apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Lovely roses. The colours are marvelous.

This reminds me of a neighborhood I used to frequent. There was a flower shop that got rid of subpar flowers at the end of the day. They would throw them into a small dumpster next to the shop and, to discourage people from either reselling them or taking them home, they would chop off most of the length of the stems. I would grab a couple dozen roses with stems about three inches long and bring them home. They fit nicely in a drinking glass or, as you've done here, floating in a bowl with the remainder of the stems cut off. I tended to get roses because they were the sturdiest flowers in the dumpster and I like fully opened roses.

Lovely.

FYI -- For people who can't afford weekly bouquets (they're several times more expensive here in Montreal than in NYC), keep in mind that some plants will grow in water. When you put them in a vase, they sprout roots, and (as long as you change the water to avoid rot) will live happily there.

I have a vase of English ivy growing in water and add one or two flowers to it for a bouquet look.

I suppose one could always simply grow flowering plants in a pot, but I've never had much luck with that.

beautiful shots as always matt. just this week for the first time in ages i bought a bunch of tulips. they last a really long time and even look quite graceful as they fade. i put just a few in two different vases and one on my desk in a bud vase. very satisfying. they remind me of ballet dancers for some reason.

I love this commitment, and plan (and end result!).

Inspiring, actually, in a small but very real way. Thanks Matt.

To make flowers last longer during the work week when everyone is away during the day, I've been putting our tulips,etc. in the darkest, coldest corner in the house in the mornings, and bringing them back out when I get home. And our cut flowers now last for two full weeks. Though you can't find the variety of summer or spring, flowers do last longer in the winter!

Matt, will your ever (or have you ever) cover what kind of camera you're using for these entries? I would love to know more.

My favorite flower source of late, unusually enough, is Trader Joe's. Over a week ago I got a large heavenly mixed bouquet that included roses and lilies for only $10. Even when the roses faded new lilies were opening every day. They're still going strong and have been such a joy on these grey days.

I do this esp. when rosees have been in a vase and the heads start to droop- just cut off most of the stems and put them in a glass bowl like this! They perk right up.