Cut flowers in the house are always welcome, never more so than at the height of your garden’s beauty. Bringing some of nature’s magic inside lifts the spirit, a tonic for all that ails us. When we walk into a room and see artfully arranged flowers, the combination of fragrance, color and greenery says “sparkling freshness” like nothing else.
At its simplest, all you need are flowers, water, a pair of shears and a container to create an instant bouquet. Sometimes that’s exactly what’s called for. Indulging in a few cheerful sprays for the kitchen windowsill or table is so satisfying!
But why stop there?
On days when you have the time, take a few minutes to create a centerpiece that wows everyone, including you. Not to the level of “wedding reception” mind you– professional flower arranging is an art unto itself. I’m talking about simple bouquets anyone can make at home for your living room, foyer, home office, or a friend.
Next time you’re in a flower-cutting mood take a moment before you begin to think about your arrangement and what you want it to communicate. I’m the first to admit I’m no professional, and my arrangements look similar because I grow a limited number of cultivars. Nonetheless I hope you I can inspire you to be more creative.
Styles and Colors
Depending on what’s in bloom on any given day, you can opt for a few different looks. Also, think about where the arrangement will be placed. You might want to play off the room colors or pick coordinating tones.
One color, one flower
The easiest and most foolproof of all bouquets is to use lots of just one flower. Don’t discount it for simplicity; a single splash of color can add a powerful presence to a room, while a small posy of violets, for instance, or maybe calla lilies, can be discreet and feminine.
No matter what the plant material is, this is ridiculously easy to do and always on trend. Single-bloom arrangements go well anywhere. They’re especially suitable for modern decor, tucked into bookcases and for offices. Just be generous with the flowers so it’s lush and full.
One color in a range of values
One color in a range of values, whether accented with foliage or not, looks cohesive yet dramatic. Different flower heads and textures add allure while the monochromatic color scheme unifies the effect. This is one of my favorite styles because it’s so easy to pull off. I often work with an array of pinks, since pink is the most common color in my garden all season long.
Pick Any Three
For the most eye-pleasing combinations, limit colors to two or three including the container. Extra foliage is optional. I tend to use minimal foliage unless it has a really interesting leaf shape or I need some separation between large blooms. You can use similar colors or opt for more contrast; either approach will work.
Examples:
- Pink, lavender, light green
- Red, burgundy, apricot
- Orange, magenta, white
- Purple, green, white
Color temperature creates mood
What do I mean by temperature? How “cool” or “warm” a color is. For cool, a bouquet of blue, white and lavender pastels conveys calm. Strong purples, blues and magentas create a deep look that’s refreshing to look at on a hot day.
For a bright and lively look combine warm yellows, oranges and reds. Soft tangerine, pale golds, beiges, corals and warm pinks feel welcoming. Reds, of course, signal passion and energy, as does hot orange.
Bold Contrast
Nothing beats contrast for adding visual impact. This look is not for everyone, but if you love bright and bold, try a mix of “opposite” colors (meaning opposite on the color wheel) with or without accents of white and/ or very dark tones.
Contrasting combinations:
- Purple and yellow
- Blue and orange
- Red or burgundy with green and white
- Magenta and charteuse
- Black (or very dark) with white and 1 other color
- Apricot and light blue
Using White
White flowers in any arrangement containing other colors brightens cool tones and tamps down hot ones. Try adding whatever you have blooming that’s white: bleeding heart, phlox, Queen Anne’s lace, veronica, orlaya, snapdragons, daisies. Silvery foliage works similarly. Lambs ears, dusty miller, or artemisia all make excellent additions.
At the other end of the spectrum, dark colors add drama. If you don’t have any dark flowers try shrub foliage. Cherry laurel, yew sprigs, “chocolate” bugbane, astilbe leaves, some ninebarks, purple smoke tree, or dark-hued heuchera all bring a touch of mystery and allure. A black or dark vase can also be used instead of more plant material.
Multicolor Rustic
We’re all familiar with multicolor arrangements, usually a random gathering of whatever’s in bloom or fresh at the market stall. To pull it off well, use no more than five different flower forms and a maximum of four colors.
This style is perfect for smaller wildflowers and delicate blossoms of all kinds, especially if the bouquet will be seen up close. A simple glass, pitcher or natural fiber basket completes the informal look.
