farmers market arrangement

I was thinking about artichokes...not for eating mind you, but for putting in an arrangement. Of course once the flowers are spent, those lovely globes will be a welcome side dish with probably too much butter. But that, is another story.

For now, the focus is a simple arrangement of only four ingredients: artichokes (with stems), tulips, roses, and some greenery, in this case bupleurum.

It is a beautiful display that could brighten up most any room in your home. A table in the foyer perhaps or even a sideboard in the dining room.

So the next time you hit the farmers market, stop by and pick up armful of whatever strikes your fancy. And if you can't find artichokes with the long stems attached, just ask your favorite vendor to bring some for you the next week (you can also order them from a local florist).

Ingredients

4 watertight inserts

1 divided grain box

cold water

flower freshener or bleach

3-5 artichokes with stems

25 tulips

25 roses

12 stems bupleurum

Recipe

Tuck a watertight container into each quadrant of an old divided box. Add cold water and flower freshener. Give a fresh cut to the tulips and place in one of the containers, letting them hang over the edge. Cut the artichoke stems low and place them in another container. Do the same with the remaining containers using the roses and bupleurum.

Change the water in each container every two days and cut the tulips one inch at the same time.

This arrangement should last one week.

Nice one!

Shannon