This easy citrus flower arrangement isn't difficult to create and packs a big design punch. Flowers, lemons, oranges and a watering can is all you need!
WELCOME TO MONDAY MORNING BLOOMS!
Shirley, Mary and Pam and I are bringing out the sunshine for you today! Please see their citrus hued floral designs - I'll share their links at the bottom of this post.
One of my favorite things about spring and summer is being able to walk outside in our garden and gather fresh lemons and oranges. It's one of the joys of living in Southern California! Mid to late February is actually the time our orange tree produces prolific amounts of oranges, so many that we can give away bags full of our naval oranges to the whole neighborhood.
Citrus is sweet, tart, and bright. I chose flowers in citrus colors for this larger scale arrangement, orange, yellow, pink and white {for the flowers of the citrus trees.}
Since we just received some beautiful garden antiques, I thought I'd make an arrangement in one of the watering cans before it flies to its new owner. This painted watering can is actually a hot water carrier, used before plumbing was a regular thing in homes. After filling it with {cold} water, I can only imagine what those poor servant girls went through to carry this, filled with boiling water, up those narrow and bad staircases to the mistress or master so that they could have a bath or shave. It would have been so so heavy!
These types of water cans only open in the back with a lid, so the flowers are only peeking out of this can there. I added some blood oranges to the other side to balance the arrangement out a little.
I layered our small metal table in the back garden with an antique French linen sheet, and set it up for dessert for four. {Truth - even though it looks sunny, there was a gale force wind blowing and it was c o l d - California cold at least! : ) } So dessert had to move inside.
I had a bottle of Martinelli's Blood Orange Sparkling Juice in the fridge, and it was a perfect drink for my outdoor dessert service. I love blood oranges, those I bought, they are so juicy! If you have never had one, next time you find them at the store buy them to try.
This arrangement is easy, and fast to put together. You can use any kind of watering can and different flowers.
Now the fun part; making the flower arrangement. Because this watering can is rather large, I inserted a glass deep into the water at the back to hold green branches clipped from the garden. You can see them sticking out, they give this larger scale arrangement height. They kept falling over, but tying them together with string on the bottom and inserting them into that glass kept them from misbehaving.
Cut the flower stems to the height you want your arrangement to be. I chose to have them be all different lengths, with the coral pink and yellow tulips added at the last minute to stick out here and there. Begin with inserting your filler flowers or greenery in a criss cross way. In my case, since I splurged on a lot of flowers, I cut green branches off bushes in the front and back garden for my filler. The filler or greenery will give all your other flowers a "place" to hold on to.
Then arrange all your citrus colored beauties where you want them! As usual, I'm not a "do this - do that" type of floral arranger. You have what it takes to make a beautiful arrangement! Just play around with your arrangement until you are pleased.
FRENCH COUNTRY CITRUS FLOWERS
FREE SPIRIT GARDEN ROSES
ALSTROEMERIA COLORITA ARIANE
PINK POMPOM MINI ASTERS
WHITE WAX FLOWERS
ORANGE & YELLOW RANUNCULUS
The table is set with these gorgeous Italian lace plates, they are wonderful for salads or in this case, dessert, antique silver forks, and linen napkins with green embroidery that I love so much. My own pressed glasses for the blood orange sparkling juice, an antique white ironstone tureen holds oranges and grapefruits {what else?!} A few antique hose nozzles and a sprinkler nozzle finalize the "decor" on this table.
Citrus fruit makes me happy. It has such a fresh scent, bright colors, and a sparkling taste!
Use oranges, lemons, limes or grapefruits for your sunny French Country citrus flowers – choose a color to enhance your flowers! And don't forget to make something delicious with them, too.
One Last Thing:
I have been meaning to try Jamie Oliver's Blood Orange Polenta Cake! He makes such delicious food! I'm watching old episodes of his cooking shows, while cooking dinner. I'm so inspired to make our meals here at home fresher, cleaner and easier. Do you know about/watch him?
VISIT MY FRIENDS:
SHIRLEY at Housepitality Designs
and me LIDY at FrenchGardenHouse
A BIENTOT
Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and above all uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com
17 comments
Such a beautiful composition of colors! Love everything about your gorgeous bouquet in the magnificent vintage hot water can! This table setting with the citrus is just divine! Thank you Lidy, you are amazing!
Lidy, Your post is delightful as usual. Oh, to be able to walk out in your garden and pick oranges and lemons!
Your antique painted watering can/water carrier is so pretty and charming. I can imagine the thrill of finding this treasure. I’ve never seen anything like it. Do you know how old it is? It is perfection for MMB today!
I love your selection of flowers and fruit. I can taste the blood orange. I do not get to have it often. My first experience was in a hotel in Sorrento and they had pitchers filled! I was impressed at the quantity and it was delicious.
Your vignette is lovely.
Simply Gorgeous Bouquet. I love the beautiful photo’s in this post. Very inspiring.
That is consistent So Cal right there, Lidy. Beautiful! Love the antique watering can and it’s original purpose story beyond the garden.
Beautiful, pure happiness!
Lidy, the watering can is amazing. I have never seen one that even slightly resembles this one. The flowers are gorgeous and I have a fondness for ranunculus. I am also a fan of blood oranges. The dessert table set within your garden is so perfect. I agree with Mary, you would never know that you had gale force winds. It is always a treat to join you for floral inspiration and Monday Morning Blooms. Wishing you a beautiful Monday!
Watering can love Lidy! I love how you married the paint colors with your colorful bouquet and blend of citrus! I’m swooning over that big arrangement and your garden setting! You and Shirley both used those gorgeous two-tone tulips this week. You would never know that it was blustery in your garden from your photos. We had 40 mph wind gusts last week and freezing temps but are warming up this week which has me dreaming of spring and gardening season. As always, it’s a treat to join you for some flower therapy and share blooms with you. Happy Monday <3