Summer Hydrangeas - Bloom Forever!

Ah, the beauty of summer hydrangea! Love the billowing blossoms and the abundance of colour, even the annabelle/pee gee white snowballs! Hydrangeas are a very popular flower in wedding bouquets and arrangements, but sadly they have a very short life before they wilt.

There are many hydrangea bushes in our neigbourhood and I have been experimenting with a couple of bushes that I have had for a few years. One disappointment in my garden this year is a 3 year old hydrangea that has bloomed in the past, but after moving it, there were no flowers last year and only one, lonely cluster of a vibrant, almost irridescent blue/purple this summer! I photographed it right away and admired it for a couple of days...then couldn't resist snipping it and bringing it inside to enjoy. I know the proper care for stems and water temp, however this beauty started to fade a day later.

I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to do a floral comparison with real flowers and clay flowers made with ClayCraft by DECO. I snipped a couple of blossoms for comparison (see photo) and I was able to match and emulate the shading of this cluster through careful mixing of clay pigments. When I went to shoot it in the light of day, well...you can see what it looks like today. No one can match the beauty of Mother Nature, but with so many brides who desire hydrangeas on their wedding day, the qualities of clay flowers provide an eco-chic alternative!

Pretty Wreath

This summertime wreath makes me smile! It is just over 14" in diameter and FULL of wonderful clay flowers and ribbon. Peonies, roses, hydrangeas, tuberose buds, lilacs, gerbera daisies, gardenias and more....they're all in there! This wreath would look terrific hung on the wall, but just as fabulous on a dining table with a hurricane or pillar candle placed in the center. Could also be an everlasting head table centerpiece at a wedding! These colours are very happy and remind me how wonderful summer is!

If you are interested in purchasing this piece or having me custom make one in your decor colours, please contact me at invitemecreative@rogers.com . Imagine how rich this clay wreath would look using in the wonderful autumn colours (not that I am rushing summer along by any means) or spring pastels, summer brights...oooh, what about monochromatic?!! Possibilities...endless! Enjoy.

Summer Arrangement

Can't you just smell the peonies! (Many people like the scent - some have an allergic reaction!)

Even though peonies have already bloomed here, I was able to re-create them in a everlasting clay arrangement. Sometimes red and white tend to look 'Christmas-like' or like a Valentines arrangement, so I chose to balance the red and white peonies (and buds) with chartreuse green/white hydrangeas. To add a bit of different texture, I included a few hibiscus blooms - also very delicate blossoms in nature. I think this would look terrific on a dining room table.