Flower Arranging

sadaf26 | Mar 10, 2010 |

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I love to watch someone's face light up when they receive flowers, especially if it's a surprise. Whether giving flowers as a gift Or buying them for your own enjoyment, these tips will help you create and arrange a design that is uniquely your own.

QUALITY COUNTS

Here are a few tips to make your flowers last longer:

* Give your flowers a fresh cut-at an angle, under water-before arranging them in a vase, Remove any stem leaves that will fall below the water line of the vase.

* Fill a clean, deep vase or your favorite floral container with warm water mixed with floral food (those packets that come with the bouquet work fine).

* Keep the vase in a cool place. Do not place flowers in direct sunlight, or on a radiator or heater.

* Add warm water each day, and keep the vase or container full. Every 3 or 4 days, change the water completely and then re-cut the stems.

ARRANGING

Place re-cut stems loosely, but evenly, in the vase. My favorite secret to creating professional-looking arrangements is to use tape to create a grid across the top of the vase, placing a single flower in each of the grid boxes. This keeps the flowers evenly spaced. Add foliage if necessary to conceal the tape.

PERSONALIZE

* Design for the recipient. For the bold, use bright colors. For a "shy violet," try softer tones.

* Who says you have to use a vase? Instead, use your imagination! With floral foam and a plastic liner, use watering cans, beach pails, or even ceramic holiday containers like a Santa boot to make great floral containers.

* Accent your masterpiece with ribbons or decorated picks make them yourself or purchase them at your local florist or crafts store. Apples for a special teacher or bells for the anniversary couple will create a special finishing touch.

PRESERVE THE MEMORY

Many flowers can be preserved by air-drying individually or in small bunches. Remove the leaves from the stems and bunch the flowers loosely. Hang the bunches upside down in a dark, dry, warm room (making sure there is enough air circulating around the bunches). When the stems are dry and rigid (in about 1 to 2 weeks), the flowers are ready to be stored or displayed.

You can also preserve flowers by weight pressing: (1) Line the pages of a book with wax paper to avoid page damage. (2) Insert flowers (whole buds or just the petals) between the pages of a book. (3) Close the book and place a heavy object on top. In just 2 to 3 weeks, the flowers can be removed.