haversting

"No two flowers are alike - each bouquet is naturally unique"

Harvesting
The primetime of harvesting summeflowers is generally between july-september in Sweden, however it depends on which country you live in and what the natural seasonal climate is. During harvesting time they are at their most beautiful stage and produce alot of flowers. Most flowers is best harvested as a bud, when it starts to show its color. So go out with a bucket of water the beautiful summer morning haze (sometimes in rain clothes off course) or later in the evening. The best time to harvest during the day is either morning or evening, when it is not too hot.

Use a sharp cuttingknife or sissor when you harvest and strip the leafs. Let the flowers stand in water for a couple of hours in a cool shady place before you start to work with them. Cut them once more after you have finished.

By harvesting flowers the plant will continue to use energy to produce more flowers, or it will start to produce seeds. So go out there, harvest as much as you want and fill your home with flowers, enjoy! Also, don't forget to "deadhead", that is, to cut the withered flowers, to help it continue produce flowers.

Vaselife
How long vaselife does a flower have? There is no exact answer I believe. It depends on the variety, but also what stage the flower is in when harvesting, during what time you harvest during the day, the weather and aftercare, and more. Most of our seeds are suitable for cutting, that is that they have high and sturdy stems, rich in flowering and have a generally long vaselife. In our experience, our flowers (grown in open field) can last between five days up to two weeks. To take the best care of your harvested flowers, you can make new cuts from time to time, change the water every day and keep them cool and dark during the night.

Is the longest vaselife the most desirable? Is a cutflower "more worthy" if it lasts one or two days more? Really, I believe that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder - and it is up to oneself. Isn't it so that we can enjoy things even if it is for a shorter period? Also, it can be so beautiful to mix buds, newly flowering flowers and fully flowering. How beautiful is for example tulips, whilst they wither - when they sway over the vase, the colors fade and their shape turns wild? A tip is to throw away some flowers from a bouquet, replacing them with newly fresh and keep the bouquet longer.

Binding Bouquets
Let your creativity flow - there are no right or wrong, nothing ugly. Just your own perception of beauty, your own unique expressions, and the most beautiful of flowers. To grow, harvest and create with seasonal flowers is in itself a special and unique expressions - no mather if you make bouquets for business or yourself the flowers will awaken something in the beholder.

Perhaps strawflowers reminds you of a childhoodmemory, or grandparents. Amazing snapdragons or fluffy asters might inspire someone to start growing flowers themselves. A funuralarrangement with wildgrass, meadowflowers might bring tears of joy because perhaps it was there, out in the free amongst poppies and flowing grass in the meadow that the loved one was the most happiest. A weddingbouquet, tight or wild, small or large, with lovely scented sweetpeas, magnificent dahlias and sweet phlox gives an infinite amount of love on an endlessly lovable day. There is something for everyone; no two flowers are alike - every bouquet is naturally unique.

Dry Flowers
Enjoy the flowers of summer even during winter by drying them. Strawflowers, or everlastings, are unique as they keep both shape and color even after they are dried. These jewels are kind towards environment and a beautiful alternativ to imported flowers during the months we don't grow flowers ourselves.

There are many kinds of summerflowers that are suitable for drying. All should be harvested in dry weather. Strawflower, the most common, can be harvested in bud or half flowering, as they continue to open after harvesting. They can be hung upside down to keep their shape, in a dark and dry space. Other flowers that are good for drying are Larkspur  nigella, all kinds of amaranth - please look here for all flowers that can be dried  - DRIED FLOWERS.

Dahlias are beautiful to dry, by letter them slowly dry in vase, and if you want to try to dry zinnia or aster you can put them upside down in sand, cover with sand and let dry for about 2-3 weeks. It is important that both the flowers and sand are completely dry.