Flower Arrangements from the Flower and Vegetable Gardens

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

A few miniature eggplants and a red onion

Look what you can do with flowers from your garden and a little time. Oh, and vegetables, too!

Perfect centerpiece of a picnic table

This lovely centerpiece is made with hydrangeas, different kinds of tomatoes (and  tomatillos) as well as a sunflower. Hosta leaves were used as a base for the basket.

From your yard-zinnias, hosta leaves, Queen Anne's lace, hydrangeas

Master Gardeners of Franklin County created these floral arrangements from flowers and plants in both the demonstration gardens and their own backyards.

Check out the zucchini used for a base and container. Add some greens with different textures, a few colorful flowers and a sprig of parsley.

Zucchini as a base and container

Also, a bell pepper and watermelon. Perfect for this time of year.

There's enough peppers in the veggie garden to eat so use one as a flower vase.

Watermelon with corn, eggplant and lollipop cherry tomatoes

Flowers found in most yards: hostas, zinnias, cosmos, black-eyed susans, Queen Anne's lace and beautiful grasses (if not in your yard, certainly in a nearby field!), hydrangeas, blanket flowers, garlic chives, and petunias.

Hearth basket uses dried grasses for texture

A beautiful hearth basket, or to use by the front door, has sunflowers, dried grasses, blanket flowers and black eyed-Susans.  The stems are not that long but are discarded stems added to the arrangement.

Vegetables and herbs with a few blooms and grasses tucked in

And here's an attractive basket full of vegetables with some herbs tucked in as well as a few dry grasses.

Go out in your yard and find a few blooms, a few green leaves, and maybe a vegetable or two and put together you own celebration arrangement of summer's bounty.

Peonies are Blooming

Garden peonies are an herbaceous perennial that grow 2 to 4 feet tall and enjoy full sun (or a little shade).

Mine are all in bloom, from white with a yellow center to pink to red to burgundy in color.  They are easy to grow and will provide years of great color this time of year.  They don't like to be disturbed, so pick your location well.  The best time to plant is the fall, they need winter cold in order to flower (so you don't see them down south too often).  They like well-drained soil, and protection from strong winds (neither of which mine have, and they are doing great...).

The buds burst open into large (4" to 6") double flowers.

They have a tendency to fall over because they are so  heavy when they bloom, so stakes or frames can help if you like.

Peonies aren't bothered by many pests.  If they only set a few flowers after the first couple years, its time to divide them and give them some more room.  Divide a clump carefully into pieces with 3 to 5 eyes and a good set of roots.

When the flowers fade, remove the flower and leave as much foliage as possible, so the plant can prepare for next year.  In the fall, after a hard frost, cut the stems down to within 3" of the ground, and then wait for next spring!

I  have 8 plants, set 2 feet apart, and they fill up their space in the garden every year with very little care.  You can enjoy them without knocking yourself out caring for them.  PS - don't cut a lot of the blooms for cut flowers.  By cutting the blooms before they are faded, you're restricting the number of blooms you'll see next year.