Thought I had better get back to making bouquets before the summer is over. The August garden is waning, especially from the heat and lack of rain, but there are a few beauties still going strong.
I started this bouquet with just zinnias since they needed picking. Grown from a pack of seeds, a good majority of the zinnias ended up being magenta, and they needed cutting to keep them coming.
Even among the magenta zinnias, there seem to be several varieties, and this one is my favorite. It’s petals curl in rather than fanning out like the ones above.
Then I added some ageratum, which is just starting to bloom.
Ageratum comes back every year and can tend to be a thug if not kept under control. I edit it out of the garden when it becomes too invasive, but I have a soft spot for this flower, since it is such a life saver to the late August garden, and keeps the color coming.
And lastly, I added a few clusters of this unknown pink rose that was purchased end of season from the grocery store for $3 a bush so many years ago. They are such small sweet pink roses that faithfully bloom every May to June, and then repeat in August.
In the garden, and in a bouquet, these pink roses play well with the purple ageratum.
A spot of color on the screened porch is all it takes to cheer the room, make me smile, and invite one to sit awhile on these last summer days.
If you’re looking for a feast for the eyes, every week, Cathy from Rambling in the Garden hosts a lovely gathering of beautiful flower arrangements from around the world at “In A Vase On Monday”.
in my spare time 
What a pretty bouquet Cindy. I have started to enjoy zinnias too, once I discovered you didn’t have to buy them in garish mixed packets! These pink ones are lovely. Ageratum is something I have never tried to grow but such a nice colour at the end of the season. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and hope you are feeling better now. 🙂
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Thank you Cathy. Anything that can grow in this August, rain deprived hot weather has to be hardy. I think that is why I love these flowers so much. They are tough and bring such joy.
I am feeling so much better, like myself again. It took a while, but was worth the wait to feel this good. Lots of catching up to do in the garden.
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Such a beautiful bouquet, Cindy. I just love a fistful of zinnias! Glad to read you are feeling better.
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Thank you Eliza! Zinnias are one of those “go to” flowers that give me such joy and always make me smile.
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I love it when spring bloomers put out a second flush! Great colour combos in your vase.
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Thank you Chris. I’m a lover of all flowers, pink, purple, and blue.
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The different types of zinnia are fascinating, aren’t they? Is your ageratum officially a tender perennial? I believe there is a perennial one available but I haven’t tracked it down yet. Yourvase is such a rich colour, set off perfectly by the green vase (or is a tumbler? Our family had a melamine dinner service in the 60s that was exactly this shade)
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The green vase is actually like a clay pot that is glazed. I found it at a yard sale earlier this spring for $.75 – deal of the year.
I think my ageratum is perennial. It’s definitely not the annual variety. I haven’t figured out if it comes back every year like a perennial or just reseeds itself. I’m thinking the first option, but it does spread and is easily pulled out if it encroaches on other plants. It may be a combination of spreading and reseeding since it pops up in places I didn’t plant it.
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This is such a pretty bouquet! The colors are like little gems and that lime vase just sets them off perfectly!
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Thank you Angie! I found that vase at a yard sale for $.75 early this summer and it’s the first time I’ve used it. I’ll have to make more bouquets with it before the summer is over.
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The pink, blue and white arrangement is fresh and pretty, Cindy! I’m glad to see a new post from you!
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Thanks Kris. It’s taken a long time to get my health back, and even longer to get my creative drive back. Mostly I’ve just been gardening, trying to catch up on all the weeds that grew while I was recuperating. But the summer is getting away and all too soon the flowers will be gone, so I’m trying to make the most of it.
How is the remodeling going? Probably not as fast as you’d like, but it will be so worth it in the end. Looking forward to seeing the finished product! I think I told you I love watching construction.
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The green container really adds to the pizazz of your summer flowers. Lovely Cindy.
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Thank you kindly. I just grabbed that vase for it’s size and not thinking about the color. I didn’t notice how nicely it matched the flowers until the comments started bringing it to my attention.
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