I used to work at a luxury resort as an Interior Designer and one area I managed was the on site floral department. We had a very talented and creative florist who taught me so much about finding unique and creative ways to use what is naturally growing in your own backyard to use in your home. Ever since then, whenever I need a tabletop arrangement I first look at what is free outside my own home. Summer is one of the best times to make floral arrangements from your own backyard.
This post contains affiliate links which means I earn a small commission if you order anything through these links. Thank you for supporting this blog.
For the last couple of weeks I have been eyeing the hydrangea bushes and mentally making notes to cut some and bring them indoors to enjoy. The thought being that if you enjoy nature outside, how much more can you enjoy it inside your home.
Simple Summer Arrangements From Your Own Backyard
For any of these arrangements you will need:
- Glass vases
- Mason Jars
- Scotch Tape
- Floral scissors or pruning shears
- Old glass bottles
- A knack for arranging flowers and greenery
A few days of heavy rains and some horrible storms delayed this process but today was the first sunny day in over a week and the perfect time for me to make the hydrangea arrangements.
This is from my “blue” bush. It hasn’t been blue since the first year I planted it. This year is has produced mostly purplish blossoms but last year it had several that were half blue and half pink. Wish I had taken pictures of them. This year they are just purple.
My pink hydrangea bush is still producing gorgeous pink blossoms.
I live on a very wooded lot and one thing that grows amazingly well is my hosta plants. Large and small hosta leaves are so pretty in glass vases and arrangements.
Psst…the secret to getting the leaves to stay in place while you are putting the arrangement together, scotch tape! Just stretch several pieces of the tape across the opening of the container in a grid pattern and it will to keep the leaves or flowers in place.
For my next arrangment, I simply just put some small branches from one of my Japanese Spotted Laurel bushes in a mason jar.
I have not always been crazy about these overgrown bushes (I didn’t plant them) but they do make for a colorful display.
I cut some fresh Blackberry sprigs that the birds and squirrels haven’t eaten yet from the side yard. You definitely need to wear gloves to work with these branches. Those tiny thorns really hurt!
I have been meaning to cut back some of the ivy growing in one of our small side flower beds so today was a good time. I combined some of the sprigs with cuttings from my Boston Fern to make two different arrangements.
Putting these sprigs of ivy into water will help them grow roots. I plan to replant these in the fall in some new flowers beds we are currently building.
Who doesn’t love long stems of ferns in vintage Pepsi bottles?
I really wanted to use some of my Daylillies in these bottles but they weren’t blooming today. Maybe tomorrow.
[ctt template=”1″ link=”Obvn9″ via=”no” nofollow=”yes”]Summer is a great time to make floral arrangements from your own backyard. https://ctt.ec/Obvn9+[/ctt]
And finally bamboo. Yes I even have bamboo growing in part of my yard. Again, not something we planted but they do make for an interesting conversation when people see it growing in Tennessee and so very tall.
This made for a wild, bushy type of arrangement.
I ended up with 9 different arrangements in one day. Not bad, and I didn’t even touch the azaleas, the blooming monkey grass, the peonies, the marigolds, or even the rose bushes.
I had fun with this and remembered how much I used to enjoy making floral arrangements from nature and whatever was growing at the time. And the best part, it was all free!
Enjoy the rest of the summer with some great backyard arrangements of your own.
“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.” Proverbs 31:30
We are always clipping from our garden to have fresh flowers and greens in the house. Such a simple idea that brings the loveliness inside. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
You have so many pretty things growing in your yard! I love bringing the outdoors inside. I’d probably eat the berries off the berry arrangement, LOL! My berry bushes just went in this year, so they aren’t going to produce until next year (at least I hope they will produce next year.) #HomeMattersParty