Saturday morning beauties: Simple Dahlia arrangement

I went to the Farmers' Market on Saturday morning, right after it opened and before it got crowded. It is very unlike me to be out and about early on a weekend day, but I had to pick up my car before 9am and decided to take advantage of the early morning calm.

I got a lovely bounty of tomatoes, olive bread, sugar sweet corn and two bunches of Dahlias in absolutely irresistible shades of reds, oranges, and pinks.

The Dahlias' heads are large and heavy, and to display them in a flat arrangement, I enlisted a tried-and-true florist tool: scotch tape. The grid, taped across a vase, supports the flower heads and makes the arrangement appear dense without having to overcrowd it with the delicate blossoms.

Et voilà. I really wish I knew how to paint—I'd love to capture these gorgeous colors.

Cermamic jars revived

For a recent garden party at my parents’ house, I was looking for some decoration from the “convenient, because on hand” category. Among other things, I found these lovely ceramic jars in a shady corner in the garden, waiting for their big break.

A trip to the farmers’ market at the height of summer in Northern Germany isn’t only a lot of fun, but also pays off when you’re in need of a lot of flowers. I got bunches and bunches of flowers for little money, and arranged them to happy, colorful bouquets.

Sunflowers, asters and snapdragons looked great in the terracotta-colored jars, and were a fantastic fit for the rustic ambience of the outdoor party. Which proves once again that the unorthodox use of everday items is a true virtue. It would have been a shame if these former pickle jars had missed their revival as summery vases, don’t you think?