Lilacs

With every leaf a miracle . . . and from this bush in the door-yard,  With delicate-colour'd blossoms, and heart-shaped leaves of rich green.  A sprig with its flower, I break.
~Walt Whitman, When Lilacs Last in the Door-Yard Bloom'd  (III, Leaves of Grass)

There are few flowers that remind me more strongly of Spring than lilacs so I was happy to see them still in bloom at my parents' house when I visited them for Easter.  I cut some down and used them to make this simple casual arrangement.  Now my apartment looks like Spring and smells amazing.

I was planning on just using the lilacs, but when I noticed that the purple tulips were blooming I decided to throw some of them in there too.  I love the way the different shades of purple look together.

I added a little bleach and 7-up to the water to make my own flower preservative.  Cut flowers from the garden don’t always last as long as flowers purchased from a florist, but I’ve had good luck with this technique.  For flowers with tough woody stems (like lilacs) I also cut a vertical slit in the end of the stem to help let in more water.