Flower Arranging Creekside Cottage Style

 Cheryl, at Thinking About Home, posted about Flower Arrangements the other day.  She is doing a read through of Edith Schaeffer's wonderful book Hidden Art also called The Hidden Art of Homemaking.  Cheryl talked about how she doesn't have a green thumb but uses herbs etc, in her home for arrangements.  It is a wonderful idea and one I'd like to try when our herbs get going well.

I am not one to do formal arrangements here at the cottage.  I tend to go out and cut whatever is blooming and put them all in a jar or vase or even, at times, a small bowl.  

The arrangement at the top of this post is what I clipped today from the back of our cottage.  Small pink climbing roses, one small white climbing rose, two pale pink peonies, and some purple flowers, that I don't remember the name of.
 

 Being able to bring the beauty of a garden into my house is a joy to me.  It is a joy to see my daughters do this as well.  In the summer we will have day lily's, coneflower, daisies, black eyed susan's and spirea to add to the mix.  I'm hoping for some lavender but so far we've not had success with it from seed.  I am sowing some hollyhock seeds this week, and planting a red morning glory.

 I've learned to choose easy to grow perennials that pack a punch visually, since I want to have flowers and gardens but do not have lots of time to care for them.

 Peonies are stunning and so easy to grow.  I saw some one has called them 'field roses' and I like that.  They are gorgeous like roses and yet not in need of tons of care.  Plant them, they grow - leave some flowers on the bush to go to seed and they will come back the next year.

For this sweet arrangement I literally cut and gathered them in my hand.  Brought them in, and plopped them into the vase.

I believe that with decorating or flower arranging that you can't make a mistake if you use what you love.