Daisy's garden...

In April we said good bye to our beloved yellow lab "Daisy." She brought us so much love, joy and energy for over 13 1/2 years. It was a very, very sad time. We miss her more than words can describe. But, we are so thankful she was happy and healthy for so long. To honor her life, we decided to plant a memory garden.

Before I move on to the garden, a few words about Daisy. Besides being the best dog in the world, she had many talents, one of which was gardening. When she was a puppy, she liked to help me in the garden. She was an early adopter of drip irrigation. Who needs soaker hoses when you can bite hundreds of tiny holes into a regular garden hose? Those hoses could be used as sprinklers too. Or, she often up cycled them for chew toys. Daisy had a sixth sense when it came to special hard-to-find flowers and plants -- the ones I spent hours sourcing and traveling outside the city to get. She loved to frolic around ripping the plastic pots to shreds. As soon as I turned my back, she would have one of the plants in her mouth manically shaking it. I knew what she was thinking: "go ahead, try to catch me if you can" -- her favorite game. That of course was impossible because she was extremely agile and fast as lightening.

Daisy liked to help me do the dishes any chance she could. She took care of any remnants of food on plates in the dish washer. And she took counter surfing to a new level. In her youth, she could actually jump up on top of the counter. No exaggeration. Retrieving was another one of her talents. She would fetch things and bring them right back and then run away begging you to chase her. Tennis balls and dog toys were way too boring and inexpensive. When left to her own devices either at the park or on the beach, she would steal just about anything she knew was valuable. This included, but not be limited to: shoes, cell phones, keys, wallets, other people's picnic lunches and articles of clothing that she usually dragged through mud. Or, really disgusting things like trash, dead fish and other animal carcases. Although, she would swim from here to eternity to retrieve her cool kong and bring it right back for more. She made some frenemies at the dog park earning the nick name "Crazy Daisy." It was hard to hold a grudge for long. She was too cute and loving.

Moving on to the garden. When we renovated our house several years ago, our backyard was leveled leaving us with a clean slate for landscaping. I decided to go with a green and white color scheme -- something I've always wanted to try. Here are some of my favorites.

{coneflower 'meringue' my new all-time fave}

{coneflower 'white swan'}

{coneflower 'white double delight'}

Of course, there are lots and lots of daisies!

{shasta daisy}

{shasta 'crazy' daisy}

{shasta daisy 'aglaia'}

Here are a few in a frog cube…

{lab garden ornament from the etsy shop Garden Copper Art}

{heart-shaped memory stone from etsy shop Memories to Stone}

You can see more garden pics on my Pinterest board.

Daisy's garden reminds us every day of what a wonderful dog she was and how lucky we were to have had her. I have no doubt she is wagging her tail in doggy heaven wishing she could dig up each and every one of those plants.

Daisy a few weeks before she left us on our way home from Wag-A-Lot -- her home away from home.

So many happy memories.

Iris...

Iris. Have faith. Believe in the impossible and never give up on the dreams of your heart.

I'll admit, I wasn't a big fan of irises until some made themselves at home in my English ivy. A gift from the wind I suppose. Or perhaps a message.

A stylized iris is the flour-de-les emblem of France and Florence. It is named after Isis, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, who traveled along the arc to pass messages between mortal and immortal realms. Because she was a messenger, the flower symbolizes a message -- often a promise of love, as well as wisdom and valor.

The meaning of irises varies according to color:

purple: beauty

blue: faith and hope

yellow: passion

white: purity and perfection

Do you love irises? If you do, it's  because beauty and elegance are important to you. Being a perfectionist, you believe that a job that's worth doing is a job well done. You aspire to do great things in your life all done with diligence, intelligence and graciousness. 

One of these days, I'm going to dig out those irises and plant them in my perennial garden. For you gardeners, some good companions are peonies, foxgloves, lupines and columbines.

For now, I'm enjoying them inside.

{this is how you can arrange them using the technique I showed you last week}

A closer look…

It's always nice to have a bloom or two in your powder room for your guests to admire…

Now that I've become better acquainted with irises, I like them. I guess we were destined to meet.

Source for history and meanings: The Secret Language of Flowers by Samantha Gray.

Floral design: how to line a clear vase like a pro...

I frequently use glass vases to arrange flowers. Lining them with greenery is an easy way to enhance the look of the arrangement and disguise the flower stems. I'll show you how to make several affordable designs with three ingredients in three simple steps.

Here's what you'll need:

(1)  Clean glass vases. I get most of mine at IKEA. If you want to splurge on something that will last a lifetime -- or buy someone a nice wedding gift -- I recommend Simon Pearce.

(2) Your favorite flowers. If you're cutting from your garden, be sure to do so in the morning before it gets hot. Always condition them properly before arranging.

(3) Flat green leaves -- real or faux. You know I loathe faux, but this an exception. Most apartment, loft and condo dwellers don't have yards or gardens. And my go-to foliage is not in season during winter months. Of course, you can get real green stuff at your local florist, farmers market or floral wholesaler year round.

{hosta, aspidistra (aka cast iron plant) and aspidistra ribbon}

Here's how:

Step 1:  If you're using cast iron plant, fold the leaf in half and cut the thick vein away from the back side of the leaf to make it more pliable and easier to work with. Cut away any unsightly dead or brown spots.

