How to Add Citrus to a Flower Arrangement, Table Inspiration & Lemon Desserts

Find tips to create a flower arrangement and table centerpiece incorporating lemons and limes. You’ll also find additional citrus floral and summer table inspiration, as well as bonus citrusy desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Happy August!

It’s one of my favorite days of the month when I join my

Monday Morning Blooms’ friends to share some flower therapy.

We’re excited to welcome back Sarah, from Hyacinths for the Soul,

joining us as a special guest ‘bloomer’ today.

💐🌷🌹🌸🌺

You’ll find my flower friends’ links to their blooming creations at the bottom of this post.

Our common theme for this edition of Monday Morning Blooms was incorporating citrus.

Adding lemons or limes to a flower arrangement adds visual interest,

 as well as a little aromatherapy!

Here are the easy steps if you’d like to create a flower arrangement incorporating citrus!

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I used a favorite garden urn as a vessel for my arrangement,

placing a plastic container inside the urn as it’s not watertight.

To hold the weight of lemons and limes in the flower arrangement I used wet floral foam,

cutting the brick of foam to fit my plastic container.

Tip: When using wet floral foam, use the “float soak” method and

place the floral foam brick on top of your water.

Let the floral foam gradually absorb the water until it sinks and is fully saturated, less than 2 minutes.

Plunging the floral foam in the water creates air pockets in the foam and will cause stems to dry out,

shortening the life of your flowers.

 I used bamboo skewers to add the lemons to the arrangement placing them in the floral foam.

Break or cut your skewers placing the lemons at various heights in your floral foam.

The bamboo skewers are food safe so you can use your lemons for zesting and juicing

after your flowers are spent and you dissasemble your arrangement.

I used an assortment of yellow, white and green flowers from the grocery store. . .

daisies, mums, alstroemeria and sunflowers.

I like to use a Lazy Susan Turntable when arranging flowers

so I can easily spin and rotate the vase as I work.

It’s especially helpful when using a garden urn that’s cast iron and heavy!

After purchasing my flowers, my flower routine is to give the stems a

 fresh cut on a 45-degree angle, removing several inches of the stem,

and strip any foliage that’s below the waterline.

To condition the flowers, I place them in a bucket with room temperature water mixed with flower food.

Let your flowers condition a minimum of 2 hours so they’re hydrated before adding them to floral foam.

Tip: If you’re buying flowers from the grocery store, always use the flower food packets

that come with your flowers to give them their longest vase life.

Flower food / floral preservative provides nutrients for your flowers and controls

the pH for optimal water uptake, while also reducing bacteria in your vase water.

I tucked in some garden foliage, Kaleidoscope Abelia, to add to the arrangement.

Its variegated golden yellow and green leaves make a pretty pairing with the lemons and limes!

The limes were added last, as a green accent to fill in among the flowers.

I decided to cut a couple of limes and lemons in half to release more citrus fragrance.

Regular readers have heard me sing the praises of Crowning Glory before,

as I have had flower arrangements that last easily two weeks when using it!

If you’re not familiar with  Crowning Glory, it’s an antitranspirant spray

that seals in moisture and dries clear.

It’s safe to use on all flower types and is especially beneficial

for flowers that are prone to wilting due to moisture loss, like hydrangeas.

I give my flowers a spray as they are conditioning and then again when they are arranged.

 Note: Wait to spray roses with Crowning Glory after they are open

as it will prohibit them from opening further.

You can see the arrangement on all sides as it spins on the lazy Susan in the video below.

No outdoor dining in August, otherwise known as ‘Ugh-ust’, in the hot and steamy South!

With the heat index in the triple digits,

I couldn’t muster the energy or enthusiasm to photograph a table outdoors,

so I photographed my arrangement on the porch, still steamy, but shady.

Quench your thirst with Belvoir Farm Elderflower Lemonade!

It’s lightly sparkling, sweet and tart, good on its own or as mixer for cocktails.

I found it at World Market.

No tablescape with my arrangement but I was able to muster up a citrus-themed trayscape on the porch. ;)

Lemons Bee and Butterfly Garden Plates by Gracie China join favorite

Wallace Napoleon Bee Flatware and La Rochere Napoleon Bee Glasses.

A mini lemon bowl (similiar HERE) holds a lemon,

blooming with a daisy, flowering sprig of mint and Kaleidoscope Abelia.

Find more floral and summer citrus table inspiration:

DIY Lemon Vase Flower Arrangement and Alfresco Summer Table

All Abuzz Lemons and Bees Flower Arrangement and Tablescape

Lemons and Hydrangeas Alfresco Summer Tablescape

DIY Colorful Arrangement with Limes for Cinco de Mayo or Your Summer Fiesta

Floral Arrangement with Tulips, Roses and Citrus + Pink Transferware Table

And satisfy your sweet tooth with lemon desserts:

Moist and Easy ‘Doctor the Box’ Lemon Loaf Cake with Lemon Syrup

Refreshing and Easy Lemon Dessert for the Lazy Days of Summer

Lemon Lovers No-Churn Ice Cream

Lemon Crumble Bars

A Match Made in Heaven: Rosemary Lemon Bars

And for lime lovers:

 Sweet and Tart Margarita Pretzel Bars

Creamy and Citrusy No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

🍋 🍋 🍋

Our friend Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse was unable to join us today but will be back next time!

Visit my flower friends to see their blooming inspiration this week:

Pam at Everyday Living

Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul

Thank you for your visit, sharing at:

 Between Naps on the Porch