With flowers beginning to bloom, it’s time to think about what to do with your garden’s bounty — or the bounty of the florist shop! Design*Sponge has some cute ideas for how to arrange flowers with the aid of a tea pot.

Sarah Brysk Cohen of Blossom and Branch gave Design*Sponge the tips. They’re perfect for spring floral arrangements for bridal and baby showers, Easter brunch or just to add a little flair to your home. Here’s how to go about it:

• Find a teapot! Use what you have, or hit up an antique store for a unique find.
• Clean the flowers.
• Cut the stems at the appropriate angle.
• Start with your main bunch of flowers (Brysk Cohen uses roses), followed by smaller blooms and foliage (mint and jasmine in this case). Let some of the herbs and vines flow over the side of the for a casual springtime look.
• Place your flowery teapot anywhere where your house needs a spot of spring!

Check out Design*Sponge for more floral arranging tips and pictures.

Image courtesy of Design*Sponge and Maggie Harkov Photography

Window replacement is a subject near and dear to MLuxe. There’s so much to love about new windows: They look great, perform better and are more energy efficient.

The old windows get recycled or discarded, but what if you have a creative side?

Calfinder gives some fun tips on what you can do with your old windows. Remember that not all windows will work for these creative uses. You might wish to consult with your building professional.

Windows among the flowers: Use old windows in the garden as a flowerbed divider or as a background for a window planter.

Windows as furniture: Need a new headboard? Your old window might just do the trick!

If you have a green thumb, you could use your old windows to start a small greenhouse, where light is essential for growing.

Visit Calfinder for more ideas about how to put old windows to good use.

Images courtesy of Calfinder

One of my favorite summer flowers is the old-fashioned, pompom shaped Hydrangea macrophylla. I can remember as a child being drawn to the cool shaded area on the north side of the house where my mother had a bank of blue hydrangeas planted. The giant blooms were as big as my head and such a clear, deep blue they seemed to belong in a velvet-lined jewel box rather than casually hanging about the garden.

Old-fashioned hydrangeas are easy to grow if you follow a few simple guidelines. Most varieties are cold hardy to zone 5, which means they will tolerate minimum winter temperatures between -10 and -20 degrees F.

Hydrangeas are traditionally known as shade garden plants, but too much shade can result in reduced bloom production. Ideally they should be situated in areas of light shade to partial sun. If you live in a cool climate you can even plant them in full sun.

Hydrangeas are woodland plants so they prefer to be in consistently moist, well-drained, humus rich soil. A generous application of mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain moisture. Little pruning is required with old-fashioned hydrangeas. In fact, improperly pruned bushes can result in bushes not producing any blooms. Old-fashioned hydrangeas set their flowers on previous year’s growth, or what is referred to as old wood. So, in late summer and early fall, your shrub is preparing blooms for next year.

In early spring you can tidy up the plant by removing any dead wood and old flowerheads.

Any severe cutting back should be done immediately after the flowers fade in the summer.

Other causes for lack of bloom include harsh winter temperatures, warm spells followed by cold weather, and late freezes. All can damage or kill tender flower buds. If you site your plants in a north or east facing area of your garden, you can reduce the chances of the buds opening during aberrant warm winter weather. These areas of the garden warm up slower than south or western exposures. Northern gardeners who know that they are in it for a long cold spell can wrap their hydrangeas in burlap for winter protection. Planting the shrubs near house foundations also offers some refuge from cold temperatures.

In my Mid-south garden I fertilize my hydrangeas twice during the summer with a slow release fertilizer, usually in June and then again in August. In cooler climates this can be done once, usually in June. Follow the directions indicated on the fertilizer package. Just remember that too much nitrogen will result in an abundance of lovely leaves at the expense of blooms.

Over the years I have broadened my selection of hydranges to include H. paniculata ‘Tardiva’, H. arborescens ‘Annabelle’, H. quercifolia (oakleaf), and H. paniculata ‘Limelight’, but I still treasure the old-fashion varieties for their ease of care and colorful long lasting flowers.

In most parts of the country, winter’s chill is in the air. Luckily, there are places to go and enjoy summer’s beautiful flowers and hot air–a conservatory. These structures are beautiful and meticulously maintained to give the optimum environment for their botanical residents.

