Fireworks will be exploding over Philadelphia all this weekend to celebrate the birth of our nation. I love living in a city so very rich in history! The milkweed in this design reminds me a bit of fireworks (subtle, beautiful ones) and definitely inspired everything about this muted textural affair. The very last of the peonies, stored in the cooler for more than a month now, were the perfect focal flower next to the white zinnias and the first of the limelight hydrangeas. And if you look close, you’ll see the first of the poppy pods and pokeweed of the season.
What’s blooming in your backyard this week? Feel free to add a link to your own Backyard Bouquets in the comments section below. If you are on Instagram, be sure to use the hashtag #backyardbouquets to join in the fun. I’d love to see what everyone is growing and creating!
The only “rule” is that all the elements in the arrangement must be sourced locally, within a 25 mile radius. Your own backyard is a great place to start!!
Did you post a photo shoot of a rustic summer wedding last year using zinnias heirloom tomatoes, vegetables and kale? I am having a party later this summer in Washington DC and wanted to do something like it. If so, please send the link. Thanks!
Hi Helen – We did! Here’s the link: https://lovenfreshflowers.com/gentleman-farmer-photo-shoot/
So subtle and beautiful! I need to go grab me some pokeweed out of the hedgerows around the farm! Here’s mine for this week: http://www.fraylickflowers.com/journal/2014/7/5/sfa-and-bb-week-10-pretty-in-pink
Thanks, Melissa! I love your design!!! Thank you for sharing it! 🙂
Oh, i didn’t know it’s actually possible to keep peonies that long in a cooler! Seems something worth trying next year… How big or mature should they be to be picked and stored like that?
And here a little contribution to the backyard bouquet project… a special wedding, which happened in my little village in France. 100 inhabitants and plenty of cute gardens and flowers. So, all the flowers for the wedding of Vanessa & Vincent, who grew up in the village, were supplied by the gardens of the villagers…
Some pics here: http://www.floresie.fr/vanessa-vincent-un-mariage-a-blanzy/
Happy Sunday!
Oh, I love this wedding, Laetitia!!!! Thank you so much for sharing! What a delight!
To answer your question about peonies, to store them, you need to pick them in what we in the U.S. call the “marshmallow stage”. The flower is still in bud and when you press your thumb into the center of the bud, it is soft like a marshmallow (not sure what you might call that in France). Hope that helps!