Flower Arranging for the Timid
Proof #1 that I’m a procrastinator – I forgot about my Valentine’s Flowers until Saturday…I could blame it on being sick for a full week, because I was, but really, I just get a little timid about flower arranging and honestly, I’m never totally satisfied with the end product. THIS TIME, however, all turned out beautifully and I think I know why.
Are you timid about flowers too? Let me give you a few tips.
#1 – Chop, chop chop. Don’t be afraid to chop off those stems until you get a variety of lengths. (or in my case, until the icky parts are gone. This doesn’t usually happen if you arrange day of. Ahem.)
#2 – Arrange & rearrange. Rinse and repeat. (No don’t literally rinse. Not necessary). I like to arrange my flowers in the vase BEFORE adding water so I can rearrange blooms without dripping water everywhere. Keep playing around until you like the look. Remember you’ll have to fill the vase until all the stems are in the water so keep that in mind and don’t leave shorter flowers too high.
#3 – Move the Uglies. I don’t love lilies, they drive my allergies nuts and the scent is just not my favorite. BUT this time of year, they are almost always included in a mixed bouquet. Solution? Give them space (or toss them if you really want). I put mine in their own special vase in their own special room (that I don’t spend much time in). And when they bloom and drive me nuts? They get moved to their own special porch, while my favorite pretties stay inside.
#4 – Leaves and water don’t mix. Be sure and trim off or pull off any extra leaves that are in the water, they get icky REAL fast. Your arrangement will last longer if it’s just the stems in the water.
#5 More isn’t always better. See how this one ended up? Kinda sparse, but really pretty. When you have greenery, leave it long and let it droop. Try to fill in colors evenly but don’t worry about filling it to the brim.
There you go – don’t stress about this! Any fresh flowers are better than none at all. And now, there’s now reason to put a bouquet directly from the plastic into a vase. Ew. Don’t do that, it’s not cute.
Any tips I’ve forgotten? Are there any flowers that you despise like I despise lilies?