-production point. I just crack two at a time into little mason jars and stick them in the freezer. I’ve been cutting and drying herbs like crazy, and my plantain “confit” (as Adam calls it) is about ready to be mixed with melted beeswax and made into a salve. More on that later (first we have to get some beeswax from the hive!). I have a long list of woody plants to prune, now that they’ve finished their spring bloom, and more straw to mound on potatoes, and seeds to sow! I just have to get through finals first.
I’d very much like to hear what’s happening in your gardens. I’ve certainly heard of more crazy weather (i.e. snowstorms) in other areas this spring. How’s your garden looking?
Here’s a simple Easter posy, which includes the pink version of California poppy (the Mission Bells mix), shelling pea blossoms, Cerinthe major purpurascens, sweet pea blossoms, Phacelia tanacetafolium, purple salvia, blue-eyed grass, and a sweet little surprise pink penstemon I found growing sideways on the very edge of the pollinator garden near the fence. Did I plant it? Who knows!
It’ll be a strange holiday, won’t it? We usually celebrate by joining our neighbors in a large outdoor potluck brunch (after the little kids have an egg hunt), and it’s always a fun time of fellowship, which we’ll miss. We’ll still have a family dinner with ham and maybe some spring peas from the garden. This little bouquet will help decorate our table.
Two things that heads-of-state have said lately have resonated with me: Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, reminded us that the Bible said that we are all parts of one body; and Queen Elizabeth said firmly, “We will be with friends again, we will be with family again, we will meet again.”
Hope you have a blessed holiday weekend.