Architectural
This style is for bold statement pieces where the arrangement shape is just as important as the plants, if not more so. Think footed urns, massive lobby centerpieces and spare, Japanese ikebana, all of which are good examples.
For home arrangers, the architectural look lends itself best to budded branches like flowering quince or cherry, witchhazel, lilacs, tall grasses and pussy willows. Glads, dahlias, sunflowers, big mums and other challenging specimens can be tamed surprisingly well when anchored with a heavy pin frog.
In the photo below, I anchored a grass plume with a frog for height, and used short-stemmed mums low in the container. This arrangement is a bit chaotic and not the best example, but it’s all I have at the moment to illustrate this style. You get the idea.
Beware the kitchen sink approach…
Putting “one of everything” into a vase is not the most attractive look, even for rustic arrangements. We all do it occasionally because we badly want a bouquet, but what we’ve got to work with are strictly odds and ends.
Here’s a “mishmash” I did that illustrates the point. This past fall I wanted one last bouquet before the frost hit, so I picked everything in bloom and stuck them together in a bowl. There are too many colors and forms, my eye has nowhere to rest! But, it’s okay…occasionally things don’t turn out perfectly. That’s life.
I enjoyed this jumble for what it was, an armful of the very last of the season! That was more important than the composition.
the result is somewhat messy and chaotic.
A Word About “Tulip Creep”
I love cut tulips. But when suddenly fed and revived in a vase, they often respond with too much exuberance. Days later they’re sprawling all over the place. It’s not your imagination; their stems actually lengthen after cutting, sometimes by several inches! They can ruin an arrangement if not recut at least once. Keep an eye on them and retrim, or their heads will soon be laying on the table.
Supplies
Now that you have an idea of how to combine your flowers, let’s talk about supplies and technique.
Containers
Take stock of what you have on hand. Traditional vases are fine, but don’t despair if you don’t have many. Small pitchers, pretty glasses, old apothecary jars, pottery, galvanized buckets, baskets, footed compotes, old china…the possibilities are endless. Anything where you can hide a jar of water inside will work.
Whatever you use, the container should not visually overpower the flowers. Keep it neutral or a similar color. Avoid patterns unless they coordinate well. Thrift shops and yard sales are great sources. Collect a variety:
- Plain containers, preferably neutrals and solid colors
- Patterns should be subdued and uniform. Avoid “scenes”
- Small containers, with necks ideally between 2 – 3 inches
- Medium containers with openings 3 – 5 inches wide
- Large containers no more than 6 – 8 inches wide
- Low shallow bowls that can hide a wire insert or frog
- Tight-necked vessels look best with just a few stems
- Flared lip vessels of any size are very versatile
- Footed bowls make lovely formal arrangements
- Baskets and rustic boxes can be fitted with mason jars.
Wire Inserts and Tape
It’s very helpful to use a wire insert in the container to support the stems. A wad of chicken wire works well, especially if it’s epoxy-coated, which won’t rust. Moldable inserts sold for this purpose are also useful, either wedged inside or spanning the opening. Use narrow green florist’s tape to secure it in place if necessary. These inserts can be used again and again.
Flower Frogs
Pin frogs are heavy blocks of sharp pins that sit on the container bottom. There are also cage frogs and hairpin frogs, all designed to skewer or hold stems in place. Professionals use florist’s clay to secure the frogs, but the clay can make removal difficult; as a result I often don’t secure mine. (Extreme care must be taken when working with an unsecured frog in a breakable container.)
Frogs are not must-haves, but they give you more options. Pin frogs especially make working with woody branches like lilacs a snap. You will quickly come to appreciate them.
Avoid Florist’s Foam
Please don’t use the chemical green “foam” blocks often found in commercial arrangements which require soaking and taping to stablize them. They’re not reusable, and will quickly turn sour and smelly because they trap bacteria and are slow to dry out. Not eco-friendly either! Use a wad of chicken wire or mesh instead.
Snips or Pruners
Hand pruners or florist’s snips will provide the cleanest cut. You don’t need to run out and buy a special pair of snips. I use the same pair of Felco pruners I do all my cutting and trimming with.
