The Kitchn Cure theme for this week is Beautify, and we can't think of anything that does this better than a vase of fresh-cut flowers on the counter. We feel happy just looking at them. Here are a few spring blooms we're starting to see come into season!
Many of these spring flowers can also be found as small potted plants, which means they'll last a little longer!
1. Daffodils - So sunny and lovely, these teacup flowers have always been a favorite of ours.
2. Tulips - These come in so many colors, it's hard to choose. Personally, we like picking one of each!
3. Hyacinths - Hyancinths have the most amazing aroma.
4. Orchids - One single stem of delicate orchid blossoms is really all you need.
5. Paperwhites - We love the romantic simplicity of these little blooms.
6. Ranunculus - It still might be a little early for these beauties in some parts of the country, but keep your eyes peeled!
7. Lilies - Easter, calla, stargazer, or tiger lily, we love them all!
What flowers are you seeing right now?
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(Images: Flickr members Muffet, Ack Ook, House of Sims, David Sedlmayer, RC Designer, Sleepy Neko, and Geoff Penaluna licensed under Creative Commons)
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Since cut flowers aren't in my budget anymore, I have been cutting forsythia from my backyard & forcing them open in vases. In fact, I'm headed outside in a few to cut more!
These are all super gorgeous and would make a great bouquets, but a warning if you too have a curious feline who enjoys nibbling on plants. Every flower on this list except orchids are on the ASPCA's toxic to cats list. Many if not all (sorry, I wasn't looking for dog info) are also on the toxic to dogs list. Fresh flowers are great, but 3am trips to the emergency vet are not. Keep you bouquets out of reach of your pets.
Flowers are the ideal celebration of Spring. I tried out a tip last night and I was satisfied with the result. While nothing tops fresh flowers, sometimes my budget will not stretch that far. If you use real greenery, you can make a small arrangement with silk flowers that is quite pleasing. With the fresh green leaves, no one will know the rest of the items in the vase are not real! To keep the living parts of your arrangement vibrant, don't forget to add water.
I just got some tulips on Monday to remind me of spring:
http://www.abbeycatchat.com/2010/03/swap-meet-find.html
sorry daffodils...I love tulips but daffodils were 10 for $1.39 at Trader Joes!
daffodils, stocks, peonies and in fact any flowers work for me. ;)
Beware of daffodils- they leach a poison into the water that kills other plants. Put them in a vase by themselves, or let them sit in a vase for a day, change the water, and then add them to a mixed arrangement.
I also like to force forsythia branches. It's fun to watch it happen.
Daffodils are gorgeous, and relatively inexpensive for a nice bunch. I got 10 stems for $1.50 at Trader Joe's and they were beautiful.
This is a southern US thing, but I've always known daffodils as jonquils. They grow all over our yard, and my grandmother's, and they come back every year.
My other springtime favorite is lilacs, as they smell amazing.