Caroline Delahunty

Getting back to the garden… some lovely moments from this week….❤️

It’s hard to beat the ‘beauty of the Borlotti bean!’

Just a little bit of a wreath made for a customer today … trying to find time to make these in between my day job! Loving it though!!

Years ago , my husband made me a Victorian airer to hang my washing, because we had a really high ceiling in our kitchen.
It was used to hang our washing on rainy days, and cold winter nights where nothing would dry outside, and frequently in summertime when showers came down out of the heavens, during our lovely wet Irish summers. We have an aga in the kitchen, so in wintertime it was perfect for drying our clothes.
He never imagined however, that it would turn into a rack for drying flowers….., so much so, that the washing gets left behind ! 🙈.
I find myself with loads of dried flowers that are hanging beautifully from the ceiling, and look well, may I add, but then masses of wet laundry!! 😂. ‘ You really need to get your priorities right’ says my husband , when he cannot find any dry underwear!! I have my priorities right!! say I, when I look at all my dried flowers !!All these strawflowers were taken off the rack tonight and stored away for winter, and the laundry rack has been reclaimed for the wet clothes! 😉💚💚💚.

Clary sage… did you grow any this year? I had a quick scout round the garden yesterday before the torrential rain that we were promised, (and it arrived I’m glad to say), and gatherd an armful of clary sage for drying for use in wreath making. It’s a really oily plant, your hands will be really, really sticky after handling it.
It’s used as a herb to make an essential oil and is seemingly very good for your vision and certain eye conditions.

‘Clarus’ in Latin, means ‘clear’…..a nice little addition to your flower border. ennyflowers

I have blue statice coming out of my ears this year! There is an odd little bit of pink and there is an odd little bit of white, but I bought mixed pastel colours! I do however love the blue and hope to be doing some exciting things with it this winter as a dried flower.
This bunch is destined to join all the other flowers that are drying from my kitchen ceiling, which is quite high.
I have a lot of Nigella drying there too, and my kitchen floor is permanently full of Nigella seeds ! I need a floral studio …🤔now there’s an idea ? 😂

I grow beautiful poppies mainly for their blousey flowers but mainly for their seedheads! They start to get a little unruly this time of year, so I actually harvest them before they turn brown.
I find it makes no difference when you harvest.
They are so beautiful in arrangements now, but especially in the winter time, dried flower arrangements, or winter wreaths.
I really think they are incredible the way they form, and nature again wows me …it’s so powerful.💚. ❤️poppies

You just can’t beat these babies!! Strawflowers are lookin’ good… space in this garden is at a premium so I am growing these in a slightly shady bed this year and they are bigger than usual ? Just love them!! My husband made me a Victorian washing line a few years ago and it is just perfect for drying… just need to get the washing off it! 😂

Ranunculus love ❤️ these are exquisite, trying to find adjectives to describe them🤔….. graceful, bewitching, stunning, classy….

I never used to bring flowers into the house. probably because I never had enough of them in the garden, and I felt guilty for bringing them inside, as outside would look depleted.
Now, I have so many flowers outside, and I bring so many flowers inside, the guilt has gone the joy is unbelievable, my mental health is better, and my house looks great (if you don’t look at the dust, and the dog hairs, the teenagers mess all over the floor, and the rest of the dirt !! ) so I challenge you to go into your gardens, or into nature, and bring it home….

Where does the nature go to create beauty like this? These tulips are so exquisitely divine, so darn beautiful, every superlative you can think of ….but I don’t remember what they are!!
I don’t care, they can stay buried in my pot , which I will over plant with summer flowers and I can drool again next year all over again