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Thursday, June 23, 2016

An indulgence on a budget -- a bouquet of a dozen roses


June is the month for the pink hybrid tea roses in my garden. As I was tending the garden, the other day, I was noticing just how perfect they were looking this year. The leaves look clean of spots, and very few aphids on the stems.


I just couldn't resist. I cut myself a lovely bouquet of 1 dozen plus (there are actually 13 in this bouquet), for a vase on my dresser. I wasn't counting, but my daughter commented that I had a dozen roses.

I can count on one hand the number of bouquets of roses that I've received in the last 30 years. A purchased dozen roses is quite an extravagance. So this is really a treat for me.

I was curious what a dozen pink roses was going for this week, so I checked out FTD and a few other online florists. Avas Flowers has a dozen pink roses for $34.99,  GlobalRose has them for $40, FTD is selling them for $49.99, and Teleflora has them for a whopping $63.71!

Five minutes of cutting, and I've saved $63.71! Of course, I would never dream of spending that much money on flowers for myself. So it's not a true savings. But I'm enjoying this bouquet, nonetheless.

Happy June, everyone! Don't forget to stop and smell the roses.

With whatever you have, do something nice for yourself. A lovely tea poured over ice. A bowl of fresh raspberries from your garden. A nice foot soak in epsom salt at the end of the day. Lunch, al fresco, on your patio or deck. A honey-oatmeal face mask. Or a bouquet of your garden-grown flowers.

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Alice sent me a couple of photos of her rock garden, where she has her potted herbs and veggies, as well as some ornamentals (day lilies, a flowering ground cover, 2 pink-flowering shrubs and some evergreen shrubs). She has a lovely little pathway set through her garden, so she can stroll through there, or tend her plants. I can see green beans, tomatoes, green onions and chives, all in pots. What else is in the pots, Alice? They look to be thriving. Have you been working on this garden for a while, Alice? It looks lovely.

Anyways, she and I wanted to share her photos, so I've downloaded a couple of them, here. Enjoy a little tour of Alice's garden.

the view approaching one end of the walkway


near where the other end of the pathway meets up with the house



28 comments:

  1. Beautiful and what a savings!

    I'm not much of a flower gardener but last year we bought a flower that had exactly one bud that flowered then died. I put it in the barn over the winter and this spring I saw new life so I put it out in my rock garden/herb garden/vegetable garden in the same container. They had multiplied over the winter and now I have at least 8 buds that began their blooming yesterday. So I got a "bouquet" of flowers also. They are day lilies. My walk through the "garden" this morning on a stone foot path made me think how lovely my little garden is looking. I purchased zero flowers this year due to budget restrictions but I was gifted two flowers from MIL for my hanging basket. If only I could put a picture for everyone to see.

    Alice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alice,
      Can you send me a photo? I could post it. I would love to see your flowers and rock, herb and veggie garden.

      Have a great day, Alice!

      Delete
    2. Alice,
      I just got your photos. Very nice! I'm going to add them to this post, up above.

      Delete
    3. We have tomatoes, basil, chives, onions, green beans, rosemary, hot peppers, and carrots. We inherited the layout of the "garden" but changed the steps a little bit and added the evergreens and the pots of veggies and herbs.

      Alice

      Delete
    4. Alice, that's quite a lot for a potted garden! It looks like it must be such a pleasant place for you to have peaceful moments. Very lovely!

      Delete
  2. Early on, I asked my husband not to buy me overpriced commercial flowers for occasions. I'd rather have something repottable or something for the garden. But I do occasionally indulge in a bouquet or plant at our local Aldi, usually for $2.99 or $3.99. And if it's a bulb type plant, it goes out into the garden to enjoy again next year and repeatedly after. I haven't really had enough of anything at home to cut yet, but am working on it and may soon.

    Cat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cat,
      The previous owners of our house planted a lot of rose bushes. So, we've been the lucky beneficiaries of lots and lots of roses. These pink ones do especially well for us.
      Good luck with your flower gardening!

      Delete
  3. Flowers from the garden are lovely little day brighteners. My brilliant blue hydrangeas are starting to bloom and they are on the walkway up to our front door so I get to see and enjoy them every day now.
    Mary

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mary,
      our hydrangeas aren't ready for bloom, yet, but I did see some in front of our church on Sunday, in full bloom.

      How lovely, for you, to have your front entrance flanked by their blooms! They are cheerful, aren't they?! Enjoy your flowers!

      Delete
  4. How lovely :) It is the little things in life that makes it so wonderful. When I saw the roses I thought you got a present or found a good deal on them. Wow a very good deal
    fresh flowers are so wonderful. I am sure you know this rose bushes love banana peels.
    Have a lovely day.
    Patti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Patti,
      The roses in the garden looked especially good this year. Long straight stems, no disease or bugs -- they do look like a commercial bouquet (okay, not the size of blooms as commercial ones, but still nicer than I've ever grown before). But even when they don't look picture-perfect, I still cut them to bring inside. It makes me feel pampered to have flowers in where I work, where I can see them all day.

      I have heard that about banana peels, but never tried it. I think there are a few banana peels in the compost bucket that I could dig out (fresh this week, not slimy stuff). I just cut them up and bury near the rose bushes, is that right? Thank you for the reminder!

      Have a great day, Patti!

      Delete
    2. Yes just cut them up and bury them. Careful not to disturb the roots of the rose bush. Just close to them .
      Patti

      Delete
  5. Very pretty! I bet you smile every time you see your bouquet. Like Cat, our Aldi has flowers for a very inexpensive price--I think you can get 6 roses for $5-$6, so a dozen is fairly inexpensive--not so much as yours, mind you, but certainly better than the crazy prices you pay at a florist's shop.

