The Power of Flowers

With the unseasonably warm weather in the northeast, we've become obsessed with flowers. Local nurseries are beginning to stock their shelves with budding plants and even a quick trip into the Home Depot finds us staring at the wildflower seed packets. It's a perfect time to plant (not to mention, get a little color on that pale winter skin) and a perfect time to watch your hard work, quite literally, blossom before your eyes.

We love the idea of filling our yards and back porches with all the flowers we can get. It's not just because they're beautiful and awe-inspiring, but mostly because it affords us with the opportunity to use our own homegrown flowers for arrangements both large and small throughout the spring, summer, & fall. At Straight Wharf we always use fresh, seasonal flowers to brighten up our dining spaces and by picking & arranging them ourselves we have an appreciation for them beyond just loving their smell or color. We care for them like members of our family and are proud to share their beauty with our guests for as long as we can.

Whether or not you're even planning a wedding, kickstarting a flower garden this spring is a great idea. You can grow perennial bulbs (perennial means they come back every year without much coaxing...think daffodils and tulips) in a yard, in a pot or any sort of container. You can start them inside and transplant them or, with this great weather, you can spend a day outside popping them right into the ground. As long as you're not afraid of a little dirt and hard work (and we know you're not), the result is absolutely positively worth the effort.

Another great thing about planting bulbs...the choices are many and the costs are little. Any garden center will have a great selection of bulbs in amazing colors & styles. Some will bloom first (early summer), others second (mid-summer), and more third (surprise surprise, late-summer). Choosing a variety of blooms will ensure you have gorgeous arrangements all summer long and will also give you a greater understanding of what flowers may be ready when your big day comes along...centerpieces filled with flowers from your very own garden...it can't get much better than that.