Bouquet of the Week: Summer Through The Eyes of a GC Illustrator

As part of our recurring Bouquet of the Week series, Garden Collage continues to present a weekly inspirational bouquet that incorporates intriguing new elements into the traditional practice of flower arranging. This week, Garden Collage illustrator Jessy Scarpone styles a bouquet to honor the whimsical nostalgia of summer. 

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There’s something magical about this time of year– something that speaks to everyone’s inner child. The thick, hot air carries a sense of nostalgia that brings you back to catching fireflies, scribbling on the sidewalks with chalk, and letting the seeds and juice from watermelon slices cake your face.

Maybe it’s the warm weather that’s at the heart of it all. I always get giddy with the first hot week of the season. It makes me feel impulsive and carefree– like there’s an adventure about to happen around every corner. It’s the kind of heat that makes you sleep with the windows open, and urges you to wear that sundress with the little daisies on it. Maybe it’s a little childish, but it reminds you of the one you had in fifth grade. That was a good year.

It’s the season when people reach for the treats they enjoyed as kids– whether it’s from the ice cream truck on a roaring city street or from the cozy cooler at the general store in town.  Even the most pulled-together adult is no match for the Dreamsicle avalanche that inevitably drips onto their fingers on those 90 degree days.

This time of year is essential– it centers us, reminds us that it’s okay to play, to spend the day among sand castles, to pass on the salad and have a hot dog for dinner because it just feels right.

That’s how I approached this Bouquet of the Week. When I strolled into the flower shop, I knew I wanted to create something evocative of Dreamsicles, fresh cut grass, and clean linens – basically all things ‘summer’. As is always my motto, I didn’t want a strict plan, just a general idea; because as long as you have a vision, everything will work itself out. I plucked Peonies, Hydrangeas, and Roses, among other things, and let my intuition decide what looked right – not overthought, not too contrived, just what came naturally to me. I left the shop with a simple bouquet that just felt right because I listened to my impulsive inner child that reminded me, once again: “Just go for it!”