Horticulturist Marianne Binetti shares her favorite techniques for incorporating flowering shrubs in the home décor:
Choose locations (such as an east-facing window) that don't have full sun (figure A). Azaleas make great indoor plants because they come in a variety of colors (figure B) are so easy to care for, and bloom for months. Because azaleas need plenty of light to form blooms; place them in low-light areas only after they have bloomed.
Use azaleas as centerpieces for your kitchen or dining room table. Place an azalea planted in a 6" pot inside a decorative dish for a living centerpiece that will bring beauty to the table for months (figure C). Hibiscus plants offer large dramatic blooms in vibrant colors (figure D). Another flowering shrub perfect for indoor and outdoor use is the hydrangea. Grow the hydrangea outside, and in the spring, take a cutting about 6" in length. Remove the lower leaves, and place the cutting in a pot of moist soil. Water the plant thoroughly, and the hydrangea will bud and bloom again on a very short stem. The woody stems of the hydrangea allow it to last about two weeks as a cut flower (figure E). If the petals feel thick and leathery, then they are at the best stage to be cut for a long-lasting cutting. Dried hydrangea displays last for years. Arrange hydrangea in baskets along high or hard-to-reach locations where it would be difficult to water (figure F). Additional display tips:
For a dinner party, fill a large, broad bowl with water at room temperature. Place a vase with stemmed flowers in the center of the bowl, and sprinkle a few blossoms on the surface of the water in the large bowl (figure G). Position containers of flowering shrubs along the tiers of a small stepladder (figure H). Copper containers, glass bowl (Smith & Hawken)
Tall glass vase (Pier 1 Imports)
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