Floral arranging 101

By dennis / On Jul.20.2013 / In / Width

Any one that is familiar with the shop knows that I almost always have some fresh, cut something going on. In the summer I often use the long elegantly arching, green branches of Forsythia in simple tall cylinder glass vases. They add the "life" i'm looking for, that fresh cut florals bring to interiors....they are FREE, and they last for a really long time. This is a picture of an arrangement that I made for home. About  one third of the things in it are cultivated....the rest was just stuff growing around the property (again... FREE).  To my mind, one of the ultimate luxuries is to have fresh flowers in the house at all times. It doesn't have to be expensive.....scavenge the yard! Small arrangements of mixed greenery like Hosta leaves and grasses make a beautiful bouquet. Okay...now you have the materials...but you don't feel you have the talent? My two most improtant tips for arranging flora. 1) recut every stem just before you put them in water. They will last longer, and if you have the vase in front of you, you will have a good idea of how long the stems need to be in relation to the size of the container.  And 2) put each stem in individually (don't gather in your fist and just cram them in the vase), especially for a loose, light bouquet like this one. You can place each flower where you want it, so the arrangement is balanced and well shaped. As with all things...practice makes perfect.