Just because I love herbs doesn’t mean I don’t also love and adore fresh cut flowers. Nothing quite brightens my day like the sight and scent of fresh flowers. That is why I want you to join me in celebrating American Flowers Week, June 28 – July 4, by gathering flowers and foliage from your garden and combining it with American-grown flowers to make a patriotic bouquet for the Fourth of July. Of course, you know I’m going to tell you about what you can clip from your herb garden to enhance your bouquet:
Scented Geraniums – These geraniums have small, unremarkable flowers but they also pack a big punch in the aroma department. Choose from a variety of scents, including rose, ginger, lemon, peppermint, spice, apple, and more.
Calendulas – The showy flowers of calendulas (aka pot marigolds) can provide flavor in the kitchen but their flowers are also bright and cheery.
Lavender – If you are fortunate enough to have a lavender bed, of course you should use the flowers in bouquets. Ditto on the leafy branches which also have the same wonderful scent.
Pineapple Sage – You probably don’t have this herb in bloom right now but when it does flower it adds a bright firecracker red color to any bouquet.
Rosemary – The deep pine notes of rosemary’s aroma also provide a nice backdrop to colorful flowers. The stems are sturdy and can help keep an arrangement upright.
Yarrow – For fresh or dried arrangements, yarrow is a sure-fire addition to your bouquet. This perennial herb comes with flowers in a wide range of colors so look for ones that appeal to you.
So get out there this weekend and create your own All American bouquet. Even if your garden can’t provide all the flowers and foliage you want, your local florist, farmer’s market, or even supermarket should have flowers you can use. Be sure to look for the red, white, and blue “Certified American Grown” logo on the flower sleeve. And as a final incentive, for those of you (or members of your family) who enjoy coloring you can click here and download this map of the United States and color to your heart’s content.
And that reminds me – the Arnosky’s Flower Farm (http://www.texascolor.com/) also had fennel growing in their field. That was a real surprise to me.