The Flower Book Read online

hydrangea

  ‘Limelight’

  hydrangea

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  Hydrangea 183

  Clematis

  ‘Hot Chocolate’

  tobacco plant

  The addition of tobacco plant

  and meadow’s rue stems creates

  an upper story of delicacy.

  ‘Lime Green’

  tobacco plant

  Geranium leaves

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  184 Late Summer & Fall

  Hypericum

  Hypericum

  The glossy, perky hypericum

  berry is one of my favorite fil ers

  for late summer and fal .

  Hypericum, or St. John’s wort, is covered with a profusion of small, bright-yellow flowers in midsummer. But the plant’s main event is the showier berries that follow the flowers in late summer. Clustered on branching woody

  stems, hypericum berries come in a range

  of colors. They are moderately poisonous,

  so they should not be eaten.

  STEM HEIGHT 3–61/2ft

  FROM THE FLORIST The berries should be

  (1–2m)

  firm and glossy, with healthy looking foliage.

  BERRY SIZE 1/4–1/2in

  IN THE GARDEN Hypericum will grow in

  (5–10mm)

  partial shade or full sun. Prune back in early spring LONGEVITY 7–14 days

  to produce more strong, straight stems for cutting.

  FORM clusters of berries

  CONDITIONING Remove the lower leaves

  COLORS green, yel ow,

  and cut the woody stems at a sharp angle before orange, red, peach, cream

  conditioning in water overnight.

  FRAGRANCE spicy

  DISPLAY Hypericum provides an interesting

  BEST COMPANIONS

  contrast of texture with its clusters of hard, shiny dahlias, zinnias, grasses

  berries. The branching stems make an excel ent fil er in arrangements, and, because they are woody, support softer, less sturdy flowers in bouquets.

  Hypericum x inodorum ‘Magical Beauty’ is a hardy perennial with

  CARE

  peach-colored berries.

  Refresh the water every 2–3 days.

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  Hypericum 185

  Hypericum has long been used

  as a treatment for mild depression,

  and as a salve for cuts.

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  186 Late Summer & Fall

  Limonium sinuatum ‘Blue

  River’ is a short-lived perennial

  with deep blue, papery bracts.

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  Statice 187

  Statice

  Limonium

  Despite its reputation as

  a dusty, dried flower, I love using

  statice as a fresh-cut flower.

  Statice’s botanical name,

  Statice is quite deceptive in its flowering.

  Limonium, is derived from the

  The branched stems are topped with

  Greek word for meadow.

  what appear to be lots of small, papery,

  colored flowers. However, these are actually calyces—a part of a plant that encloses the buds or petals. Statice’s true flower is

  a smaller, white bloom that emerges from

  the center of each of these structures.

  STEM HEIGHT 4–30in

  FROM THE FLORIST Check that the true flowers (10–75cm), depending on

  have emerged; otherwise, the stems will not last long variety; L. sinuatum,

  once cut. Avoid calyces that are faded and slightly up to 16in (40cm)

  shriveled. The stems and foliage are often a good FLOWER SIZE

  indicator of freshness.

  ¼–5/8in (0.5–1.5cm)

  IN THE GARDEN Grow from seed directly or raise LONGEVITY 2 weeks

  in a greenhouse and plant outside in a sunny spot as a fresh flower; longer

  after the last frost. Successional sowing will provide if dried

  a continual supply of flowers from midsummer to FORM branched

  the first frosts.

  clusters of flowers

  CONDITIONING Remove any of the winged

  COLORS purple, blue,

  yel ow, peach, pink, white

  growth on the stems that would fall below the water.

  FRAGRANCE none

  DISPLAY Statice lasts very well out of water, so BEST COMPANIONS

  I often use it in floral crowns and other hair flowers.

  dahlias, roses, zinnias

  It makes a wonderful fil er in bouquets, and can be dried for wreath work.

  CARE Change the water every 2–3 days.

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  188 Late Summer & Fall

  Phlox

  Phlox

  Phlox’s big, fluffy,

  cloud-like heads have a

  sweet, peppery fragrance.

  Phlox flower heads are dense panicles

  made up of large florets. They come in an

  overwhelming range of varieties and colors.

  Many cultivars have a darker-colored section in the center of the florets, giving them

  a two-tone appearance. They are often at

  their best in mid- to late summer, when they are a welcome addition to the cutting garden.

  STEM/BRANCH

  FROM THE FLORIST Choose phlox with half of

  HEIGHT ½–5ft (15–

  its florets open. Avoid those that are shedding florets.

  150cm), depending on

  variety; P. x arendsii,

  IN THE GARDEN Phlox needs full sun or light up to 5ft (1.5m)

  shade and moisture-retentive soil. It is prone to FLORET SIZE

  fungal infection if it gets too dry, and needs lifting ½–1¼in (1–3cm)

  and dividing every 3 years to continue to flower wel .

