OREGON S GAY/LESBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE
MAY I 2009
29JÄ
VOICES
Grow your own pageant of princess-worthy blooms
There’s so much buzz about vegetable
growing this year, but I started gardening as
an adult for beauty, not food. The luscious
ness of having flowers available just outside
rfly door to create big, beautiful, cascading
bouquets was a driving force. It may have
helped that at the time, Martha Stewart
was an influence everywhere, and my budget
couldn’t afford the sorts of arrangements she
fashioned. So I grew my own.
Growing flowers to cut is still a primary
reason why I garden. But I have a confession
to make. Once I’ve coaxed these plants to pro
duce, I have a hard time cutting their blooms.
I know it’s crazy, but come on. How many
other gardeners are the same way? (I see you
raising your hands.) Now that I’ve admitted
this secret, I’ll share my favorite flowers from
which to make bouquets - because I’m not
crazy all of the time, just sometimes. Here’s
the pageant of flowers for bouquets - as
sorted in drag queen categories...
Miss Classique: Ffogront heirloom
roses. I’m not talking about the fussy hybrid
teas that have no scent. I mean the old-fash
ioned roses like Moss, Portland, Musk, and
Damask. These roses are both cloyingly sweet
in sentimentality and scent, and decadent in
a bouquet. Add some wisteria dripping along
the edges and you have a display worthy of
Auntie Marne.
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by LeAnn Locher
Miss Exotic Universe de Lilies: Lilies.
Lucky for you, this classic cut flower is easy
to grow. And even more fortunate for you is
the Lily Garden in Vancouver, Washington.
I spoke with Judith Freeman there recently:
I’m a fan of her 8-foot tall Orienpet lily,
“Scheherazade," of which I grow several,
and she recommended its fragrant cousin,
“Quintessence,” and the ever-popular “Silk
Road.” Do you have lilies in your garden?
You should. Visit Judith at lilygarden.com
and support your local grower.
Miss Simple Summer Blooms: Zinnias
and dahlias. I’m not so sure my dahlias are
coming back this year, and if they don’t show
up soon, I’m sewing zinnia seeds in their
place. I’ve got my eyes on “Green Envy” and
“Zowie! Yellow Flame” zinnias this season,
and their unexpected colors from an easy-to-
grow, summer-blooming annual. The great
thing about zinnias is that you grow them
from seed, sewn directly into the ground
The Orienpet lily "Scheherazade" is a
showstopper in the garden and also
lovely as a cut flower
come late May. I’ve been known to plant
them as late as June and am rewarded with
late summer blooms until frost. Arrange
dahlias or zinnias, in their array of colors, in
a canning jar and you have a slice of sweet,
old-time summer. Pass me the watermelon.
Ms
I Smella Wonderful: Gardenias
E verybody %
G arden C enter
and lilacs. The simplicity of creamy, white
gardenia blooms floating in a small round
bowl on a tabletop, the air infused with their
tropic scent. Can it get any better? Some
might say lilac is a better odor, and certainly
easier to grow in the Pacific Northwest. But
bunches of lilac massed in vases in late spring
can almost overpower your sense of smell.
Remember to hammer the ends of your cut
lilacs’ woody stems before placing them in
a vase. By splaying the ends out, you allow
the flowers to take in water and prevent the
blooms from drooping.
Ms. Everlasting: Hydrangea. I think
hydrangeas are pretty cool for many rea
sons, including their range of color tones
from early-to-late season. But they’re par
ticularly breathtaking as a dried, everlasting
flower. My “Nikko Blue” blooms turned an
antique green late in season, and when cut
and brought in before the first freeze, were
able to dry as-is in jars and vases. I’ve enjoyed
them all winter long. If you cut hydrangeas
for fresh displays, just pass the cut stem over
a lighter or flame to prevent early exhaustion
for those gorgeous flowers.
L e A nn L ocher is an avid organic gar
dener in North Portland and an OSU Master
Gardener intern. She loves to hear from other
gardeners at sassygardener@gmail.com.
C hickens
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