Members gathered flowers, plants and grasses for use in decorating the NJ Governor's mansion, Drumthwacket. Using natural materials from our beautiful Bayshore town as the backbone of the arrangements is a theme.
As we plan for future y, se below for ideas on what to gather, how to gather and dry, and what comes next.
For 2021, our Club was selected to decorate the foyer and entrance to the mansion, also known as "the People's House." Keyport Garden Club made the first impression!
Our volunteers planned, designed and built the floral masterpieces that decorated the entrance and foyer as part of the Holiday Tour program.
The raw materials used for this project included LOTS of Keyport plants, grasses and flowers. In the picture at right, lovely Keyport hydrangeas are prepared and ready for use in arrangements to grace the mansion.
From plants to greens to historic artifacts and other elements that are purely Keyport, the Drumthwacket house tours introduce so many NJ people to our wonderful town!
The Club is assigned a room in the mansion, and the arrangements compliment the beautiful spaces.
Not just for the Drumthwacket project - but for your own lovely home during the winter months!
Beautiful grasses from our lovely town make a great addition to the arrangements used.
Many summer plants and grasses retain their colors beautifully as they dry. And many take on a lovely vintage look. All good!
Hint: the team has found that crepe myrtles hold their colors beautifully, although they do lose their moisture and get "crinkly." Handle them with care - and you will be rewarded with vibrant colors that last all year!
Every kind of hydrangea and flower and grass are welcome - the more shapes (cones, globes, graceful arches) the better!
For 2021, our Club was selected to decorate the foyer and entrance to the mansion, also known as "the People's House." So, Keyport Garden Club will make the first impression! In 2022 The Keyport Garden Club was chosen the decorate the Library.
The raw materials used for this project include LOTS of Keyport plants, grasses and flowers. In the picture at right, lovely Keyport hydrangeas are prepared and ready for use in arrangements to grace the mansion.
What sorts of plant materials are used?
Anything that could survive some "handling" in the fall is ideal. Among the ideas our Drumthwacket team has suggested (flowers, foliage, grasses, cones):
Hydrangea Crepe Myrtle Celosia Sedums Grasses with feathers Artemesia
Thistle Lotus Pods Money tree Pine cones Coneflower Astilbe What else?
As the decorating is begun, fresh greens are also gathered. The team combines these dried and fresh materials with ribbons, images, and so much creativity! See images below to see finished arrangements on display in the Governor's mansion.
How to harvest, dry and store?
Cut the flowers that still have color or look good and are firm.
Take them with long stems.
Gather the stems in small groupings, them and hang them upside down in a garage or other place that is out of wind. Cold is fine.
When it's time to use the materials, the committee may color spray the dried materials lightly to enhance their color. They use temporary colors for hair, as it does not damage the flower heads.
Some more links and info you may find useful:
A link to vase drying hydrangeas - very interesting! Keep the stems LONG for this project.
Specifics for drying sedum flowers - great article!
Nice info on preserving many summer flowers from our friends in Vermont.
This article talks about drying crepe myrtle, echinacea, and more.
Here's a nice video on drying grasses for use in arrangements.
A few additional hints:
Ideal time to gather is within 24 hours of rain (or give them a good drink the night before you will cut them). This gives the plants the best chance to avoid being brittle when dried.
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