One beautiful conservatory, Druid Hill in Baltimore, recently underwent a renovation that took it back to its original Victorian elegance. Marvin provided the windows for Druid Hill’s Palm House. Although basic parameters had been laid out for window needs, Druid Hill expected their window manufacturer to “fill in the gaps” and come up with design elements that fit in with the overall design aesthetic.

Marvin’s custom capabilities through Signature Products and Services really helped when designing windows for the Palm House. Custom clad colors, flashing and panning were needed and performance had to be top-notch. Due to the conditions of the conservatory, the windows had to to be absolutely water-tight and be able to withstand temperature fluctuations due to seasonal exhibits. In the end, Marvin clad casement, awnings, polygons and mill plates were used on the Palm House.

Since its renovation, the Druid Hill conservatory has gone from Baltimore’s least-visited attraction to winning the Baltimore Heritage Preservation Award. Currently re-named as the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory, this Baltimore attraction is now restored to its original glory.

Not too many years ago, if you wanted to have a garden from one year to the next you had to save seeds. Vegetable and flower seeds were a vital part of farm life and exchanging them with neighbors and friends was an important part of rural culture.

Today, with so many seeds available to us from seed racks and catalogs, it may seem a bit pointless to save. But if you garden, you know that seeds can get expensive, so why not save a little money?

My basket flowers were spectacular just a few weeks ago. Since the seeds are difficult to find, I save as many as I can. After the flowers fade and the seed pods dry, I break them off and sort out the seeds. Whether it is basket flower or any other seed producing flower, I like to take the seed heads and place them on newspaper in a tray. As they dry, the seeds begin to fall, and then I store them in film canisters or jars and label them for planting in the spring.

I save seeds from a wide range of my old garden standbys — everything that is not a hybrid because these don’t always come back true from seeds — plants such as my Formosa lily, verbena-on-a-stick and even flowering tobacco.

One of the nice things about saving seeds is that you may preserve an heirloom strain that is no longer commercially available. So by spending a little time in the garden gathering seeds, we may keep some of our favorite garden flowers from being lost forever.

We’ve talked a little bit before about gardening on MLuxe. If you’re a fruit-grower, consider making some freezer jam. This is perfect for when you have a bumper crop of berries you can’t possibly eat, but it’s also an easy way to enjoy summer’s flavors on cold winter days.

About.com’s Frugal Living offers up some great tips on how to make freezer jam. You’ll want to collect the following things:

• Fruit: the riper the better! Raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb all make great freezer jam
• Pectin: acts as a thickener
• Sugar: makes the jam sweet
• Jars: you will want to make sure they are able to be frozen. Don’t forget to clean them well before beginning

The actual process for making the jam is simple. The Web site notes that some freezer jam recipes do call for cooking the fruit, so it never hurts to look around for recipes.

After washing the fruit and removing any stems, mash it with a potato masher. Combine sugar and pectin in a separate bowl. When they are completely blended together, mix them with the fruit for three minutes. Pour the jam into jars and let it thicken for 30 minutes. Freeze and enjoy!

Photo courtesy of thebittenword.com on Flickr

Today’s link love post shows you how to take apart an iPod and make it a little more natural, how to grow great tomatoes, how to wash clothes with just one cup of water, and how to justify your paper-towel habit at home. Good stuff, so let’s get to it!

Wooden iPod
Design Boom
Have an old iPod and some scraps of nice wood laying around? Sounds like a project! I say “old iPod” not because it makes the project easier but because I’m pretty sure this voids the warranty, but it looks gorgeous. Key point: The wood that’s laid over the click-wheel is shaved so thin that the click wheel still works new! More photos on the builder’s Flickr page.

Tomato-Growing Tips from the Pros
Home Know-It-All
Just a few days ago, we wrote about growing tomatoes upside-down. We have some more great tomato-growing tips, thanks to the folks at the Home Know-It-All. Among them: “Fight blight with mulch.”

Spin dry: The washing machine that needs just one cup of water
Daily Mail Online
Researchers at Leeds University in Britain have developed a washing machine that uses only one cup of water to wash a load of laundry. One cup. During the washing cycle, the water is heated to help dissolve the dirt, and thousands of tiny plastic chips to absorb the dirt. And eventually, we might be able to afford them!

