August 29, 2026
Colorful Summer Flower Arrangements
Among the many pleasures of growing one’s own flowers is being able to enjoy them both in the garden and in the home.
It’s always so nice to walk through the gardens and see a multitude of beautiful, colorful blooms. I also enjoy bringing fresh, fragrant flowers indoors, where I can use them to decorate my kitchen, servery, and sitting room. Yesterday, my housekeeper Enma created several lovely arrangements using some of the gorgeous flowers still going strong – the celosias, the zinnias, the marigolds, and the dahlias.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I grow many flowers every year, so they can be cut and used for photography shoots, videos, or for display. When cutting flowers from the garden, always think about the different colors, shapes, and textures that will look interesting and appealing when put together in a vase.
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- Fill the vase with cool water, but always leave a little room, so water doesn’t overflow. Vases need enough to keep stems submerged so they can draw water efficiently, without deteriorating.
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- Enma starts with some dahlias. She picked various shades of pink for an arrangement in this five finger vase. Size up the stems next to the vase being used, so they can be cut appropriately.
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- Dahlias produce an abundance of blooms throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first freeze. I am able to enjoy many dahlia arrangements during the season.
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- At the top, a giant dahlia. To prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting.
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- If needed, add more water. Invest in a good watering can for the flowers – one that allows for controlled use without damaging any of the fragile petals.
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- For this arrangement, Enma carefully selects a palette of bright orange celosias and coordinating amaranths. Whether you plant the plumed type with its striking upright spires or the crested type with its fascinating twisted form, celosia stands out in any room.
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- When cutting flower stems always cut at a 45-degree angle. Cutting the stems at this angle, rather than straight across, allows for greater surface area and increased water uptake.
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- As she finishes, Enma makes sure to look a the entire arrangement, filling in any bare spots.
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- If some water needs to be removed, use a small towel inserted into the vase to absorb the excess fluid. This is a good tip especially when vases are already full with flowers.
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- Enma also adds some trailing amaranths in a dark burgundy color to add a cascading effect.
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- Amaranth and celosia add dramatic texture, vibrant color, and interest to floral arrangements – nice job, Enma.
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- Enma loves these fragrant Aztec marigolds. Also known as American marigold or African marigold, Aztec marigold, Tagetes erecta, is a showy, easy-to-grow annual that blooms from summer to the first frost. The huge blooms appear on top of one to four-foot stems and come in shades of orange, yellow, bronze, and creamy white.
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- Here she is adding water to the vase – she chose a wide mouth cylindrical vase that could accommodate a large number of yellow flowers.
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- Remember to remove any leaves that would otherwise end up below the water line. Leaves and flowers that sit below the water line can rot.
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- Enma uses gold colored flowers in this finger vase. Monochromatic arrangements are beautiful on their own. They look clean, refined, and striking.
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- The colorful dahlias are on my kitchen counter, the hub of my home, where I often have meetings – everyone admires them as soon as they see them.
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- This arrangement was placed in my foyer.
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- It looks striking under the wing of my giant falcon.
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- Here is one of the marigold arrangements in my sitting room – so cheerful to see every morning when I come downstairs.
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- And on another table in this room, the gold marigolds. I hope this weekend, you can get yourself some cut flowers and bring a little bit of summer indoors.
This story originally appeared on Martha Stewart Blog
