floral basics: flower time!
tools needed:
greened up containers
prepped, clean, preferably cool, work area
prepped, clean containers
prepped, clean floral material
buckets as far as the eye can see — or at least several, hopefully in different sizes
water
sturdy, waterproofed work top
trash container(s)
floral snips or pruners
floral scissors
tools appreciated:
turntable or lazy susan
sturdy riser to get work up for ease of arranging
rubber mat for standing over long periods of time
apron to somewhat protect whatever you are wearing, and to hold snips, bits of wire and your iPod (woof. did we say that?? we are OLD)
fan
cool location for finished arrangements
Flower Time (Yes. Finally.)
Stick in some flowers. Make it pretty. The end.
Really? Really? Yes. Well, sort of. If you have prepped everything, kept everything in good shape, divided your material into the correct numbers of arrangements and greened up containers, it pretty much comes down to sticking in the pretties in a pleasing way. We like to put in each element one at time to balance the color and shape in the round, starting with an element that takes up space in a fluffier way like a multi-branched way, then the largest elements such as large roses, dahlias, or hydrangea, and then poke in the single stem fiddly bits to fill the thing out. It is nice to have colors spread evenly around the arrangement, so some adjusting may be necessary. Try not to blob big things together or cut material too short initially so you can readjust the proportions if necessary. Have fun! Of course, strip off leaves and lower growth on stems AND give a fresh cut before inserting. It CAN be more complicated than this, but doesn’t HAVE to be. Flowers make us happy. We have chosen them to ride shotgun at our most joyous and solemn occasions. You get flowers if you win the Kentucky Derby or Miss America or Olympic medals… they are lovely in groups and putting them together should bring joy.
Breathe in. Revel.
Because now you have to clean up, pack up and get these babies to the church on time…
Yikes.
For more hints, check out our other posts on floral basics.
Single flower bunches massed in prepared vases are about the easiest and most cost effective way to put flowers anywhere. You have perfect control of your budget and the time saved in preparation is huge. Masses of single colors can be really effective— or try varying between tables: light pink and dark pink or white and all green.
For more tips and tricks, take a look at our Floral Design and Floral Arranging DIY boards on Pinterest.
