Flowers for Mason Jars

Spring

• In the spring, flowers are plentiful and colorful; bringing some flowers indoors adds to the beauty of your home. Tulips can be easily displayed in a Mason jar if you cut their stems to about 4 inches long. However, tulips are the only flowers whose stems continue to grow after they have been cut, so trimming them on a daily basis will be necessary. Alternatively, a handful of early-blooming daffodils looks beautiful when set on a coffee or dining room table. Cut the stems short enough so that the flower heads are only a couple of inches above the rim. Azaleas also make beautiful cut flowers; gather together a full bunch of the flowers and add some broad leaves to the arrangement for contrast before placing them into the jar.

Summer

• Many old-fashioned flower varieties bloom in the summer. Perhaps the most old-fashioned display is a simple bunch of white or yellow daisies set into a Mason jar. The stems should extend about 3 inches above the rim. Another summer floral choice is an arrangement of Queen Anne's lace. It grows profusely by the roadside in the late summer and can be mixed with other wildflowers, including cornflowers and crowned vetch. For a big and bold arrangement, consider dahlias. Large and colorful, you only need a few of them to have a full bouquet. Although they are not usually considered for cut flowers, geraniums look great and do well in a Mason jar.

Autumn

• The autumn brings a natural palette of bright golds, purples, reds and yellows. A wonderful flower to place in a Mason jar is the sunflower. It has a pronounced country look to it. Due to the flower head's weight, keep the stems short. Asters grow in the fields and serve as delicate accent flowers, although they do not last more than a day. Starting in September, mums are in season; mix them with twigs bearing colorful leaves for a spicy-scented centerpiece. A full bunch of hydrangeas would be delightful displayed in a Mason jar; even better, as they dry, these flowers preserve themselves so that you can continue to enjoy them all year.

Winter

• If you want a fresh arrangement in your Mason jar during the winter, simply clip a variety of evergreen boughs and arrange them in the jar. Pine, juniper and ivy mixed together can be very appealing as a winter arrangement. Sprigs of holly with their bright red berries can be added for color. The tallest pieces should be about 1 1/2 times the height of the jar to be well-balanced. As added decor, the ivy can trail down the jar's sides slightly.