Step 2: Simply roll the leaf in your fingers, and place it in a dry vase. Once inside, you can unroll and adjust it to cover more of the interior area.

Fill the vase to leaf top height with water.

Note: If you don't feel super confident about your floral design skills, you can hold the arrangement in your hand and keep adding flowers and greenery until you're pleased with the look and shape. Like this:

{okay, this looks pretty good}

Step 3: Carefully place flowers and filler in the vase and edit as necessary. You're done!

{roses & parrot tulips with filler from my yard}

Faux aspidistra is not cheap, so use it sparingly. An easy way to measure the ribbon is to first wrap the outside of the vase before you make the cut. Then follow step 2. You can hide the seam while you're arranging later.

I used a square vase and variegated ribbon for this arrangement.

Here you can see the ribbon below the flowers. It makes a big difference visually. Don't you agree?

I like to give low vases some height by placing them on top of books around the house. They also make lovely centerpieces, especially grouped in odd numbers.

Hostas are flexible and easy to work with. Just cut off the stems and follow step 2. Don't be afraid to use several leaves and overlap them. It adds nice color variation and texture.

{one of my favorite Simon Pearce vases}

Floral designs with one type of flower are very easy to arrange. Here I used pink and white peonies. Add a few buds in between the flowers for contrast.

I line these hanging vases in my sunroom with a strip of cast iron leaf and add one statement flower. Peonies are perfect, as are gerbera daisies and fully-opend roses. Simple, yet elegant.

{vases from Pottery Barn are no longer available, but these are cute}

I hope this has been a helpful tutorial, and that you're inspired to go get some flowers and make your home come alive!

Spring into flowers...

Just some of the lovely flowers and veggies I  saw in my garden and around town last week.

Savoring the final days of my peonies this season.

'Festiva Maxima'...

 {I spy a ladybug}

'Monsieur Jules Elie'...

A stellar year at the Druid Hills Tour of Homes & Gardens.

Such a colorful and original display of veggies on a silver platter...

Adorable cottage in a pot…

Stunning pink rose arbor…

Tulips, star of Bethlehem and green barb dianthus in a pretty ceramic vase…

More dianthus with hydrangea, dusty miller and thistle in a julep cup...

Spotted at Saul's...

These green and red lettuces look so vibrant side by side. They would make for an inexpensive rustic centerpiece in a pot or basket.

And, around downtown Decatur.

Tub full o' plants at Calle Latina...

And, peach carnations and cookies at Cakes & Ale Bakery…

{taste like malted milk balls -- yum!}

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Peonies...

Peonies are finally here -- something I look forward to all year. Pink peonies are my all-time favorite flower.

One of the longest-lived perennials -- if properly planted -- a peony can outlive the person who planted it. It may even outlive his or her children and grandchildren. Pricey, but well worth the time and investment.

'Paula Fay' is always the first to show her lovely face in my garden. Beautiful, vibrant pink petals with yellow centers will put a smile on anyone's face. They make beautiful cut flowers. I would not recommend using them in a mixed bouquet unless they are very tight buds just starting to open. Once open, they last just a few days and emit an unpleasant odor.

Let's take a look.

'Paula Fay' grows on strong, upright waxy green stems and foliage. The blooms are not heavy like some of the fuller peonies, so they don't have to be supported.

{buds starting to open}

{in full bloom }

Once open, the petals fade to a lighter translucent shade. They almost look like tissue paper. I've had many people ask if they are real when I bring them inside.

Because they are so spectacular, they look best on their own.

Or, display them in groups of three.

{bubble milk vases from chive.com}

{snartig vases from IKEA -- $.79 cents each!}

An American Peony Society Gold Medal winner, 'Paula Fay' would be a nice addition to any garden. Consider gifting one to a favorite gardener in your life.

Visit Walter Reeves for tips on how to grow peonies in the south and which varieties do best here.

Starting to bloom: 'Festiva Maxima' and 'Mons. Jules Elie.'

Viburnum...

Spring is my favorite season. This year it is exceptionally welcoming after such a brutal winter. New flowers are starting to show their blooms all over my garden.

Let's start with my fave right now -- viburnum. They have been in full bloom for a couple weeks fading from bright chartreuse to white snowballs, and should be hanging around for another several days if they don't get pummeled by rain. In the language of flowers viburnum very aptly mean "idleness." They make lovely cut flowers on their own or in a mixed bouquet. If you're ever in the market for them for a special occasion, they are commonly called "guelder roses" at floral wholesalers.

Here they are hanging around in my garden.

 A few snuck in among the azaleas.

Wondering how I display them in my house? Of course you do.

I brought a big bunch inside in the morning to condition them for arranging. Viburnum are woody stemmed flowers so you should split them vertically about an inch up the stem to draw in more water before placing in a vase.

I placed a few tiny snowballs in a frog cube for my powder room.

And, these made a lovely, bright table display.

 {mercury glass vases from west elm}

Pull out your julep cups and mix them with something sweet like ranunculus -- another one of my faves. If you live in Atlanta, Trader Joe's has a nice selection right now.

Flower heads tend to get heavy and flop when making large arrangements. I usually gather a bunch in my hand until I like the shape, and then tie them together at their necks with twine before placing in an urn or wide-mouthed vase.

Simply plop them in. Done.

Enjoy them while they last!