    I have enjoyed our lilac and peony bouquets this spring from the bushes in our yard. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      I do -- every time I see them, I smile and feel blessed to have them.
      When my daughter first saw them, she thought someone had sent them to me (she knew me well enough to know I didn't buy them, ha ha!) Our grocery store sells small bouquets, too for I think about what you find at Aldi, maybe a bit more. I know a woman who used the grocery store florist for her wedding flowers, and they were very lovely. No one could have possibly guessed that her flowers came from the grocery store.

      Oh, I love lilac blossoms. Their season is so brief here, almost gone before I notice them. I think that makes them even more special and appreciated. My peony bush has never done well. I may have to try moving it. Any tips on growing peonies?

      Enjoy your lilacs and peonies!!

      Have a lovely day, Kris!

      Delete
    2. We moved our peonies to a sunnier spot in our yard with better soil (it was sandy where they were). It took about 3 years for them to start getting a lot of blooms--I was almost to the point of "let's just rip them out and put something we like better in their place" when, lo and behold, we started getting some beautiful blooms.

      My husband always uses the grocery store for getting me flowers--which I think is considered lowbrow by some, but I still enjoy them. :)

      Delete
    3. Thank you, Kris! I'll move them, this fall, to a sunnier spot and good soil.

      About the gifts of grocery store flowers -- as long as they're pretty, and in good shape, it doesn't matter where they came from. The fact that he thought enough of you to pick up the flowers at the store is what matters. Not where he bought them, IMO.

      Thanks for the info on your peonies. Have a great day!

      Delete
  6. So fresh and lovely, I could almost smell your bouquet of roses!! The buds look so fragile yet bloom so amazingly full.

    I have never bought myself any flowers my entire life. I always bought things that had future value and felt that that was my indulgence. My husband is just the opposite, he has no problem knowing what makes him happy in the moment, and indulges as far as the budget will allow. Recently, I pondered our differences a bit more....I've been thinking he is the one who has a weak spot for indulgences, but I probably spend more than him. I have been spending several hundreds every year on my craft stash and other collections. So I now come to the conclusion that instead of thinking I don't indulge, the fact of the matter is I do.

    YHF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm...I think what I wrote was confusing...I've felt I indulged (you know that hesitating feeling that you shouldn't?)....but didn't understand it as indulgence. I only viewed my husband as the budget busting culprit ha!

      YHF

      Delete
    2. Hi YHF,
      That's really an interesting observation, about you and your husband's spending. It sounds like your husband spends for immediate gratification while you spend for future gratification. Either way is fine, as you both keep to a budget/plan. But very interesting, your analysis of it.

      I have trouble spending money on an indulgence just for me. It's just hard for me. What I do instead, though, is find ways to get similar indulgences for free or next to nothing. Then I enjoy them, guilt-free. Like the candy I made last week. Or when I make bath oils for myself. It's just my way.

      You and your husband probably balance each other out. He helps you enjoy the moment with a small splurge in the now, while you are thinking to the future to protect your assets for the long-haul for the two of you. I think the differences between the two of you compliment each other.

      Have a wonderful day, YHF!

      Delete
    3. So true that we're quite opposites. I think he's ESFP (Extroverted Sensing Feeling Perceptive) and I'm INTJ (Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judging) according to Myer Briggs personality type. That alone explains a lot of our differences, Sensing is here and now and Intuitive is long term. So it is true he helps me enjoy the moment, without him my life would be very dull.

      I hear you about the guilt part though....it's been easier since our kids are on their own but I still feel that money can't be wasted, that someone in our family could use it for more important things than my frivolous wants. I don't think I could ever relax and spend money like it's only mine. I asked myself, if I went tomorrow, would I be happy sacrificing so much? The answer is yes, just knowing our kids and grandkids will benefit from our sacrifice.

      Have a wonderful day too, Lili!

      YHF

      Delete
  7. Your roses are beautiful, Lili. I hope you enjoy them all week long. Change the water every now and then and they will last longer. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't cut many flowers to bring inside because of the cats. However, I do really enjoy them outside and out the windows.

    It took a while, but I think I've convinced my husband that grocery stores flowers are just as good or better than those at the flower shop. I don't really need the extra arranging. But I won't tell him not to get me flowers because he really likes to do it. And I enjoy getting them although I could live without getting any also.

    Your roses are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi live and learn,
      Oh, I can imagine what your kitties might do to a vase of flowers!
      You do have a lot of flowers on your property to enjoy when you take your walks. What's blooming these days?

      Our grocery store has a refrigerator where you can buy arranged flowers, in addition to the bouquets wrapped in plastic. I've never priced the arranged ones, but I'm guessing it's a lot less than the stand-alone florist shop 2 doors down.

      Ward's a good man. Some husbands really do enjoy bringing flowers to their wives. Makes me smile to think of them.

      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  9. I absolutely love fresh cut flowers from the yard. Peonies, hydrangeas (ours our always pink because of our alkaline soil), zinnias, daises, roses--you name it. They just look so much more "real" to me than the store bought bouquets. Beautiful bouquet, Lili! I can't believe you got so many from your rose bush. Then again, I've seen the flowers in the area where you live. They're always knock outs compared to what can grow here. The desert heat doesn't do flowers an favors. Melissa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Melissa,
      I like the pink hydrangeas. I think so, too, about a garden bouquet of flowers looking real. When something is too perfect it stops looking real.

      These flowers were from 3 bushes. I think the most I got from one bush was 5 stems. So, even in our climate for growing flowers, it still takes a few bushes to get a dozen. I wonder how bushes a rose nursery uses to get a dozen flowers?

      Have a great weekend, Melissa!

      Delete

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