Often when I feel that I need a little change in my decor, it’s as simple as making a quick trip to the grocery store. Many grocery stores now have floral departments with very reasonable fresh flowers. Nothing can brighten your space, or your mood, faster!
Homeland is my favorite local store for purchasing flowers. They always have a good selection of $4 bunches of flowers. One is enough, but even if you want to buy a few bunches the cost is still reasonable.
Here are a few ways I’ve used grocery store flowers to decorate.
This was a bunch of tulips that lasted for a week or two, completely worth the small price for the beauty they added to my kitchen. Did you know that if you put a penny in the water it will keep the tulips from drooping?
At a recent baby shower I bought a bunch of gladiolas and a bunch of mini-carnations, along with a bag of key limes for this table arrangement. The secret to this type of arrangement is to put the flowers in a narrow cylinder-shaped vase that slips down in to the middle of a wider, rounder vase, and then pour the limes in the space between.
Certain types of flowers will last up to a month if you trim the stems a bit and change the water every few days. I’ve found mini-carnations to have the longest life of any flowers I’ve tried. When the glads from the shower died, I picked up another bunch of mini-carnations and mixed it with the pink ones and the limes that I already had to create another set of arrangements that lasted several more weeks.
Thrift stores and garage sales are my favorite source for great containers and vases. With the easy switch-up, I was all ready to entertain some college friends for lunch with a colorful yet simple table.
I also like to pull a few stems out of the bunch and spread them around as much as possible in the room.
To make that bouquet or two stretch even further, mix in a few greenery clippings from your yard or potted plants.
I’m so thankful for the variety of God’s bright, beautiful creation, and the creativity that it inspires in us!
Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” And it was so. The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Evening came and then morning: the third day. Genesis 1:11-13 (HCSB)