Monday, February 19, 2018

Fresh Flowers For Your Home



I have been told many times how important fresh flowers are in the home, and what a lift it gives the occupants, particularly the homemaker who may spend a lot of time in the house, cleaning, organizing, beautifying, etc., and that the best tea rooms and hotels have fresh flowers. Why only recently we saw fresh flowers on the tables of a local diner, which is anything but elegant service, but yes, what a wonderful luxury it is, and how it eases the emotions.

The question I have always had, is how can you afford the cut flowers, even at the grocery store, when even five dollars is needed to complete your meal supplies or other needful things?  Admittedly the carnations are your best choice for economy and longevity indoors, and I do prefer to do that. 

But what if you had very little money to spare and you need some bouquets throughout the house and do not want to mess with throwing them out later?

Consider the potted primroses displayed outside the shops right now. They can be nurtured indoors for quite awhile and then added to the garden.  They do not die, and it isn't necessary to throw them out and clean a vase afterward.


This variety, above, has layered petals like fancy roses, and there are a dozen blossoms on it, meaning I have a dozen roses for my table.  These are a very economical cost, as I will list at the end of this post

I have inserted this pink one inside a container I bought for $1.00.  The primrose cost $1.10 from one of our stores. We have BiMart and Safeway here locally, as well as Walmart which is in the city.



This one is inserted in a Dollar Tree container, which comes on a package of three, around which I hot-glued a band of florist ribbon, also from Dollar Tree. You can even get your hot glue gun and glue sticks there. If you wonder about the quality, well, I have had my hot glue gun over 10 years.


Each month I try to put something seasonal on the dining tables and mantels, side tables, and Primrose is now my choice. There are sites you can research about taking care of primroses indoors.
The metalic florist ribbon comes on a roll of 9 feet, for a dollar at Dollar Tree.

The total cost when broken down to one plant and container is:

Plants: 4 for $5.00---  $1.22 each. They allow you to buy one, and charge only the single price of $1.22.
Containers: 3 for $1.00--- 33 cents each.
Florist decorative ribbon: 9 feet (3 yards) $1.00 ---6 inches  for about 5 cents or less per pot.

Total for supplies: 
$4.22

Note: the supplies will not be wasted, as you can use them again.

Total for one bouquet: about $1.66.  

This can be less cost of you already have a container, or place the plant in a little bowl to prevent water leaking, and cover the whole thing in pretty wrapping paper or metallic paper or cloth, or use a pot you already own.  The same with the ribbon, which you might have in your sewing stash.

Total for supplies (note that you can't buy only one container if they are sold taped together at 3/$1.00 so you will have extra supplies. This works well if you are distributing the plants around the house or using them as hostess gifts.

Also, check out the florist section at Dollar Tree. Those glittery and sheer ribbons come in array of colors, as well as the plastic containers.  

Total for one display: about $1.60
That is very good, for a bouquet of 12 fresh flowers ypu will not be throwing away.

You can also gather several pots of these primroses and put them in a larger colorful container all together, which I might do.

With a cost like this, you don't have to deny yourself and your family fresh flowers at home.

A primrose is never wasted because it can be added to the flower beds and often survives the dormant stage in winter and reappears in spring, so you never lose money on cut flowers if you buy this humble primrose. While the grocery store cut flowers are very inexpensive, they are costly if you need the money for other things, and the price of the primrose means everyone can have this luxury in the home.

So today my home has become a fine hotel and guest house, wih flowers in every room.



Someone indictated they were interested in my home made dyed cotton muslin ball fringe curtains so I have added a few pictures here.

Below is one of the accessory pieces I made with the same fabric for the mantel.

...and here is the panel on the front door,






A matching table cover, below.


Putting one pot on top of another empty glass or container gives the plant height for this long vase. The flowers appear to be long-stemmed. 


7 comments:

Laura Jeanne said...

Thank you for this advice, Lydia! I love to have fresh flowers on the table - in the summer I grow lots in the garden, such as zinnias and cosmos, that I can save seeds from and grow every year for free. But that doesn't help much in February! I have never seen primroses in the small town where I usually shop but I am going into the city tomorrow to get my hair cut (for free at my sister's house!), and I was planning on stopping at a big grocery store there with a florist department so I will have a look and see if I can find some of those.

Your curtains are very pretty, and I love the little candle holder hanging in the window. Very elegant! :)

Unknown said...

I like your pompom curtains so much, and I want to make valances for our living room windows with using that trim. I too am a lover of fresh flowers, and as we have summer here I am remembering the days of winter when I long for fresh flowers. So yesterday I cut fresh lavender to dry for in a white pitcher, I have bamboo standing in the corner behind our corner sofa- that is still nice after about a year (I so much wished for the fake but real looking tree I had in the States, but the bamboo takes the place, and I like it ), I found the tiniest little pinecones, they are about 1/2" long, dark and look a little different than regular pinecones, I hotglued them onto fishing line, and made garlands I hang on the two living room windows. I dried some stiff long pretty greens from bushes that grow in the road ditches here, and have some standing in a tall but narrow hanging basket on a wall in the kitchen. Holly grows on tall trees here, think about as tall as birch trees), I have some dried and in a basket on top of the bookshelves. I dried small to medium size roses this summer, when I figure out where I want to use them, I will string them on fishing line, saw the idea on Pinterest and may use them in the guest room. Long tall wavy grasses are hanging upside down on a curtain rod to put in a vase to set somewhere for decor. Years ago, I read something in a book that inspired me, it said the lady went to visit a woman in MT I believe it was and hanging from beams in her house was wild flowers drying to be used as bouquets in the winter. So I look for things I can dry that looks natural and pretty for in the winter (and summer too). We do not have Wal-Mart or Bimart... but we have a hole-in-the-wall floral shop that all the flowers are standing in 5 gal buckets and we can make our own arrangements or they can do it for us. It is so true that fresh (or dried in my case) greenery, flowers.. does something to brighten our day. When I come up to the States this week, I want to buy eucalyptus to bring home too

Melinda said...

I always appreciate visiting with you and being encouraged to make my home a place of beauty. I have been reading Exodus lately and noting that God enjoys beauty and instructed that the Tabernacle and it's contents, as well as the priests' clothing be made beautifully. This is a reminder to be that it is worthwhile to make our homes and our lives beautiful.

I noticed that autocorrect took liberties and changed the name of the material from which your curtains are made. I'm sure you will want to address that.

Thank you again for the encouragement! Have a great day!

Lydia said...

Dorcas I have many hEnglish holly trees but find it a very unpleasant prickly indoor plant which I am always afraid a child will get hurt on. The birds like the berries but I think they make people very ill. But I agree the news available free around us are a real blessing and ven the florists are using the common plants we used o call weeds.

Lydia said...

Dollar Tree has fairly good florals.

anonymous said...

Good morning Lydia, so good seeing your wonderful and practical posts. I've seen thee lovely little flowers in all the stores lately. Think I'll try some in my home soon too.
When I worked for a tea room the owner often put grape hyacinth bulbs in tea cups and watered them until they got close to flowering then put them out in the center of each tea table. It was fun watching them grow and bloom. Truly a primrose would be an ideal plant to put on the table.
This year I bought daffodil bulbs and planted them around a tree in my yard. Hoping they will blossom soon and I'll bring in a few cuttings.
Thank you for this post-LOVELY! You made my day.
Janet

Godly Homemaker (Andrea) said...

I have a question - I have very bad allergies, so I really can’t keep flowers in my home - what can I do instead?