Blooms | It's Great To Be Home

When we cleared out the old flower beds in our backyard on Saturday to lay new sod, I was shocked to discover this gorgeous peony plant that had been lurking behind an ugly bush.

Let’s get a close up of that gorgeous bloom.

Who knew that something so beautiful could be hiding in our yard?? And these were even the fancy double peonies, meaning that they have extra petals and are super gorgeous – love it!!

I’ve been smitten with peonies for quite some time, and they were even the flowers in my wedding bouquet.

When I got home from work last night, I was delighted to see about 10 peony blossoms hanging their heavy heads out in our yard – I couldn’t resist picking just a few!! They are such a friendly and gorgeous touch in our half bathroom.

The pale pink color of the blossoms looks fresh and springy against the pale blue of the walls, porcelain sink and chrome accents.

And since I’m such a sucker for peonies, I just had to take a few glamour shots with the macro setting on my camera.

Aren’t the blossoms amazing? I can’t get over the fullness and texture of these beauties. While I was marveling over how gorgeous they were, Lexie couldn’t figure out what these flowers were doing on the floor.

I swear, those blossoms are huge – they’re almost as big as my cat!!

Is there a special bloom that you’re smitten with? What flowers were in your wedding bouquet? I hope there are some other peony-lovers out there!!

P.S. I wanted to let everybody know that A Lil’ Welsh Rarebit, one of my favorite blogs, has been nominated for a Blogger’s Choice Award – head on over and vote for Christy if you get the chance!!

We just had the most beautiful weekend in Dallas – sunshine and 80 degrees – who could ask for more?? I think it’s official – spring has finally sprung! All of this sunshiny goodness got me thinking about my favorite spring accessory – flowers!! I was lucky enough to have three beautiful, fresh bouquets in my home this weekend – a sweet little bouquet of wildflowers from our yard, striking Dutch irises from my mother’s garden, and happy yellow roses from my husband.

Our yard is still a huge DIY project waiting to happen, so while it’s in its “wild” state we have the pleasure of cute little wild morning glories in our front garden. I wandered out there on Sunday and picked a few and made this quick arrangement to brighten up our kitchen island:

Aren’t they happy-looking?? Love it!

And our fireplace was begging for a little accessorizing, and the beautiful irises from my mom were more than happy to oblige. They give a fun pop of color to that side of the room, and their height is a great complement to the height of the fireplace:

And you can’t forget the happy little roses from my sweet hubby. They are so cheery in our breakfast room.

Flowers are truly the quickest way to “friendly up” a room, and I can’t tell you how much I’m loving our kitchen/den with the addition of these little guys. And as you can see, flowers from your garden or even wildflowers can make beautiful and F-R-E-E bouquets that rival store bought buds. And once you’ve got those beauties, make sure that they last as long as possible!! Here are a few tricks to squeeze some extra life out of your blooms:

1. Make a change. Make sure that you switch out the water in the vase every day to give your flowers a clean environment.

2. Cut it up. Trim the stems at an angle every few days. This will make sure that the stems keep sucking up water.

3. Protect those babies. Keep your buds away from direct sunlight and heat which can make the flowers wither prematurely.

4. Say goodbye. After several days, separate out the dead blooms and withered leaves, keeping the pretty flowers.

5. Downsize. As the number of beautiful buds dwindles, move the hearty flowers to a smaller vase.

6. Keep the lone ranger. There is nothing more sad than throwing away a bouquet when one or two blooms are still thriving. Keep those little guys and either float them in a bowl or place them in a bud vase.

Here’s a little illustration of those life-lengthening tips in action:

DAY ONE – a big, beautiful bouquet of peonies (my fave!!)