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Spent some time at one of my favorite places in th Spent some time at one of my favorite places in the world earlier this week, with some of my favorite people, and it was so dang good for the soul 🌸 more flowering tree and shrub content comin at you this week just because! Also...⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
🌿 Mini Gifting 🌿⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
A little thank you for supporting me!! I’m gifting a personally curated gardening package to one winner, all you have to do is follow me @christinemcovino and my other account @christineandcoliving, then head to my stories for the rest of the entry instructions 🥳
Happy national gardening day 🌱🌸 may you have Happy national gardening day 🌱🌸 may you have a bountiful crop this year, whatever you grow! ((Peony tip: feed early-emerging shoots with a high phosphorus fertilizer for strong, lush blooms!)). Find more gardening tips on the blog, link is in my bio 🌿
Liam ♡ In an alternate universe we would be cele Liam ♡ In an alternate universe we would be celebrating your first birthday. You should be crawling around, playing, laughing and eating too much cake today.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
You should be here.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
My sweet boy I miss you more than words, I ache to hold you. We walked the orchard and planted flower seeds in your memory. We got winks from you in the form of the earth waking up, all the yellow blooms, including your magnolia which couldn’t have had better timing. It’s comforting to see you say hi.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
And still, you should be here.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
He was here for a time. He existed. He mattered. He deserves to be celebrated.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I loved him from the second I saw the +test. I fell deeper in love every time I saw his energetic body bounce around on the ultrasound screen, I have all the blissful bump photos and I have the memory of his sweet little kicks. God I miss those kicks.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
My love did not end when he died.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Liam’s ashes, a few scan photos, my memory and an index card with his footprints are all that remains. I both hate that this is all I have left and am eternally grateful that I have them at all.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I found some comfort today but these anniversaries are also hard. I relive the trauma. The terror, shock, fear, disbelief, agony of being told your baby is dying. So deep and so crushing. Part of me died in that moment, part of me will never be the same again.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
There is nothing in this world more painful than living without your baby. You feel the heaviness, the absence, the longing for them constantly. The grief is always there, it ebbs and flows but it changes you to your core. You adapt to feeling the constant emptiness, your aching heart, your soft but heavy eyes, the shortness of your breath, that lump in your throat.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
And yet, I feel immensely fortunate to have carried you for every moment of your life. I will never regret the time we spent together, loving you, carrying you, feeling you, celebrating you and envisioning the life you would have had. I will carry the insatiable longing to hold you until the day I die. You will always be my baby. You will always be missed. I will never stop loving and mothering you, my sweet Liam James ❤️
How did we do with the bow!? It’s growing on me How did we do with the bow!? It’s growing on me I think 🥰😍
April 3, 2021 • just us this Easter weekend 💗 April 3, 2021 • just us this Easter weekend 💗
I’m not quite sure how she turned 5 months in th I’m not quite sure how she turned 5 months in the blink of an eye 🥺 My Elora. We are doing great ❤️ we’re nursing and bedsharing and babywearing and contact napping and I’m literally soaking in every moment with her. Months 4 and 5 have been the best yet. My body knows what to do and I follow her cues. We’re super in tune and I feel like it’s making both of us happier humans.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
There is this unspoken narrative in our society that somehow attachment between mom and baby is a weakness, a crutch. I say f that, it’s one of the most beautiful strengths that exists in this universe. Period.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Mama if you’re reading this and need some validation or reassurance, I got you. It’s ok to cuddle and rock and nurse and sing your baby to sleep. Follow your instincts, tune out the noise, feel empowered in your motherly intuition and find your confidence in that. It is so incredibly liberating.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I know it’s a confusing landscape out there for new moms, I hear you, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stress that you’re not doing something “right” or that your baby is “broken.” I’m not saying motherhood is easy for me, it’s the hardest (and best) thing I’ve ever done, but when women have the support they actually need and feel empowered in motherhood, that’s next-level world-changing stuff.⁣⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Mama knows best, never forget it ❤️
Pregnancy after loss (PAL). Wrapping up this month Pregnancy after loss (PAL). Wrapping up this month of #pregnancyafterloss awareness by answering my two most asked questions ——⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
How did I know I was ready to try again and how did I survive my PAL?⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Well friend, I have no definitive answer for you. I don’t know how I knew I was “ready,” I just knew I desperately wanted to be pregnant again, and I do not know how I survived.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Contrary to what I thought prior to having my own PAL experience, I was not “better” or “healed” or “over” my baby’s death once pregnant again. I think the only thing I could do was lean into the conflicting feelings and accept that they coexist for me (grief and joy, for example).⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I want to share with you the two thoughts that did help ——⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
1. We were not replacing our baby (Liam), we were adding a sibling. Luca would be a big brother, as would Liam. My heart would expand for another child, not an “instead” child. Truly believing and accepting this was very helpful to me in my moments of guilt.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
2. This was the most profound realization for me: That I would love this baby whether she lived or died. How did I know this? Because the grief I feel for Liam is love. I love my babies from the moment I know they exist. So during my PAL I thought, if this baby died too it wouldn’t change that love. I embraced and accepted that. I think it’s actually what allowed me to take these maternity pictures two weeks before she was born. It wasn’t hope, it was that I loved her and would want to remember our time together either way.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
So maybe that is how I was able to survive. One day at a time, one thought at a time, facing the hard truths, embracing the pain of loss. Because, I’ll be honest, hope was hard for me.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Do I have magical advice? No. PAL was hard, it was a shitstorm of emotions and I feel like I just held on for dear life. Do whatever you have to do to survive, just know you are not crazy for the feelings. You are human 🤍

