NOW AND FOREVER...

I love walking in the garden 
anytime of the day, 
but as we walked there last evening,
 as we do with the dogs every evening
 just before bedtime,
 the old school phlox is blooming 
and it is especially beautiful 
when it glows in 
the light of the moon.

A colorful garden 
is most beautiful 
in the sunlight but 
anything white 
has such an advantage 
on a clear
 moonlit night.

I wrote a post 
back in 2013 entitled 
The Music of the Night 
and it tells of my visualization 
of a white garden at night 
set to the lyrics of 
The Phantom of the Opera.

Now, today, 
let me take you through 
the process of preserving 
the flowers that are
 at the top of my list this summer, 
the zinnia. 

I know that there are a 
few scientific ways to dry flowers,
 but what you have to know about me is: 
 I don't have the patience 
to be "scientific" 
so I almost always just 
fly by the seat of my pants! 

As I have said many times,
 our garden does not grow because of us,
 it grows in spite of us.
 Maybe that is why
 I am so excited by
 the zinnias this year.

This is the first time,
 in what seems like forever,
 that I have planted anything extra 
in the garden. 
It is mostly a 
run-a-muck experiment 
of Mother Nature's 
that totally takes care of itself.

 Another reason why 
I love the zinnias so much 
is that they remind me of
 the old fashioned cottage flowers
 that my mom
 used to grow every summer. 
 There was always 
a beautiful bouquet
 on the dining room table and
 it usually featured 
the jewel tone faces 
of the zinnias.

I have tried 
different ways to dry them 
which included:

Face up 
on the kitchen window sill.
Not totally effective
 but could be used as a filler
 if needed...

...leaving in the vase
 until the water evaporates...

...but that got me 
nothing
 but a dead zinnia.

Since the petals had all 
folded in upon themselves
 when laying on the window sill,
 that gave me an ah-ah moment 
and I thought by laying them 
face down
 might control that problem and 
it did seem to...

...so I placed them that way 
on a paper towel, 
thinking that would absorb
 more moisture and...

...here they are 
along side the three in front 
that were dried face up 
on the window sill. 

I think it worked.

 They might not be as beautiful 
as a scientifically dried 
rose or peony, or even another zinnia, but, 
let's just say 
they look interesting and 
they do hold 
onto their coloring 
very nicely either way.

I think they will fit 
into the forever fall garland perfectly. 
 I cut the stems 
because I just lay them
 on the garland and that way
 they don't become anything other 
than an easy fix. 
I imagine
 wire stems could be added if wanted.

 I also sprayed them 
with some hair spray 
for extra protection but 
they really are
 quite sturdy after drying.

I am quite pleased 
with the way 
they turned 
out.

After a closer look, 
I think the one dried
 on the harder surface, 
might lay flatter.

 Oh my, 
don't they just 
tickle you? 
 Or do you see them
 as something that could just 
skitter across the floor 
at any moment?

 Eeek!

I guess beauty really is
 in the eye
 of the beholder.

Since flowers 
are being stirred into 
the Cottage summer stew,
 come back next week 
when the
 sunflowers arrive.



...Judy...

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