For the second time this year I realized that I could deal with unwieldy shrubs and fill my house with flowers all at the same time.
Earlier this year I dealt with a particularly aggressive rose bush by clipping off a few of the branches and bringing them inside. The rose bush got cleaned up and the dining room buffet got a little snappier.
Now, it's another rose that's out of control. I have a Rose of Sharon shrub that has developed into more of a weeping willow. A weeping Sharon I guess you could say. The branches are literally bending over and touching the ground. I'm not usually one to complain when something bends over backwards for me, but when they contort themselves to the point of looking foolish, I feel I must put a stop to it.
So I started hacking.
Before I put the branches into the jug, I cut the bottom of the branches with pruners vertically up about 4 inches. So the bottom of the branch was split in two, allowing a lot more room for the plant to suck up water.
I expected the branches to be dead by morning, or at the very least looking forlorn. But it's been 3 days now and they still look perfect. The flowers are fine and new ones are opening.
So if you have a yard (or you have access to someone else's yard) take a look outside for what you can hack. This time of year you can look for Hydrangeas, Rose of Sharon, Rose branches, Sedum, and Hosta flowers. Of course there are many more you can cut but those are the ones I can actually see from my window right now, so I figured I'd go with those. No use using my imagination if I don't have to.
You think this hacking is impressive? You should see me with a computer. Just as fun but the end results aren't nearly as pretty.
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What a great idea. Love that desk and ghost chair too.
Hi Karen,
Off topic I know but please, I don't seem to be able to view the coop camera anymore. When I click I get taken to the page where I am welcomed to the coop camera and told how to log in. I know how to log in.......I just can't get to that log in place.
What to do?
And by the way I love your site, your ideas and especially your humor!
Thanks!
Hi Pattie! Sorry, the coop down is down because the coop cam got wet! It'll go back out soon. ~ karen!
Gorgeous, the desk and the flowers. So clean and tidy, not my home.
Often not my home either Debbie, so don't fret. ~ karen!
very nice!
Beautiful flowers..love the desk!
I fell in love with Old Garden Roses (varietis documented from the 1700's and earlier, back to medieval times) years ago, and have many varieties chosen for their antique form and scent.
The thing is, they tend to bloom on stems that are too short for the usual arrangement without sacrificing small developing buds. I tried floating rose bowls, but it was fussy and not satisfying. Then I hit on using an old glass container (canning jar or milk bottle) filled with marbles to anchor the flowers into simulating a larger bouquet with big, droopy blossoms that weep petals one by one. Love the look and the fragrance!
I find that city tap water keeps them fresh longer than rain water; let it stand to room temperature so that it is warmer than outside, but still with a bit of chlorine to keep the stems and marbles clean. Recut stems before they look tired to extend life and add new blooms.
I used to root cuttings of Rose of Sharon's so that maybe why it's staying so fresh. You might have more shrubs.
Thank you for the tip on how to cut the stems. I am going to try this on my roses.
ps- I tried your maple syrup dressing on the salad your sister loved. I made it the last 2 nights. OMG!!!! I didn't have the pecans in the house so I used honey roasted sesame sticks instead. Delicious! My boyfriend LOVED it! Today, I'm making your creamy pesto. And freezing it. OK, I need to step away from my laptop...but Karen, I am so enjoying your blog every morning with my coffee. Thank you.
Thanks Jaine! ~ karen
Maple salad dressing, creamy pesto---where can I find the recipes? They sound awSUM!
love your site-have I said that before?-love it!
And my sweet potato has roots! [ Ok, one rotted, but one has roots!!] Woo We OH!
Hostas from the garden are great for flower arranging too. Just a couple of the large leaves in a glass vase make a strong impact. The blooms work well as cut flowers too, many of which are quite strongly fragrant. Who knew! I didn't until I saw these great ideas in use by my sis-in-law. Clever!
This is an excellent idea! I will be hacking away today. Thanks.
You really have a green thumb with that weeping rose bush. I wish I could grow hydrangeas here. I would always have a big bouquet, whether fresh or dried.
I agree that this a fantastic way to bring a little of the Outdoors In. Cold water is the trick, and sometimes I will even add a little ice, if it is warm in the house. The roses on your table look beautiful and hopefully they will last for a few more days. When I worked in the Plant Nursery I would actually take a potato peeler and peel the outside skin from the branches, pound the branches with a hammer, or whatever was handy, which crushes the stems, but allows so much more water to be absorbed up and into the entire branch. We would use a lot of vases filled with flowering branches for the Home & Garden Show, so I know this works. Have a great day.
I took some unruly branches of the vigorous climber "New Dawn" to try and root them. It is a very lovely rose albeit the thorns are a bit vicious.
Using mainly really wet sand mixed with a little potting soil. I hope it works!
New Dawn roses actually root fairly easily, I would put an empty jar or glass or whatever fits over the cuttings for humidity. I've even done this right outside, in the soil. Root hormone does help the process along.
Good morning, just woke up from a dream about you. I was getting into my car somewhere & over top of a black door was a blonde head of hair. You were feeding the chickens. I introduced myself, and we chatted a bit. You were very nice & happy about something you had done recently. Kinds how I imagine it would be if I ever really met you. There was a whole lot of weird stuff before that, but I won't share here.
I'll have to tell my neighbour about the ROS trick, she has a ton of them. She will probably share too.
I like that idea. Whatever makes your garden look a little ugly, bring it in and make your interior look beautiful.
Lovely arrangement. ~:)
That is actually quite lovely....I really like the container you choose! My favorite shrub is Rose of Sharon...well one of my favorites!
Love the jug AND the desk!
Ex-florist trick: use warm water for whatever you're hackin' (like baby bum warm)... The only flowery thingeys that need cold water are tulips (unless you want them to blow up in 5 minutes). Thou shalt always have flowery things in jugs :)... Awesome :)
Yes, yes, yes, but WHERE'S THE BONNET?
You took the words right out of my mouth...