On Friday night after all of the vans were loaded for the Virginia Gold Cup, I went into the garden with the children and designer Whitney. Looking back on this adventure it sounds a little crazy that I went cutting and that I designed after all that we did on Friday. But this time I am making for myself in the garden and to design for me is making me very happy. As we strolled the gardens we checked out the tadpole eggs that had just hatched, saw snails that are growing along the wall of our water pond, and we found blue bird eggs in a nest. When I am in the garden the children can be with me and there is an open door to my heart, but when I am on the computer there is a wall between us.

Blush peony, and spirea buds

Fern, viburnum

Heirloom mock orange, viburnum

Yellow peony

Salvia, and knock out roses

Ivy, this also happens to be the same ivy I used to create my wreath for the front door.

For this design I started with my new vase I bought in Holland, I can’t believe how many treasures I brought home from that place. This container is a frog and a vase. Frogs were used to hold stems in place before there was oasis. Using this type of vase or structure allows the flowers to rest in fresh water without the oasis floral foam.

Greens first, remember they are the bones of your design.

Virburnum pods

Next I placed some textural elements into the design, notice one of the elements I used was the viburnum that had finished blooming. Then came the bold knock out roses and my dark purple salvia.

Then came my glorious yellow peony.

The dainty pieces of fern and mock orange were added last so that they could be seen and recognized.

Believe it or not there is an entirely new crop of beauties waiting in my garden and I am going to make time to get out there today!!!