I’ve coined a New Term for how I go about gardening in my own yard. I use the term “Arrange-Plant”… you’re familiar with the term arrangement- it’s evolved from that… I specific look for plants- that I can use for Arranging… meaning I want to cut the flowers, or foliage- off the plants and have them hold up for my flower arranging projects.

Rudbeckia- is a great example of a Plant that can be grown specifically for arranging!

I love Hostas- they are perfect for Flower Arranging- both the leaves and the blooms. I have Lilacs, Viburnum, Red Bud, Pussy Willows, Forsythia, Astilbe, Lilies, Herbs- like Purple African Basil, Scented Geranium, Mint… of course Roses, Peonies, Daisies, Liatrice, Daffodils, Tulips, Grape Hyacinth, Nine Bark- the list goes on and on… I’m always looking for NEW Plants to add that will allow me to create beautiful arrangements- just by taking a step outside and through the garden!

I’ve been arranging flowers from my Garden for many years- In fact- here’s some BONUS Content- an Episode of my First Web-based TV Show- JTV- where I show how to arrange flowers from the Garden- It’s on Youtube- and while you’re there- PLEASE Subscribe to my Channel- It would mean the world to me…

One of the plants I grow in the garden is Hibiscus- while it’s not suitable for arranging- it’s great for Garnishes- and I use the blooms and buds- for my Flower Cocktail- the Hibiscus Mojito- we feature in this episode… you can even use the blooms to make your Hibiscus Flower Syrup- if you’re so inclined… Check out the recipe for the Hibiscus Mojito Here!

Some Flowers are great for garnishing flower cocktails- like this Hibiscus

Here’s an interesting turn of events though- People always want to visit my INCREDIBLE Garden- “It must be just glorious”- they say- “It must be filled with all kinds of flowers- it has to be soooo Beautiful”…  Well- to be honest- it’s a working garden- I grow things- I experiment a lot- so sometimes things don’t go as planned- or sometimes – they get out of control. Last year- I “fell hard” for the Purple African Basil- and I planted it everywhere- and every single one of my plants did tremendous- I had Giant Balls of Purple Foliage- Tons of Pollinators- and they kind of took over… at the end of the season- I couldn’t make enough arrangements, or create enough pesto- to use them all up before the frost… It was a Happy Accident… and I loved it.

At the same time- my Master Gardener friends- may have been a bit dismayed- at how unplanned it looked… but again- I’m not about creating a garden- that is completely aesthetic – I’m interested in whacking away at my garden to create beautiful arrangements- that I can use for decorating, entertaining, sharing and gifting. That’s what I like about “Arrange-plant”.

I regularly appear on my Local ABC Affiliate- with my Friend Catherine Behrendt- here’s a Throw Back- to a segment of Take 5 and Company- where we talk about arranging from the garden and also foraging on the roadside... hehehe!

Hydrangea are great for arranging- and can be treated to grow either pink, blue or lavender!

I have a big row of Hydrangea- problem is- I have clay soil- so I have to feed them constantly to keep them blue- which is what I want- but if I forget- or am distracted- I have Lavender- and sometimes Pink- depending on my dedication… but at the same time – it’s fun to have Blue, Lavender and Pink Hydrangea… I just don’t want all PINK…hehehe!

I’ve got some really good tips about harvesting flowers from your garden- and I compiled it into a FREE Downloadable Publication- www.uBloom.com/GardenToHome – it’s designed to share information about being successful- harvesting flowers from your garden and using them to create arrangements- “ARRANGE-PLANTING”… get it?! Click on this Link- and Get your FREE Copy of Garden To Home- delivered right to you Email Box- it’s a 6 page full color PDF with lots of tips!

I also buy flowers- that I can’t grow very well… I can’t seem to get the hang of Dahlias or Zinnias- so I have a couple of friends- that you’ll meet in Season 2 of Life in Bloom- that help me with Zinnia Production and my Dahlia Obsession- hehehe! I love going to the farmers market- I go every week- and buy lots of Zinnias and Dahlias (and other flowers in Season) – I love being able to get fresh foliage or other accent flowers from my garden to mix with them… that’s another benefit of Arrange-Plant.

So- check out the Pilot Episode of J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom- I’ll introduce you to “Arrange-Plant” – and pick flowers and foliage from my garden- and create the arrangement you see here in this blog post! It’s a fun hobby for me… and it brings me (and my friends that I share arrangements with) so much Joy and Happiness… I hope it can do the same for you!