  LONGEVITY 10 days

  CONDITIONING Cut the stems at an angle and

  FORMS round or

  condition overnight in water before arranging.

  cone-shaped clusters

  of small flowers

  DISPLAY Phlox stems do not have a strong

  form—they are rather irregular and “blobby.” This COLORS pink, purple,

  means they are most useful as a fil er between more blue, red, white

  defined shapes. Their color and scent contribute FRAGRANCE sweet

  beautiful y to mixed compositions, and their large and peppery

  heads create volume for bold statement pieces.

  BEST COMPANIONS

  roses, dahlias, sunflowers

  CARE Add floral preservative to the water to encourage the unopened buds to develop and open with good color. Give the flower heads a shake every couple of days to dislodge any aging flowers and make room for the buds behind to open.

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  Phlox 189

  In the language

  of flowers, phlox

  symbolizes harmony.

  Phlox x arendsii ‘Utopia’ is a large, highly scented variety with

  lilac-pink flowers on tall stems.

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  190 Late Summer & Fall

  Scabious

  Scabiosa

  Scabious’s soft color and

  simple, daisylike form make it the

  perfect meadow-style flower.

  The common name, pincushion flower,

  alludes to the central disk that houses the true flowers. These start as tight buds, giving the impression of l
ots of tiny pins packed tightly together. The annual variety, S. atropurpurea, has more of a dome-shaped flower head

  and comes in a wider range of colors.

  STEM/BRANCH

  FROM THE FLORIST The central florets should HEIGHT 8–36in

  be tightly closed, and the outer petals open and (20–90cm), depending

  looking clean and fresh.

  on variety; S. caucasica,

  up to 36in (90cm)

  IN THE GARDEN Scabious likes an open, sunny FLOWER HEAD SIZE

  spot in wel -drained, alkaline soil. The perennial 1½–3in (4–8cm),

  variety ( S. caucasica) will be short-lived if the soil gets depending on variety;

  waterlogged in winter. Keep picking and deadheading S. caucasica, up to

  and it will flower for months. Sow the annual form 3in (8cm)

  ( S. atropurpurea) in early fall for much larger, more productive plants the fol owing year. These should LONGEVITY 7–10 days

  be supported with bean and pea netting stretched FORM flower head with

  horizontal y over the plants.

  domed central florets and

  larger outer florets

  CONDITIONING Cut the stems at an angle

  COLORS purple, pink,

  and condition them overnight before arranging.

  red, blue, white

  DISPLAY The daisy-shaped flowers and long,

  FRAGRANCE light

  wiry stems make scabious perfect for meadow-style and sweet

  arrangements. Use them as both a focal flower and BEST COMPANIONS

  a final flourish depending on their size and variety.

  Scabious is rich in nectar and is

  bishop’s weed, phlox,

  The softer colors blend beautiful y with blousy shapes roses

  for a romantic, English feel.

  known to attract pollinators.

  CARE Refresh the water every 2–3 days.

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  Scabious 191

  Scabiosa caucasica is a perennial

  variety with pale blue or lavender-

  blue flower heads.

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  192 Late Summer & Fall

  Wildflower Jar

  I’m always drawn to a meadow style when arranging scabious due to its wild nature. By using a selection of small-headed flowers without a dominant focal flower, you can conjure up something akin to a wildflower meadow. I decided to go for a soft, harmonious color palette of lilacs, whites, and greens.

  YOU WILL NEED

  ARRANGE

  3 goat’s rue stems

  1 Fill the jar with water. No support construction is (Galega officinalis)

  necessary with this container as its neck is narrower 3 bellflower stems

  than its bottom.

  (Campanula lactiflora)

  2 Cut and position the goat’s rue stems first to form 15 scabious

  a framework. Keep the length long—two to three (Scabiosa caucasica)

  times the height of the container.

  7 nigel a stems (Nigel a

  hispanica ‘African Bride’ )

  3 Add in the bel flowers next, cutting the stems to half 3 tobacco plant stems

  the length of the goat’s rue and using their fril y heads (Nicotiana langsdorfii)

  to fill in the lower section of the arrangement.

  5 yarrow stems (Achil ea

  ‘Summers Pastel’ )

  4 Fill any gaps with the scabious, nigel a, tobacco, and yarrow. Hold them up to the arrangement to 5 bupleurum (‘Green Gold’

  judge position and stem length, before cutting and or hare’s ear) stems

  placing. They should all be different heights and facing (Bupleurum rotundifolium)

  in different directions.

  stoneware jar

  floral snips

  5 Finish with the bupleurum, which should be cut short and nestled in around the rim of the container.

  CARE

  This arrangement should last 7–10 days if the water is refreshed every 2–3 days.

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  194 Late Summer & Fall

  In the language of flowers,

  stonecrops are a symbol

  of tranquil ity.

  Sedum ‘Matrona’ is

  a hardy perennial with bronze

  leaves and purple stems topped

  with soft-pink flowers.

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  Stonecrop 195

  Stonecrop

  Sedum

  This garden classic

  provides a wonderful, textural

  finish to floral designs.

