LATE SUMMER BOUQUETS - Hybrid tea roses and garden mums

With a little cooler temperatures and some rain in the top of Utah, the colors in the garden have popped!  This arrangement uses white and lavender GARDEN MUMS, with a baker's dozen of luscious TAHITIAN SUNSET and pristine white PASCALI hybrid tea roses. They make a colorful bouquet for the beginning of what will hopefully be a long Indian Summer. 

SUMMER BOUQUETS FOR AUGUST

The weekly arrangement features the last of the ORIENTAL LILIES, HYBRID TEA ROSES, STATE FAIR ZINNIAS and GLADIOLA.

SUMMER FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS - the first dahlias of the summer

The DINNER PLATE DAHLIAS have started to bloom. Combined with HYBRID TEA ROSES, STATE FAIR ZINNIAS, and colorful GLADIOLA, this arrangement pops with color.  As always, cut blooms after the sun sets, or early in the morning before it comes out.  Use a floral preservative, keep out of bright, direct light, and change the water every other day if possible.  Dahlias typically are a bit harder to keep for a week.  To make them last longer, cut stem, recut at an angle under water when arranging.  Some people smash the stem at the bottom with a hammer, and others sear the bottom of the stem with a match.  I've tried both ways, and had no better results than cutting after sunset, and immediately [plunging into water with a preservative, re cutting the stems under water.  There are also certain varieties of dahlias that are mark "good for arranging--"they have longer stems.  Which ever you do, the important thing is to cut when the center is still in the bud-stage, and using the preservative in the water.

SUMMER FLORAL ARRANGEMENT OF LILIES, ZINNIAS AND GLADIOLA

This week's floral arrangement uses the last of my blooming ORIENTAL LILIES, and the bright, ever-blooming STATE FAIR ZINNIAS, and the third flush of GLADIOLA. UCHIDA LILY is a beautiful, late-bloomer, and will stay fresh for much longer than a week in this arrangement. FLASH POINT OT LILY is like Stargazer Lily on steroids--much taller and thicker stems, but looks like Stargazer. Colorful 3-4 foot tall STATE FAIR ZINNIAS remind me of Gerber Daisies, but are much easier to grow and stay fresher much longer in the vase. I plant  GLADIOLA corms early spring, and then at two-week intervals, giving me blooms through the summer and into early fall.  As always, cut blooms early in the morning, or at dusk in the evening for arrangements that last the longest in the vase.  Add a floral preservative to your water, and recut the stems under water after picking when you arrange to give the longest vase life results.

GLADIOLAS IN SUMMER FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS

There are few blooms that pack a punch like a tall vase filled with the tall and stately GLADIOLA.  They need nothing more--just a vase and the colorful blooms. Cut when color is showing on the buds, either after sunset or early morning before the sun comes out. Remove all foliage below the waterline.  Fill vase with water with a preservative. Since these blooms will need to last a week, I cut several with color just beginning to show, and other with some color up the stalk.  Remove spent blooms for a tidy look, and, as always, keep out of direct sunlight, changing the water, if necessary, to keep clear.