Quick & Easy Floral Gifts

Last Friday we went to our first holiday party of the season.

With the exception of my husband and I, almost everyone who attended the party brought the hostess a poinsettia. Honest to goodness, the poor woman could have opened a shop she had so many red poinsettias at the end of the night!

Here's something quite similar to what we brought her. My cute little arrangement had a personal touch, was fun to whip together and wasn't any more expensive than any of those generic red poinsettias.

Cut flowers are nice, but I think you'll agree that no hostess wants to take time away from her guests to hunt for a vase and put cut flowers in water. It's so much better to present her with a finished bouquet.

Unless the vase itself is a key part of the gift, I tend to allocate my money to the flowers rather than the container. That's not to say that the vase can't be attractive. I got this gold mason jar at the Real Canadian Superstore (a grocery chain here in Canada) for just $3.50.

Add in some foraged greenery, a few sprays of red roses ($7.00), a few sprigs of faux berries ($5.00) and a bow (free–ribbon I had on hand) and you have a thoughtful, but inexpensive hostess gift. Total cost is just over $15.00.

While you may not want to spend money on a vase or container, the last thing you want to chose is something so junky it ends up in the landfill. A smarter option is to give an arrangement in something that can have a second life.

This mug, personalized the recipient's initials, can always be put to use when the flowers fade. Mug ($3.44 from the Real Canadian Superstore) plus roses ($7.00), white mums ($3.50), foraged greenery and faux berries ($5.00) comes in at just under $20.

Sometimes you want to spend a bit extra to thank someone special. This little vase was made by a local potter and was still well under $20. Fill it with greenery (free) and some red St. John's Wort ($5.50) and you still have an attractive gift for around $25.

(Note of caution: St John's Wort might look edible to a young child, but it is poisonous. This may not be the best choice of flower for a young family.)

I made this thank you (to go along with a monetary gift) for JoAnne (Because you Love Them Pet Services) who looked after our dogs when I was away in Nova Scotia. It was such a comfort to know the boys were getting a mid-day walk in my absence.

Vase ($3.50 from the Real Canadian Superstore), 4 stems of carnations (approx. $3.00), 3 stems of alstroemeria (approx. $4.50), one stem of St John's Wort ($2.00), foraged greenery, a bow (free–ribbon I had on hand). The total is under $15 and yet I hope the bouquet is pretty enough to say how much her help meant to us.

I used the remainder of the carnations in a small jug for yet another gift. Small white jug ($12.99 at HomeSense) and carnations ($4.00).

Not everything I put together works out. Take this arrangement– it's the floral equivalent to big hair from the 1980s!  For one thing, the mason jar is way too small for the flowers I chose. And for another, the whole bouquet is as round as a bowling ball.

What was I thinking? I had to rip the whole thing apart and start over. It was frustrating, but sometimes you learn from your mistakes.

At the end of the day, it's the thought that counts.

One of the best things about putting these gifts together is that I got to use the leftovers to make an arrangement for my own house. This jug of flowers is sitting right beside me as I type these words.

Best wishes for the holidays and the new year 

from our family here at Three Dogs in a Garden. 

Amaryllis as a Cut Flower

We tend to think of amaryllis as flowering bulbs, but they also make great, long lasting cut flowers. I purchased three stems at the grocery store and have enjoyed watching the large, trumpet shaped blooms open over the last few days.

In case you are wondering, no, these aren't a new yellow variety of amaryllis. I usually try to photograph flowers in natural sunlight, but with rain, then snow and now grey, bitter cold, sunlight has been in short supply. These were shot on my kitchen counter, where an energy efficient bulb casts a yellow light. The flowers are actually a lovely ivory color.

It is interesting that when the flowers first open, the enlarged anthers thrust forward intent, no doubt, to temp insects to the flower.

Then the anthers shrink in size and pollen is visible, as you see here.

Tall and stately, they look great in my tall, cylindrical glass vase. Now fully open, the sweeping curves of the flowers are simply beautiful.

For an interesting visit to a Prins Grow Inc., an amaryllis grower in the Niagara area, check out this short video segment: House and Home Television. The clip runs a short 4:59 minutes and includes many tips for arranging and enjoying amaryllis over the holidays. When the link takes you to the new window, just click the center arrow and the show will play, after a brief commercial.

For all you bakers, there are also short video segments on Mexican Wedding Ball cookies and Gingerbread cookies.

Mexican Wedding Ball Cookies. Photo by John Cullen. Prop & Food Styling Saha Seymour. Canadian House and Home Magazine November 2010.

Go, take a look when you have a moment.