Summer is already here in Maryland – 90 degrees yesterday. While I was out and about I noticed the farmers are already offering flowers at the market – local peonies, iris, and flowering herbs. There’s something special about local floral produce, it’s a little more innocent looking, a little more pure than commercially grown crops.

And the scarcity (small window of time available) makes enjoying local flowers feel a little more luxurious. But, you never know what local floral produce you’ll find at the farmers market or the flower shop so prepare a “Holding Station” in your home or office (see picture above) so you can grab what you see when you see it.

A holding station is a designated bucket or big vase placed in the coolest, darkest, most out of the way place – that can be filled with water so your floral purchases can be “chopped and dropped” (cut and placed) for safe keeping until you are ready to style, design, and play with them. You’ll find examples, pictures, and descriptions of “Holding Stations” in the Flower Godmother’s FREE Tip-Sheets accessed by joining the Flowerhandlers Community (www.FlowerArrangingTips.com or upper right hand corner of this page).

Whether you are a busy mom, a stressed out professional, or a hectic home maker, a simple flower holding station will allow you to spontaneously purchase and then bask in few moments of innocence and purity while you style and gaze upon the beautiful blooms that your local farmers have to offer this summer season. Enjoy!