Gardening & Floral Ideas

Life Stages Floral Arranging by Cheri of Prairieside Suites Luxury Bed & Breakfast

2010

Bring in some flowers

We sometimes miss out on the beauty of life by failing to see value in each of the phases and stages. I like to say that I’m always looking at the stage between a blooming flower and a dried flower to see what can be done with each. For example, hydrangeas start out pink or blue but then fade back to a green color over time. When they fade to green, that’s your “clue” to prune those blooms from your plant so the energy is free to flow through and keep producing new blooms. But the green hydrangeas need not go to waste or be discarded! As you can see in this photo, I have found beautiful green vases with interesting shapes to showcase the fading hydrangeas as the foundation for these floral arrangements.

Continuing on my path of making use of each life stage of the plant, I selected astilbes which were way past their bloom and had turned to a very brownish red. Sometimes we’re tempted to see things as only worthy of being discarded when they’re past their prime, but consider how beautiful these are at this stage and how well they work for the arrangement! Finding uses for things others would throw away is one of my favorite things to do—and part of the resourcefulness that my family and friends frequently pointed out as one of my highest gifts.

I’ve completed these arrangements by using my black-eyed susans at their peak for a burst of color. Then added in a purple globe flower and a little lythrum to perk the arrangement up and create contrast using the purple and yellow against the rich neutrality of the greens and browns. By making these arrangements, I’ve pruned the garden, used my old blooms and created something of beauty to enjoy inside as well! Now that’s recycling and being green both at the same time!

Right now is the perfect time for you garden lovers to come and enjoy our beautiful Prairieside Suites Luxury Bed and Breakfast gardens. This picture shows my favorite garden view today!

For the convenience of our guests, our wifi reaches into our gardens so that you can sit and check your email on the double glider swing or from one of our luxury guest suites, each designed after a different part of the world to delight and nurture you. Each room at our award winning “Michigan Bed and Breakfast” features a jacuzzi tub, all season fireplace, king bed and beverage center.

We’re only a short drive away from the spectacular Chihuly glass exhibit woven into the nearby Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park! Dale Chihuly is the most sought-after artist in the world working primarily in glass. He is only exhibiting in about five cities this year, and Grand Rapids is one of them! This exhibit- his second for the city- includes his work being displayed in 15 sites, from the English Perennial Garden at the entryway to the Frey Boardwalk in the wetlands. Included are chandeliers, glass towers up to 30 feet high, floating spheres, reeds rising from the earth, the Sun, the Moon, and a rowboat full of glass.

Come, experience my world!

Cheri

Filed Under: Gardening & Floral Ideas Tagged With: Bed and Breakfast Grand Rapids, Chihuly glass, Dale Chihuly exibit, floral arranging, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, perennail gardens, perennial gardening, whirlpool & fireplace suites

Gardening Tips from Cheri of Prairieside Suites Luxury Bed and Breakfast

2010

These beautiful flowers are Stella DeOra day lilies. They will bloom off and on all summer with a little tender loving care. Many people do not realize how appropriate the name of the day lily is, however; the flowers are actually only designed to last one day! At the end of the day, you should snap the open flower off at the end of the stem. This can be hard to do, I know, like saying goodbye to a beautiful friend. But please trust me on this! If you leave the flower attached to the stem it will be dead when you look for it tomorrow anyway.

If you don’t invest this level of maintenance, a pod will form where the flower was that will grow bigger and bigger–robbing the plant of its energy to produce great blooms. Instead of the flowers adding to the beauty of your garden all summer, you will have an unattractive collection of these large pods. Like so many things in life, a little maintenance makes all the difference. If you take the time to care for your day lilies now by snapping those flowers off the stems at the end of each day, you can keep the flowers blooming all summer long.

We’d love to have you join us at Prairieside Suites luxury bed and breakfast and experience all our beautiful flowers in bloom for yourself. Wander through and discover the joy of our beautiful garden or relax in the hammock under our 300-year-old oak tree. Create your own perfect stay by taking advantage of one our “Sizzling Summer Specials.”
And don’t forget to pack your swim suit! You can relax in our heated outdoor pool with waterfall or snuggle with your sweetheart while enjoying a swing on our romantic double glider in our pergola. Then dash off to dinner at one of the many area restaurants only three minutes away surrounding Rivertown Crossings mall. After dinner stop by the mall and check out all the stores with summer clearance sales. Set aside your hectic schedule and think of this as your home away from home.

Come, experience my world!

Cheri

Filed Under: Gardening & Floral Ideas Tagged With: Bed and Breakfast Grand Rapids, Day Lillies, Gardening Tips, Perennial Gardens

Centerpiece Floral Arranging

2010

One of my favorite things is to take a walk in my gardens and imagine the floral arrangement I can make for our guests to enjoy at the breakfast table. Seasonal changes provide exceptional opportunities to create new floral combinations. As I search the gardens, I’m driven by the joy I believe the flowers will give our guests while they eat and visit with one another. I look for opportunities to prune and reshape the plants and bushes while I create the arrangement.

My inspiration for this pictured floral arrangement that recently graced the breakfast table came when I noticed a branch on a rose bush that was lurching out into the path. I decided to use that branching rose as the central focus of the arrangement, pruning the bush in the process and giving the arrangement its height. Next I looked for hosta leaves I thought would be perfect for fanning around the lowest portion of the floral arrangement. I then used white Asiatic lilies to accent, trimming the center so as not to shed the yellow pollen on the fine white linen tablecloth that graces our dining table for guests. Finally, I completed the arrangement with hydrangeas from two different sides of the yard so I could have both blue and pink blossoms from the differing acidity levels of the soil.

With the finished floral arrangement in place, all we need to complete this picture is breakfast and voila! You have the start of a perfect romantic Michigan get-away!

Can you see yourself sitting down to this wonderful breakfast with your sweetheart beside you? What a way to start off your beautiful day. And if you think our breakfast looks good, wait until you see our over-sized whirlpool fireplace suites. You’ll be ready to eat breakfast and then go back to your room for a nap in our luxurious king size beds with luxury linens! Come take advantage of our sizzling summer specials while the gardens are at their peak.

Come, experience my world!

Cheri

Filed Under: Gardening & Floral Ideas Tagged With: Bed and Breakfast, floral arranging, gardening, Grand Rapids, MI