From Steve and Martie’s Garden

All summer long we have been the recipients of the most beautiful bouquets.  I wish I had remembered to photograph them all and I wish the pictures that I did take were truer to the colors.  And, as long as I’m wishing… let’s throw in the texture and the fragrances as well!

Our own garden has been generous in supplying flowers, too.  Despite the teasing of our neighbor Bradley that our garden is “under stress,” we’ve had a plethora of dahlias and daisies and black-eyed Susans.  Earlier in the summer there were lilacs and honeysuckle.  And the little Dorothy Perkins roses are still blooming vigorously on the fence.

From Judie and Dick

There are two spots in our house where I try to keep an ongoing display of flowers – on the library mantle in my grandmother’s silver bowl and on the dining room table on her old round mirror designed for that purpose.  I’m not very imaginative, though, when it comes to flower arrangements.  I tend to fashion my bouquets with masses of one type of flower.  It might be all pink dahlias (though often in different ‘styles’) or an overflowing vase of nasturtiums.

From Stephanie – but they were really a deep, deep purple

I adore the way other people – those who really know what they’re doing – fashion their bouquets.  As our new neighbor Martie told me, “It’s what I do.”  Our former neighbor Hal was also ‘in the biz’ and his bouquets for Vespers were spectacular.  Ditto Bradley.

Really, though, I appreciate flowers that come to us in any form at all.  They are bright reminders of friendships and special occasions.  They speak of happiness and sunshine.   They brighten our days and beautify our nights and keep summer close at hand.

But, bouquets are a little sad, too.  It always seems to me that they begin to fade and droop almost as soon as the arrangements are complete.  But then… don’t we all?