trader joe's plus your own back yard

I absolutely love putting together floral displays.  I usually go to Trader Joe's (everyone's best friend) and pick up an array of whatever they have on hand that looks inspiring, then go out into my own yard and cut some trimmings from anything out there.  I've used clippings from our olive tree, bougainvillea, oleanders, or any other greenery that seemed like it might add a nice touch.  My daughter Christine has a lovely eye for putting florals together, so I asked her to help me throw something together as an example...

The trick to putting flowers into any odd container you feel inspired to use, is to find a vase that will fit into the pot, basket, box, etc. that you are using and then try to cleverly hide it (as I also did here)...

Simply mix in the flowers with the greens from your yard and evenly spread them around and over the edges of the basket to hide the vase that is inside...

And, there you have it.  It looks like a basket of collected flowers, but they will stay fresh in the vase hidden inside.  What a happy little bundle to have in your home or give to a friend!

flowers 101

I have had lots of people ask me about how to keep flowers in different containers.  When I told a couple of my daughters my secret, I was shocked they had never heard of it.  Simple as it seems, I guess unless you are told, you just might not think of it :)  So, I thought I would share in case you didn't already know...

The trick is putting your flowers in some sort of glass container before you put them in something that might now hold or take water as well.  Easy as that.  In this case, I took some simple Trader Joe's tulips and cut them down to fit in a small water glass...

  

Then, I put the glass in my little pot...

Sometimes, as is the case here, you can still see the glass inside the pot...

So, I put some moss in a dish...

Watered it...

Then added a little moss around the edges...

And there you have it...

Trader Joe's flowers and a few tricks and you'll never have to order flowers again :)

happy friday!

I have been asked from time to time to share some tips and tricks I have picked up over the years in arranging my own floral displays using flowers I have picked up from Trader Joe's, a few trimmings from my own yard and an array of containers.  I will put together a few fun floral arrangements to share, that you will hopefully enjoy using in your own home or as a gift for someone you love.  (Did you see our mother's day flowers?)  So, check back here next week for some fun with flowers :)

In the meantime, have a lovely weekend!