Floral Arrangements 101

There are a few things in life more enjoyable than coming home to fresh flowers! A beautiful bouquet can bring a touch of nature indoors and make a space more inviting. Putting together a floral arrangement on your own can take a bit of time, but with a bit of practice you can create your own bouquet to rival the pros! If you feel empowered to try your hand at arranging—whether it be a bold and colourful centrepiece arrangement or even a subtle side table bouquet—read on to learn how to create your own DIY floral arrangements.

Picking your flowers

When it comes to choosing your flowers, in-season blooms will be less expensive and suit the time of year, while other varieties, such as roses and orchids, are available year-round. When selecting your blooms, you want to create a mix of complementary colours and varieties and add greenery for texture and a pop of colour. Don’t be afraid to play around with brighter colours, either! Floral arrangements can be a great accent piece for your home.

Select flowers that’ll draw your eye through the arrangement, like snapdragons, jasmine, and delphiniums. You’ll also want to include filler flowers to add mass and texture without stealing the show—think hydrangeas and viburnum. Big focal flowers are the stars of your arrangement, like garden roses, peonies, dahlias, and tulips.

It’s also best to avoid using flowers people tend to be allergic to or react to, such as gardenias. While beautiful, they’re one of the most heavily scented flowers, so be sure to use them in moderation if you do use them.Your flower selection should also be dependent on if you have pets, as some flowers can be poisonous, such as azalea, birds of paradise, tulips, daffodils, iris, poinsettia, oleander, narcissus, lilies, and wisteria.

Putting together your arrangement

Making your own bouquet can not only save money, it also allows you to customize the floral arrangement and make it unique to you! Use flowers you’ve grown at home or buy from a local flower shop for a more personal selection. Whether you’re looking to make a bouquet for yourself or for someone else, follow these simple steps:

• Select all of your flowers—the more variety the better!

• Choose a vase based on the type of flowers you plan to use, and the size and style of arrangement you want to create. Here’s a tip: generally, a vase should be about half the height of the flower stems.

• Using floral shears or sharp scissors, cut the stems at an angle about an inch from the bottom, though you may need to cut them shorter depending on the vase.

• Remove any leaves that will sit below the water level of the vase.

• Pour water into the vase. If your flowers came with a preservative solution, add them now!

• Add the largest flowers first, working in a circle and turning the vase as you go to make sure the arrangement is symmetrical.

• Layer in the next variety of flowers and repeat until all flowers have been added.

• Finish the arrangement by adding greenery.

And just like that, you have your very own beautiful bouquet and a reasonably inexpensive home floral arrangement you can take pride in!

Caring for your flowers

Throwing out your stunning floral arrangement is heartbreaking. So, how does one go about maintaining one for more than a few days? The right vaseOpt for a dark glass or ceramic vase, as they won’t allow sunlight into the water, increasing the rate at which the stems decay. Add flower foodFlower food can help keep bacteria at bay and provide a little nutrition. If you don’t have any, you can add a few drops of bleach to kill off unwanted bacteria. LocationMake sure your flowers are kept in a cool location away from drafts. Extreme temperatures and drafts can dry your flowers out, causing them to wilt. Care for them dailyTrimming the stems and changing the water daily will help preserve your arrangement for as long as possible! Also make sure to remove stems as they die.

Adding arrangements to your home

No matter the season, a beautiful floral arrangement can brighten and liven any room. While it’s best to avoid putting your flowers in direct sunlight, floral arrangements essentially look great in most rooms. Pick a place where they’ll be admired and viewed frequently, like in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom. You don’t need to spend a fortune on floral arrangements to enjoy them in your home! With a bit of practice, and a lot of fun, you can create your own masterpiece whenever you want.