Flowers in My House

I've met a few people in my life who did not like cut flowers or bouquets. A longtime family friend and neighbor once told me, "I like my flowers like I like my children. NOT with their heads cut off and stuffed in jars." While I would advocate strongly against kids' heads in jars, I love having fresh flowers in my home. Since I was a little kid, I've loved cutting and arranging flowers, and I love how the bouquets change through the seasons. First there are the daffodils and tulips and hyacinths (which sadly we have very few of at our house), then there are the irises and lilacs, then the roses come on (and in Portland they bloom till Christmas), then the peonies and calendula, then the summer flowers- cosmos, daisies, zinnias, and sunflowers. Growing up in the country, there were wildflowers all season, plus the flowers from the flowerbeds. Here in Portland, I miss the wildflowers but love living in the Rose City and am thanking whoever planted the umpteen rose bushes on our property and decided to landscape with lilacs and dogwood and peonies. I have planted multicolored yarrow, marigolds, cosmos, small sunflowers, zinnias, pansies, and calendula to enjoy both in the garden and on my table.

Right now: