I’m back to share my monthly bouquet (a super sweet Christmas present from the hubs). And just like last month’s gaggle of flora, this month’s blooms didn’t hail from the grocery store at all. In lieu of the normal $3-5 bouquet, we spent zero dollars and zero cents clipping a bunch of fuschia and coral roses from our backyard. Just like last month’s irises, they’re courtesy of the previous owners, and although we have no idea how to nurture roses (we’ve never fertilized them or anything) they just keep coming back year after year like clockwork. Here they are living it up a fun ruby red vase on our living room side table:
I love the two tones of blooms together, and especially like how great they look with the deeper fuschia ones around the perimeter while the coral ones fill in the middle of the arrangement.
Even John has stopped to admire this month’s bouquet. Maybe it’s because we rarely have red & pink accents in our house, so it definitely pops and begs to be noticed. Gotta love such a punchy (free) accessory.
So what about you guys? Have you snagged any cheerful flowers courtesy of your backyard or your local grocery store? We’d love to know what blooms are tickling your fancy these days and what bouquets your backyard is yielding now that summer is upon us.
Wanna see our first grocery store bouquet from last January? Itching to check out February, March, April, and May too? Just follow the links for some pretty sweet cheap-o bouquets.
PJ says
I love your bouquet! It’s so fresh and pretty. We recently planted red, yellow and orange gerbera daisies right outside our kitchen window. There aren’t enough yet to make an entire bouquet, but I use them to add pops of color to my bi-weekly grocery store florals. Last week I bought beautiful, big white mums and added the orange and yellow daisies here and there for pops of color. Thanks for the ideas and constant inspiration!
Laura says
Sigh. I wish that flowers at the store weren’t so expensive. I’d love to have flowers in the house all the time, they really do brighten up the home. I will definitely have some rose bushes and flowering trees when I get a home.
Very pretty!
Lindsey says
I am a huge flower fan (family thing), I don’t think my yard could hold many more. I have a flower bed that goes all the way around our house and garage. My cousin is a landscaper and his soon to be wife is a landscape architect so she drew up fantastic plans for us. We have TONS of knock out roses which are very low maintence and here in Southern Alabama bloom from early March to November. We have blue hydrangeas, a vitex tree which bloom purple, a couple of butterfly bushes that literally attrach so many butterfly’s with their purple blooms its amazing. We have tons of gardenias and camellias ( a southern staple) so I basically have something in my yard that is in bloom all year long so I always have a house full of free flowers. This time of year its the roses and hydrangeas. I love the orange roses, they are so pretty!!
Ashley says
WOW! Thoes are gorgeous. Love those colors. I always buy plants at the grocery store and they never last except my orchid. Maybe I will switch to bouquets instead.
elizabeth says
Some of our oregano was starting to bloom so I cut it back a bit and then put a bunch of the cuttings in a small mason jar in the kitchen. It looks and smells great!
Abby says
I bought a bunch of gorgeous flowers after mothers day. They were clearanced out at the grocery so they were a great deal – I had roses, daisies, lilies, and other pretties.
P.S. Love your red vase!!
Amy says
That bouquet is beautiful! At our current house, we dont have any flowers (yet). But at our old home, we had the most amazingly bright red, yellow, and oragne tulips. We also had a huge hydrangea bush, and I cant wait to get another one for our new house!
ps- I voted! hopefully you guys will keep your lead for the next week!
Wendy says
We’ve gotten daffodils, irises, day-lilies, dahlias, and the most beautiful hydrangeas this year so far. Have been amazed at how long the hydrangea blossoms have held up in vases (this is the first year we’ve cut them for inside). We have some cinnamon-basil blooming right now, and after seeing the comment on the oregano above, am thinking I might have to clip some of that this weekend. Roses are on the books to be added next year…
Jenn R. says
Hi Sherry!
Sean and I have been voting daily. We’re really rooting for you! Has the vote counter stopped updating again? It doesn’t seem to have changed from yesterday.
Jenn
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jenn,
Good eye! The votes have in fact frozen again but we’ve been assured that they’ll catch up tomorrow! Until then (and probably after then) we’ll be on the edge of our seats. Things are crazy close! Thanks so much for the votes. We need all the help we can get!
xo,
Sherry
Beth says
I WISH flowers actually bloomed in my crazy yard, but no luck. I have to buy them every week. BOOOO! Yours look great though!
Did you paint a wall in there light green or is that the lighting? It looks celery-colored to the right…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Beth,
That wall does look celery on the right doesn’t it? It’s actually still a sandy tan tone but all the greenery out the window must have reflected on the wall to give it that green cast. Funny!
xo,
Sherry
MJ says
How pretty!
I picked up some beautiful white hydrangeas this week! I have always wanted to live in New England, and these remind me of my visits. One thing I didn’t know is that they suck up water at an amazing pace! I had to go away for a day and when I came back, they drank the whole vase and were very sorry looking. :(
Chelsea @ TheVintageChair says
Right now the wildflowers are in full bloom here in Oklahoma. The highways are lined with beautiful, brightly colored flowers that just BEG to be picked! They’re protected by the state so that no landscaping goes on and mows them over while they’re basking in their seasonal glory, but people are allowed to pick them. The other day I just couldn’t resisit. We were in a rural part of Oklahoma (imagine that…) and I made my husband pull over so I could snag a few for our dining table! They’re so pretty!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow. Free wild flowers that are allowed to be picked! I’d be in heaven. Seriously every surface of our house (tables, shelves, the dog) would be covered in blooms!
xo,
s
Lilyplant says
Daffodils will naturalize and deer do not like them (tulips will not and they are like potato chips to deer). Peonies are also a wonderful cut flower that can be divided after year 3, and a deer dislike. Allium (globe flower) are from the onion family and will return year after year, and besides being eyecatching, make fantastic dried ornaments for your tree. Hydrangea can be dried as well.
Wendy says
Beautiful combination! I currently have big beautiful sunflower blooms from Trader Joe’s on my table, mixed with long stems I cut from the boxwoods out front. The yellow and green are beautiful together and the boxwood stems give it the extra fullness needed to make it just right!
Makayla says
I walked into my sister-in-laws home a little while ago and she had a vase full of lilacs from her garden. You could smell the loveliness from the door. Lilacs sure make spring worthwhile.
Liz says
Gorgeous bouquet!!! Aren’t blooming backyard surprises the best? We recently moved into a new house and we’re constantly amazed and super-happy with the new blooms that we have popping up (roses, peonies, cone flowers, irises . . . you name it, we’ve got it!). My favorite, though, has got to be our surprise peony bush: http://itsgreattobehome.net/2009/04/17/pretty-as-a-peony/. I know you’ve got a surprise peony bush, too – has yours bloomed yet? You’ll love it when it does! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Liz,
Our little surprise peony bush has actually produced two big gorgeous blooms so far, and we can’t wait for more. Your bush looks lovely and gives us hope that ours will get bigger and more lush as time goes by. Hooray for free surprise flowers!
xo,
Sherry
Chelsea says
Pink and orange were the colors of my wedding and a hint of lime green too! i love that color combo so much!
Kim says
Wow, lovely! I’m a little jealous. We do have blooms in the yard, but we can’t bring most of them in because of our two cats. Both will munch on any plants or petals (even plastic), and some are toxic. Those cats–they refuse to be trained. This is why having an adorable sweetie of a pup like yours is a big advantage.
Danielle says
I just cut a few roses from my garden as well. Don’t they smell so good?!?!?
Jillian says
My husband just hand picked a few roses for me and I have placed them in bud vases around our house. My favorite was a light pink rose with really tightly packed petals. It was almost like a peony. So pretty.
Laurie says
Spring has been practically non-existent where I live this year, my tulips started blooming last week, and I’ve been bringing them inside. My lilacs are blooming now as well, so some of those will be cut and brought inside…I LOVE the fragrance!
I usually buy flowers for myself every week on Fridays, usually tulips or gerber daisys, sometimes the more exotic looking things, whatever I can find for under $10 :) But I can save myself some money for the next few weeks!
I planted 3 peonies last week so maybe next year I will have an abundance of those to bring inside as well…the only thing I don’t like about those is the ants :)
Bethie says
We just moved into a new house and have been surprised at the unexpected plants that begin blooming in the yard! So far we’ve found two rose bushes, a couple flowering things that we haven’t yet identified and have realized that two trees in the yard are flowering cherry trees.
For the last seven years, Husby has brought me flowers every month to commemorate our first kiss (he’s a keeper). The last bunch was of pink roses (which look great in our predominantly green living room!) but I hope in the future he will clip some from the yard. That would make it even more special!
Debra says
Your flowers look beautiful, especially since they were technically free. I love the peonies that Trader Joes’s has now for $6.99, because here in Ca. we seldom see peonies. My darling hubby has been stealing me single blooms since I first met him, wherever we go, he will grab a flower if there is one to take and he has bought me flowers for years from the local flea market along with vintage and antique vases that I have been collecting for years, most that were purchased for only a buck or so. I hope you guys win the challenge, at least you’re the most adorable couple in the contest. Good luck!!!!!
Annapolitan says
Sherry, Scott’s Miracle-Gro is great for all outdoor plants. I think they have one just for roses, too. I use the granules that mix with water from my hose and spray directly on my plants and shrubs. (They have a special hose attachment that does this.)
(I don’t mean to sound like an ad, but I’ve always had good success with it.)
I don’t have much of a garden but I do have a neighbor who very considerately planted a couple of white lilac bushes and some lavender for me a few years back. She hated seeing my garden so bare, and so I bought the plants and she did the planting. One of the bushes bloomed this year and I had a few very fragrant bunches of lilacs to perfume my bedroom. The lavender is blooming now and I’m cutting it when it’s in bud and hanging it to dry for gifts later on.
So, yay freebies! That’s about all I can afford these days, as I have been unemployed/underemployed for a while. But I find that homemade cookies and cuttings from my garden are appreciated by friends as much as anything else I could bring them.
