Striking Sunflowers!

Summer is the season for big, beautiful, beaming sunflowers!  Often found at your local farmer's market, many people don't realize that sunflowers actually come in several varieties and can even be found in tones of orange, not just yellow.  Shown here is the variety "Sunbeam" featuring a large, bright green center as opposed to the more commonly seen black center.  Sunflowers grow tall, in some cases 7 feet or more.  For visual interest, we decided to forego height and instead feature the big, beautiful flower heads "floating" in a low, wide glass bowl.

Hydrangeas

Summer is hydrangea season.  This time of year, it's so wonderful to see these big, vibrant blooms gracing yards in abundance all over town in gorgeous shades of blue, pink, purple and white.  Hydrangeas have big, sturdy stems that can arrange easily in a vase, or be tied together as a bouquet for the summer bride.  Though they flourish outdoors in the summer, they do need to be treated more delicately once cut from the bush.  When arranging, remove any leaves that will be below the water line in the vase.  Have clean, cool water treated with a packet of flower powder which is both flower food and antibacterial agent to keep the water clean.  Give the stems a quick, smooth cut with sharp floral shears and insert immediately into the water.  Be sure to keep the flowers in a cool room, out of direct sunlight.