A Summer Garden Floral Arrangement
Let the flowers tell the story…
There’s something so special about the garden in the summertime. It seems to change almost overnight, and every morning there’s something new waiting to be picked. One of my favorite things to do is grab my clippers, wander through the garden, and see what catches my eye. I never have a plan… I simply gather whatever is blooming and let the flowers tell the story.
A floral arrangement to welcome guests
This arrangement came together just like that. I had a few flowers left over from the shop and thought they’d pair beautifully with whatever I could gather from the garden. We had family staying with us for the weekend, and I wanted to make the kitchen feel especially welcoming. There’s something about fresh flowers on the island that instantly makes a house feel like home.
Floral Arranging Video
I’ve included the step-by-step video tutorial below so you can follow along and create this arrangement with me. I hope you’ll have as much fun making it as I did.
The Recipe
Container
One 12-inch glass vase
Flowers & Foliage
3 sprigs of lilac foliage
5 stems of spirea foliage
3 stems of baptisia foliage
3 stems of sage
3 stems of weigela foliage
5 stems of butterfly bush
5 stems of light pink foxglove
7 stems of purple hydrangea
3 stems of pink phlox
3 stems of blue delphinium
3 stems of light pink butterfly snaps
5 stems of pale yellow zinnias
3 stems of light pink garden roses
3 stems of white ranunculus
2 stems of light pink ranunculus
5 stems of lavender scabiosa
The Method
Fill your vase with room-temperature water and flower food.
Begin by creating the framework with your foliage. Add the lilac, spirea, baptisia, sage, and weigela, placing each stem at a slightly different height and angle. This creates a loose, natural foundation for the arrangement.
Add the butterfly bush throughout the greenery, allowing a few stems to extend beyond the foliage to create movement and soften the outline.
Place the foxglove toward the back and center of the arrangement. Vary the heights and let a few stems gently lean outward to create a relaxed, garden-inspired shape.
Next, add the hydrangeas. These larger blooms become the heart of the arrangement. Group them loosely rather than spacing them evenly, leaving small pockets of air so the design feels light and natural.
Tuck the phlox and delphinium around the hydrangeas, weaving them throughout the arrangement to add beautiful color and texture.
Add the butterfly snaps at varying heights, allowing them to dance through the bouquet and create even more movement.
Nestle the pale yellow zinnias throughout the arrangement in small clusters, then add the garden roses, letting them peek out naturally from between the other flowers.
Tuck the white and light pink ranunculus into any open spaces, placing them at different heights to soften the arrangement and add another layer of delicate texture.
Finish with the lavender scabiosa. These airy blooms are the perfect finishing touch, adding movement and giving the arrangement that freshly gathered, just-picked-from-the-garden look.
Step back every few stems and turn the vase as you work, making small adjustments until it feels balanced from every angle. Remember, the beauty of a garden-style arrangement is that it doesn’t need to be perfect. A little movement and a touch of wildness are exactly what make it so beautiful.
I hope this inspires you to grow a few flowers of your own. You don’t need a large cutting garden—even just a handful of blooms can become something beautiful. And I promise, there’s nothing quite like creating an arrangement from flowers you’ve grown yourself. It may just become one of your favorite parts of summer, too.
Happy arranging,
Sandra 🌿
