Spring’s warm temperatures and early summer’s full flourish of blooms and foliage have long called for celebrations. During May Day festivities in medieval times, English maidens danced through the town square, heads crowned in floral wreaths as they wove ribbons around the Maypole. More recently, school children could be spotted on May 1 leaving flowers or other treats on neighbors’ porches. They would ring the bell and then dash away to watch the delighted reaction in secret. Let May Day traditions continue to animate springtime joy. It just takes a little time and a few favorite posies from the garden.
We have three different ways to help you create easily portable arrangements. Use them as gifts on May Day or when you just want to say you care.
1. Hanging Jar
Share some sunshine with a friend or a neighbor with this thoughtful floral token in a classic mason jar. Simply twist a loop of medium-gauge wire around the neck of a jar, pour in a little water, and fill with foliage and blooms snipped from your own garden. Write a cheery note on a card-stock tag, and hang the sweet nosegay on the doorknob of the person’s home.
2. Basket Full of Posies
This sweet little arrangement makes a lovely decoration or gift. Line a small basket with foil or plastic, and add soaked floral foam. Start by inserting greenery (we used maidenhair fern), then create a “basket handle” out of wisteria vine by sticking two ends into opposite sides of the foam. Fill in with flowers like pansies, Lenten roses, lisianthus, garden roses, narcissus, wisteria, and hyacinth.
3. Homegrown Charm
Make a colorful bouquet from flowers collected from your garden or along a nature hike. Loosely bundle them inside a watering can (we used a vintage one, but a colorful new can would work just as well), and give a surprise that’s as handy as it is beautiful.