Why Being “Paper Towel Free” Is Overrated
Re-Nest
The folks at Re-Nest shared a lengthy, photo-filled write-up in defense of paper towels, a topic that’s much more interesting than it sounds. “So why is there SO MUCH FUSS about paper towel use in the kitchen? It’s all the rage to say, ‘I’m paper towel-less!’ like there’s a medal to be won or a badge of honor to wear because of it. On the opposite side, maybe you’re feeling the reverse effects of green goers around you. There can be a tinge of shame when you sheepishly raise your hand to admit you still use them in your home. Being green enough is a whole new way to keep up with the Joneses.”

Photo courtesy of jozaeh on Flickr

It’s interesting how certain flowers evoke a sense of nostalgia: roses, hollyhocks and dahlias to name a few. There’s no question these are beautiful in the garden, but if cared for properly you can also use them inside. Hydrangeas are good flowers to dry for indoor arrangements.

One method of preparing hydrangeas is simply to air dry them. All you do is remove the leaves along the stem and bundle five or six of them together. Hang them in a cool, dry place.

If that’s too much trouble, you can also dry them upright in a vase. Place the stems in a vase with a few inches of water, out of direct sunlight. When the water evaporates add more, repeating the process until you feel the blooms are sufficiently dry.

You can also preserve hydrangeas with glycerin and water. This process makes the bloom more soft and supple to the touch, and it also helps to preserve the shape of the bloom longer.

Materials:

• Hydrangea blooms (Old-fashioned French, PeeGee and Annabelle hydrangeas do well, but I’ve never had much luck with Oakleaf or Tardiva.)
• Glycerin
• Water
• Vase
• Colored dye (optional)

Directions:

Gather the hydrangea blooms. When cutting the blooms, keep in mind that the length of your stems need to be about 18 inches or less. And while it is tempting to try drying those full, lushly colored hydrangea blooms mid-summer, it is best to allow them to mature on the shrub before you cut them. Fresh blooms tend to wilt and turn brown. You can tell that they are ready because as they age, they will turn either green/pink in warm climates or blue/purple in colder areas, and their texture is paper-like rather than soft.

Cut the stems at a right angle and crush the ends with a hammer. This will help with the uptake of the solution.

In a vase prepare a solution of 2 parts water and 1 part glycerin. You can find glycerin at your local pharmacy. The way this works is, the water and glycerin are drawn through the stem of the plant. The water evaporates through the petals, leaving the glycerin. The glycerin will turn the petals a rich, golden brown. I like this natural look, but if you prefer a little color, add a small drop of dye to the solution.

Add your hydrangeas to the vase.

In two to three weeks you will have a beautiful bouquet of summer hydrangeas to enjoy through the fall and winter.

Welcome to the MLuxe blog, Marvin Windows and Doors’ take on distinctive home style. This blog is inspired by our guiding principle for Marvin Windows and Doors: that each window and door we create is “Built Around You.” As the world’s largest maker of custom wood and clad-wood windows and doors, we look forward to sharing our insights on windows as part of your home scheme.

Our goal is to help you express your personal style through your home. However, MLuxe will discuss far more than windows. Our topics will range from architecture to sustainable living to ways to simplify your life. To ensure our information is the best available, we’ve gathered a group of our friends to share their expertise with you.

• Lou Manfredini - Lou is a regular contributor to NBC’s TODAY Show, hosts a weekly radio call-in show called “Mr. Fix-It,” and is a contributing editor to USA Weekend with his “House Smart” column. Lou’s life-long interest in home improvement began during high school when he worked in a hardware store, gaining knowledge of hardware products and experience in customer service. While attending Millikin University, Lou worked his way through school remodeling homes and learning everything from sewers to shingles. Lou owns his own development company that builds rental properties and manages the construction of custom homes in the Chicago area.

• Sarah Susanka - Bestselling author, architect and cultural visionary, Sarah Susanka is leading a movement that is redefining the American home. Her “build better, not bigger” approach to residential design has been embraced across the country and her “Not So Big” philosophy has sparked international dialogue. Her upcoming book, “Not So Big Remodel,” looks at the remodeling market as more homeowners look to remain in their homes longer.

• P. Allen Smith - Smith is an award-winning garden designer and host of the public television program P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home as well as the syndicated 30-minute show P. Allen Smith Gardens. He has emerged as America’s most recognized and respected garden design expert, providing ideas and inspiration through multiple media venues.

Our topics will vary and we will take our cues from you. What would you like to hear about? Let us know.

Susan Marvin
President, Marvin Windows and Doors