  There are many stonecrop species. They

  tend to form sturdy clumps of thick, succulent stems topped with dense clusters of small,

  five-pointed, star-shaped flowers. These

  flat-topped clusters look just as beautiful in bud form as they do when the hundreds

  of tiny flowers open.

  STEM HEIGHT 2–39in

  FROM THE FLORIST The stems and leaves

  (5–100cm); S. ‘Matrona,’

  should feel firm with their buds intact.

  20–39in (50–100cm)

  IN THE GARDEN Stonecrops are hardy, easy-to-FLOWER HEAD SIZE

  1–43/4in (2.5–12cm);

  grow perennials. They are drought tolerant and will S. ‘Matrona,’ 21/2–43/4in

  happily grow in poor soil in full sun. To stagger their (6–12cm)

  flowering period, cut back the stems by a third in late spring. They are easy to propagate by division LONGEVITY 10 days

  in spring or fal .

  FORMS flat clusters of

  smal flowers

  CONDITIONING Remove any leaves that would

  be under water and cut the stems at a sharp angle.

  COLORS pink, purple,

  blue, green, yel ow,

  orange, red, white

  DISPLAY I prefer to use the flowers in their bud stage, when they are a useful textural accompaniment FRAGRANCE none

  to autumnal focal flowers and a wonderful contrast to BEST COMPANIONS

  grasses and berries. Use them to create a sturdy dahlias, roses, snowberry

  foundation for softer stems in hand-tied bouquets.

  CARE Refresh the water every 2–3 days.

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  196 Late Summer & Fall

  Snowberry was used by

  Native Americans as an

  antibiotic skin wash.

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  Snowberry 197

  Snowberry

  Symphoricarpos

  Snowberry’s pinkish-white

  berries have a calming effect

  on vibrant autumnal hues.

  My number-one choice of autumnal, berried

  branches, snowberry produces generous

  clusters of berries along graceful, arching stems. The small, bell-shaped, pink flowers and the berries that follow are very popular with pollinating insects and birds. The berries can cause a stomachache if ingested.

  STEM HEIGHT 3–10ft

  FROM THE FLORIST Ensure that the berries

  (1–3m), depending on

  are still firm and not dropping off of the stem.

  variety; C. Magical Series,

  up to 4ft (1.2m)

  IN THE GARDEN Snowberry is an easy-to-grow

  FRUIT SIZE ¼–5/8in

  deciduous shrub. It is happy in most soil types, and (0.5–1.5cm)

  will tolerate partial shade. In early spring, cut the stems back to al ow long, straight new stems to grow LONGEVITY 7 days

  the fol owing season. Snowb
erry is extremely hardy FORM branches

  and does not mind an exposed situation—I have used of spherical berries

  mine to create a cutting hedge that offers shelter to more fragile flowers.

  COLORS red,

  pink, white

  CONDITIONING Cut across and then vertical y FRAGRANCE none

  up the woody stems with shears and place them in a deep bucket of water overnight.

  BEST COMPANIONS

  chrysanthemums, dahlias,

  roses, stonecrop

  DISPLAY I love mixing these softly colored, berried branches with the last of my garden roses in the fal .

  Their arching stems create an elegant outline in the vase, and they are a wonderful contrast to the richer, more sumptuous palette of fal .

  CARE Refresh the water and recut the ends of the stems every 2–3 days.

  Symphoricarpos ‘Charming Fantasy’

  is part of the Magical Series , a new line of snowberries being bred in the Netherlands for the cut-flower market.

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  198 Late Summer & Fall

  Strawflower

  Xerochrysum bracteatum

  Also cal ed everlasting flower,

  strawflowers look like a cross

  between a pompon and a daisy.

  Originally from Australia, strawflowers come in a range of vibrant colors. The petals are in fact bracts (specialized leaves) surrounding the tiny flowers in the center of the flower head, which is produced on well-branched,

  tall stems. They attract pollinating insects and are excellent for drying.

  STEM HEIGHT 4–39in

  FROM THE FLORIST Check that the centers are (10–100cm), depending

  still tight and there is no pol en. The leaves should be on variety; X. bracteatum

  dark green with no signs of yel owing or decay.

  Monostrum Series,

  up to 36in (90cm)

  IN THE GARDEN Strawflowers are hardy,

  FLOWER HEAD SIZE

  easy-to-grow annuals that are both heat and drought 5/8–3in (1.5–8cm),

  tolerant. They will flower prolifical y over a long depending on variety;

  period; this can be encouraged by regular picking X. bracteatum Monostrum

  and deadheading. Strawflowers can be raised in a Series, up to 3in (8cm)

  greenhouse, but do well from direct sowing in the LONGEVITY 7–10 days

  spring. Tall plants may need support.

  FORMS single, double,

  CONDITIONING Strip the lower leaves and cut the ful y double

  stems at a sharp angle before conditioning overnight.

  COLORS red, orange,

  yellow, pink, white

  DISPLAY Strawflowers make excel ent dried flowers.