“The garden is growth and change and that means loss as well as constant new treasures to make up for a few disasters” ~May Sarton
Late this past week, we had a series of very strong and damaging storms. Some of the worst I have seen in a long time. And when I checked the garden afterward, the saying, ‘when you are given lemons, make lemonade’ came to mind. Or I should say, ‘when given a garden damaging storm, make vases.’
https://youtu.be/7QqxE-3zLoU
Just a short taste of one of three storms on the first day after the heat and humidity built. You can begin to see my prize sunflowers snapping and whipping about. That’s the pole bean tower hanging on by a pole bean vine, literally.
Here is the aftermath. On giant stalk left and all the 40 some sunflowers on multiple branches snapped in two. The good news is this tomato veg bed will have lots more sun to help ripen and grow more okra, peppers, tomatoes and eggplants.
These are some of my ten-foot high sunflowers in the new Cutting Bed, that are now kissing the ground. I had planned to cut some of the lower sunflowers, I could reach, for vases. Now nature has brought the tall ones to my level.
To get the idea of the storms strength, you can see our heavy metal patio table was toppled, blown and wedged into the viburnum bush at the edge of the patio.
So we cleaned up after the storm, and I was busy trying to salvage as many sunflowers as I could for vases.
The huge sunflower plant in the veg bed was first. I cut off all the flowers that were hanging, and plunked them into a vase. I like the jumbled look with the petals already falling. These bedraggled flowers now have time to rest. I still love them better in the garden being set ablaze by the sun. You can see some pictures of them days before, in my photo challenge post, on my other blog, Living From Happiness.
These are the 10 foot tall paler sunflowers, I was planning to use today for a vase. There were more than I had planned to use, so it took a lot of other flowers to accommodate them.
I really love how this arrangement finally came out. I used some Queen Anne’s Lace, some pale purple asters, dark-stemmed sedum and loads of goldenrod. This is the front of the vase.
And then here is the back of the vase. It looks wonderful from all sides and sits by a front window with lots of light streaming in on it.
This was a vase I was already going to highlight as I salvaged all the container sunflowers from previous vases. They were still blooming, so I added Queen Anne’s Lace to these too. I loved the effect and how the sunflowers were fading.
A few more views.
And a few more. I loved this vase so much, I also used it in the photo challenge I am participating in at my other blog, Living From Happiness.
I am joining in with a few memes this week as I prepare these vases: Cathy@Rambling in the Garden for her wonderful meme, In a Vase on Monday, Today’s Flowers hosted by Denise@An English Girl Rambles and Judith@Lavender Cottage who hosts Mosaic Monday. Please check out these wonderful blogs and link ups.
So have you had to make lemonade from lemons recently??
Soon it will be time to celebrate the change of seasons. I know it is hard to say goodbye to summer as autumn soon will begin. And even though we may not like to see autumn come so soon, I hope you will join me in the celebration of this new season. I welcome those Down Under who will be celebrating the coming of spring to join in too. You can read the fall Seasonal Celebrations kick-off post on August 31st.
______________________________________________________________________________
Next up on the blog:
On Wednesday, I will have a profile of a favorite native bush that has finally taken off in the bog garden. And on the 31st, I will have the kick-off Seasonal Celebrations post for Autumn.
I am also joining in I Heart Macro with Laura@Shine The Divine that happens every Saturday.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2015. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.