More resources can be found in my PAL highlights, reels and on my blog (link in bio) under ‘baby loss.’
This sweet babe is growing so fast!⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Our beautiful @shoplovedua bassinet has been one of our most used baby items this time around! Functional and timeless, it is an item that grows with your babe, AND it’s discounted 25% today — head over to their page to shop 🥳⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
📷: @mymotherhoodstory
Growing through it 🌿 I was thinking back and re Growing through it 🌿 I was thinking back and reflecting on the past 365 days this morning. It’s been a rollercoaster to say the least.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Early March 2020 I found out I was pregnant again after back to back losses. I was hopeful and relieved but also doubtful, disconnected and terrified. I spoke in “ifs” not “whens.” I felt guilt and resentment and anger but also was so incredibly grateful.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
We were quickly approaching Liam’s edd in April, a time that I deeply dreaded, and not even one week later went into full lock down pandemic mode.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I was a total wreck. Things felt veryyy out of control and uncertain.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I did the only thing I could do, I focused on what I could control. I continued therapy, started using tools like essential oils to help me stay grounded + present and threw myself full force into gardening.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I quite literally and physically GREW through my anxiety, pain and grief last year. My garden kept me grounded and sane and helped me feel connected to my body and my heart, out in the garden was one of the only places I felt safe letting my mind wander and imagine a living baby in my arms.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Growing veggies and flowers for my family was within my control and was exactly what I needed in this situation of heavy uncertainty — uncertainty both within myself and in the world.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
March 2020 and March 2021 Christines are very different, I’ve realized the journey isn’t TO healing, healing IS the journey, it’s doesn’t ever end. I’m proud of where I’m at and humbled to think about where I’ve come from 💗
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Christine Covino

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7 Tips for Long-Lasting Lilac Blooms

June 3, 2020 / Gardening

This post may contain affiliate links.

lilac on table- sharing lilac tips

how to make lilac blooms last longer

7 Tips for Long-Lasting Lilac Blooms

Lilacs😍 Am I right? Their beautiful clusters of tiny, delicate flowers, all different shades from whites to lavenders to violets to deep purples, and need I mention that intoxicating scent!? They have to be one of my favorite blooms to harvest for the home in the early spring and today I’m sharing my harvesting and vaselife tips for these timeless beauties!

If you follow on Instagram you may have caught my stories where I demonstrated and explained all the tips, if not check it out in my “LILACS” highlight!

But if you’re looking to cut and keep long-lasting lilac blooms, you’re definitely in the right place!

picture of lilacs

lilac blooms outside

7 Tips for Long-Lasting Lilac Blooms

1. Harvest Blooms in the Morning

Cut your stems in the early morning or late evening – never in the heat of the day! This is a rule that goes for all cut blooms. Harvesting in the heat of the day will put extra stress on the flower and could send them into shock/decrease their post-harvest life. It’s best to cut in the morning when temps are coolest!

2. 1/3 of the Flower Head Should Be in Bud

Harvest long stems and partially closed flowers are best! Lilacs should be harvested when 1/3-2/3 of the flower head is still in bud ( as pictured just above), this will help them last longer in water after being harvested. Long stems are best for arranging so I always cut at least 12-18″ stems!

3. Remove Leaves Immediately

De-leaf stems immediately after cutting them from the tree. Removing most, if not all, of the leaves is something I recommend doing with pretty much every cut flower. The goal is to get that prize-winning bloom to last as long as possible so they can be enjoyed to the fullest extent, right? So by removing unnecessary leaves from the stem you are helping allow most of the water and nutrients to get to the flower instead of being wasted on foliage.

4. Use Clean and Sharp Pruners

Use clean and sharp pruning shears to cut your stems! They should be sanitized with rubbing alcohol before use and sharp so that the cut is clean and does not damage the tree or stem.

5. Bring a Bucket of Water With You

Fill a bucket half way with clean, warm water and bring it outside to the tree with you. This way you can give these water-guzzling stems an immediate drink. They will greatly appreciate this as it helps prevent wilting.

cutting lilac blooms

lilac tips - woody stems

6. Number One Tip For Woody Stems

Woody stems are notoriously hard to make last once cut so here’s the biggest tip – make one to two 2-3″ cuts vertically up each stem. Then with your fingers kind of rough up the fibers to separate them a bit. Breaking up the tight fibers of the woody stems helps dramatically with water absorption and therefore vaselife of your lilac blooms!

