Blog article by Karen Metz
Driving around town, lately I’ve seen so many flowers. First the trees were blooming, now the roses are everywhere, also irises, geraniums, rock roses, lavenders and callas. It seems like our winter rains this year have given us such an amazing profusion of blossoms. I’m seeing irises pop up in my own yard that haven’t bloomed for the last several years and now impress me with their beauty.
It’s not hard at this time of year to gather handfuls of flowers for bouquets. Other times of year it’s not quite that easy. Living here in Solano County it is possible to have something in bloom most of the year. Cheerful yellow daisy-like Euryops pectinatus, red-blossomed Grevillea noelii, and Lavender generally help me get through the winter months.
This last year, though I have been really enjoying making smaller bouquets. They generally are not much larger than 7-9 inches tall. Some just have one kind of flower like lavender or rose geranium. Others are mixtures of whatever I have in the yard. The mixed bouquet in the picture has miniature rose, Jerusalem sage, Phlomis purpurea, scented rose geranium, Pelargonium graveolens, lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, and sea thrift, Armeria maritima.
These smaller bouquets somehow seem less intimidating to make. I need a smaller number of blossoms to create them. Their smaller size also makes it easier to find a spot to display them. Since they are simpler, they show off the individual flowers better. Also I can enjoy the beautiful fragrance of the scented flowers in more places in the house.