JennD says
Off subject – I love your lamp!! Where did you get it?
I love the roses too in that cute little vase, they are beautious!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey JennD,
The glass based lamps on the side tables in our living room are from the sadly departed Linens N Things (they were in the Nate Berkus collection there and I adored them) but if you check out our sidebar under “We’re Digging” you’ll see other glass based lamps there. Hope it helps! Happy hunting…
xo,
Sherry
LauraC says
Lilacs, peonies, roses, irises, bluebells, lily-of-the-valley, rhododendrons . . . the list goes on of what has been popping up in our yard since we bought our house two months ago. Needless to say, I’ve had rooms full of free blooms!
Kate at Centsational Girl says
Oh my, such lovely color in those blooms. I am cheered just looking at it. That vase is TDF. I fully expect it to make a stunning reappearance this holiday season.
:-) Kate
Averill says
My favorite bouqet yet!
Fatima says
I love your pretty bouquet! I am still waiting on my peonies and roses. We are in Calgary, Canada and today it feels like winter all over again.
Janis says
Just lovely! My dream is to be able to pick fresh flowers from my garden. *sigh* one day apartment living will be a distant memory!
anne says
soft pink peonies from the farmers market!
Tee says
Beautiful flowers! I am all about the fuscia and orange in my house. I am like you with the white all over the place, but I have pillows of fuscia & orange, flowers, candle holders…They are such bright beautiful colors :)
layersofmeaning says
Lovely!
My co-worker gave me tons (tons!) of hydrangeas (my favorites) from her front yard. She gave me so many that I had enough for 5 different vases plus one for my desk at work.
Amanda says
Such pretty flowers! I love how unique they are and would never have guessed roses, being shaped the way they are. The colors are great too!
NewlyWoodwards says
I may have just swiped some pink and white peonies from the neighbors to put in my house. They look lovely. I have them all over.
Don’t worry, she said I could take them. Love nice neighbors.
Angel says
I visit your site often (love it), vote for your makeover, but this is my first comment. Just yesterday, to celebrate the birth of my newest nephew, I created a flower arrangement to take to the hospital visit…the arrangement consisted of wildflowers (not sure of the exact names!) that line the ditches and decorate our field. To see a picture, I have it posted on my blog- http://www.beeangels.blogspot.com Aren’t FREE floral arrangements the prettiest!?!
YoungHouseLove says
Pretty! Love the pickle jar too.
xo,
s
Linda says
I love the pop of red and orange!
I made a bouquet of red, white, and “blue” sweet peas from my backyard for the Memorial Day picnic table, and it stayed pretty and fragrant all week. Sweet!
Our local mental health association runs a therapy garden, and on Thursdays they open a roadside stand with organic veggies and mixed flower bouquets.I treat myself to a bouquet every week, and let my son pick it out. Flowers in the home are good for mental health, in more ways than one!
Jill Stigs says
WOW– even though I read on All Bower Power that you admired red bowls and vases I did not expect to see any in your uber light and airy house!
Looks super great.
renee says
PEONIES! I am blessed that there are four bushes in my yard. The best smell on earth…well, next to the sweet smell of a baby’s head!
Keep voting people! We are getting down to the wire!
Jen says
Love the red and orange! It’s so summery!
We’re enjoying white and pink peonies from our garden (also inherited from the previous owners). Love them!
Jemison says
Hey, I love this site. I have made bouquets of picked flowers before, but I always found they came with unwanted bugs. Have you experienced this problem and what advice do you have? Thanks for your time and insight!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jemison,
Good question! In last month’s iris post we actually talked about it a bit so feel free to pop over there and check out those comments for some tips and suggestions (not only from us but from other readers too!): https://www.younghouselove.com/budgetblooms-backyard-beauties/
xo,
Sherry
Kristen says
Coral & Fushia anything give me goosebumps when arranged together! They were my wedding colors (Coral dresses & fushia flowers) for our Turks & Caicos beach wedding!!!! The colors really popped against the blue water & white sand, and how much more tropical can you get with colors. Glad to see other’s are appreciating the fun of the 2 hues!
Melissa says
Love the flowers and the vase – gorgeous! I really like the little round bowl with the wine corks. I have a large square vase full of them but I like the idea of a smaller one on the end table. Thanks for the inspiration.
Carolyn Valentín says
My husband and I live in Austria now and we have the BEST selection of flowers growing on our street. Hundreds of rose bushes and little hydrangeas (that I picked the other day for a nice little simple arrangement). Coming from Houston where it’s too hot for most flowers, this is heaven. And by the way, love the blog. We barely have any furniture in our great classic Euro style flat, so I keep looking here for inspiration. Unfortunately, the stores here are either uberexpensive or terrible. We don’t have the Targets or Marshall’s. :(
Lisa says
I love the look with the pink flowers and the pink tinted glass!! You have an awesome eye for design! I am going to try something similar in my own home, right now the snow ball bush is in bloom and I am playing around with short stem arrangements :)