7. Add Flower Food & Change Water Daily

Add a packet of flower preservative to your vase (linking my preferred one HERE) and some fresh, clean, untreated water then submerge your stems. Remember to change water daily, remember when it comes to cut flowers cleanliness is king and bacteria is your worst enemy!

 

I hope these tips help you keep long-lasting lilac blooms in the home season after season! Leave me a comment to let me know if you try this out and how it worked for you!

 

Looking for more gardening posts? Check these out!

Gardening Supplies Favorites

How to Map, Plan & Plant Your Veggie Garden

9 Tips for a Low Maintenance Veggie Garden

DIY Raised Garden Beds

Complete Guide to Growing and Harvesting Peonies

Cut Flower Garden Planning

Seed Starting for  Beginners

Mums Tips and Tricks

And more coming soon! Sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date on new gardening posts!

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Spent some time at one of my favorite places in th Spent some time at one of my favorite places in the world earlier this week, with some of my favorite people, and it was so dang good for the soul 🌸 more flowering tree and shrub content comin at you this week just because! Also...⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
🌿 Mini Gifting 🌿⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
A little thank you for supporting me!! I’m gifting a personally curated gardening package to one winner, all you have to do is follow me @christinemcovino and my other account @christineandcoliving, then head to my stories for the rest of the entry instructions 🥳
Happy national gardening day 🌱🌸 may you have Happy national gardening day 🌱🌸 may you have a bountiful crop this year, whatever you grow! ((Peony tip: feed early-emerging shoots with a high phosphorus fertilizer for strong, lush blooms!)). Find more gardening tips on the blog, link is in my bio 🌿
Liam ♡ In an alternate universe we would be cele Liam ♡ In an alternate universe we would be celebrating your first birthday. You should be crawling around, playing, laughing and eating too much cake today.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
You should be here.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
My sweet boy I miss you more than words, I ache to hold you. We walked the orchard and planted flower seeds in your memory. We got winks from you in the form of the earth waking up, all the yellow blooms, including your magnolia which couldn’t have had better timing. It’s comforting to see you say hi.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
And still, you should be here.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
He was here for a time. He existed. He mattered. He deserves to be celebrated.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I loved him from the second I saw the +test. I fell deeper in love every time I saw his energetic body bounce around on the ultrasound screen, I have all the blissful bump photos and I have the memory of his sweet little kicks. God I miss those kicks.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
My love did not end when he died.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Liam’s ashes, a few scan photos, my memory and an index card with his footprints are all that remains. I both hate that this is all I have left and am eternally grateful that I have them at all.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I found some comfort today but these anniversaries are also hard. I relive the trauma. The terror, shock, fear, disbelief, agony of being told your baby is dying. So deep and so crushing. Part of me died in that moment, part of me will never be the same again.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
There is nothing in this world more painful than living without your baby. You feel the heaviness, the absence, the longing for them constantly. The grief is always there, it ebbs and flows but it changes you to your core. You adapt to feeling the constant emptiness, your aching heart, your soft but heavy eyes, the shortness of your breath, that lump in your throat.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
And yet, I feel immensely fortunate to have carried you for every moment of your life. I will never regret the time we spent together, loving you, carrying you, feeling you, celebrating you and envisioning the life you would have had. I will carry the insatiable longing to hold you until the day I die. You will always be my baby. You will always be missed. I will never stop loving and mothering you, my sweet Liam James ❤️
How did we do with the bow!? It’s growing on me How did we do with the bow!? It’s growing on me I think 🥰😍
April 3, 2021 • just us this Easter weekend 💗 April 3, 2021 • just us this Easter weekend 💗
I’m not quite sure how she turned 5 months in th I’m not quite sure how she turned 5 months in the blink of an eye 🥺 My Elora. We are doing great ❤️ we’re nursing and bedsharing and babywearing and contact napping and I’m literally soaking in every moment with her. Months 4 and 5 have been the best yet. My body knows what to do and I follow her cues. We’re super in tune and I feel like it’s making both of us happier humans.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
There is this unspoken narrative in our society that somehow attachment between mom and baby is a weakness, a crutch. I say f that, it’s one of the most beautiful strengths that exists in this universe. Period.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Mama if you’re reading this and need some validation or reassurance, I got you. It’s ok to cuddle and rock and nurse and sing your baby to sleep. Follow your instincts, tune out the noise, feel empowered in your motherly intuition and find your confidence in that. It is so incredibly liberating.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I know it’s a confusing landscape out there for new moms, I hear you, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stress that you’re not doing something “right” or that your baby is “broken.” I’m not saying motherhood is easy for me, it’s the hardest (and best) thing I’ve ever done, but when women have the support they actually need and feel empowered in motherhood, that’s next-level world-changing stuff.⁣⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Mama knows best, never forget it ❤️

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