Essential Flower Food
If you can only invest in one thing, this is it: flower food. Yes, those little packets that come with every supermarket bouquet. You can buy 100 packets for under $18 at Amazon or Walmart, or any well-stocked florist. They’re convenient, pre-portioned and the packets last practically forever. Chrysal is a easy brand to find online, but any brand is fine.
Homemade concoctions are popular, but I don’t recommend making your own food except in a pinch. Flower food is mostly sugar, bleach and citric acid dissolved in water. The commercial stuff also contains compounds that help open up the stems for better uptake, which homemade solutions can’t match. But, homemade is better than nothing and will no doubt help your blooms last a little longer.
“Quick Dip” solution
Quick Dip 100 from FloraLife is a commercial solution that aids in hydration and halts stem clogging, especially in half-woody plants like hydrangea and lilac. It’s the secret to extending the life of difficult-to-work-with cuttings. Most flowers do NOT need it, but some of our favorites really do benefit from this treatment. Quick Dip 100 comes in 16 oz. bottles and is available at select florists or online.
TIP: How to Use Quick Dip. Measure out 2″ – 3″ of solution into a small glass or narrow jar. Recut the stem and submerge the lower 2″ in Quick Dip for a few seconds, up to a maximum of 30 seconds for woody tissue. Remove and place in cool water for several hours, or if pressed for time, proceed directly with arranging. Do not return leftover solution to the bottle; instead, dispose of it when finished for the day to avoid contamination.
Don’t want to be bothered? There is a free alternative..
Alternative to Quick Dip
Plunge the stems for 7 – 10 seconds into plain boiling water; promptly remove and condition in cool water for several hours before arranging. This works similarly if not quite as well as Quick Dip. Boiling water also tends to seal in irritating sap from euphorbia, milkweed etc. Do not do this for most of your flowers, however; use only with woody, sappy or highly wilt-prone cultivars.
Cutting and Preparing the Flowers
A few simple cutting tricks will vastly improve your arrangements if you’re not already doing this.
Harvest flowers in the morning when they are fully hydrated from an overnight’s rest, or second best, in the evening. Avoid cutting at midday. Remember to cut a few interesting sprigs of foliage, too.
Cut cleanly just above a leaf node. Never rip or tear a stem; you’ll severely impair water absorption. A clean, sharp snips or pruners is best for this.
Most blooms should be a third to half open for the best vase life. Of course for a home bouquet, flowers like phlox, catmint, orlaya and many others can be fully open as long as the flowers are fresh.
Exceptions are hydrangeas, which should not be cut until after they’re pollinated/
Cut peonies when the buds feel pillowy, like marshmallows, or just starting to open.
True lilies should be cut at the advanced budding stage or just as they’re opening. (Daylilies will only last a day or two regardless, so be prepared to replace them as needed.)
Opt for the longest stems. More length means easier arranging, and you’ll be recutting them too. If stems are short, use a short container.
Strip off all lower foliage that would get submerged otherwise. Roses don’t need thorns removed, but their points should be nipped for easier handling. This step preserves water quality and prevents slime.
Promptly get cuttings into water. There’s no need to take a bucket of water into the garden unless you’re really motivated, but don’t dawdle around. Get cut blooms into water as soon as possible, ideally within 15 minutes of harvest.
Optional: Conditioning. Professionals recut their stems and “condition” them in a bucket of cool, deep water out of direct sun for at least 3 hours and up to overnight before arranging. Conditioned flowers are fully hydrated, so they stay where you want them and don’t shift around in the vase (except for tulips).
Woody stems: Vertically split the bottom 2 inches of lilac stem and other woody shrubs with a sharp knife to aid in water uptake. (I do this on an old cutting board.) Treat with Quick Dip or boiling water and condition before arranging. You should be able to get several days out of them this way, if not longer. Lilacs will not last for more than a few hours without this treatment, so do try it.
Their soft fragrance in a bouquet is divine.
Now the Fun Starts — Arranging!
You have your flowers, either in water or laying on the counter direct from the garden, snips, one or more containers to choose from, and flower food (plus Quick Dip if using).
Pick a container that can handle the flowers’ height and bulk, making sure there’s enough water capacity and no chance of tippage if your flowers are top-heavy. Flowers will drink a lot of water initially, especially if not conditioned. The container color and shape should complimentary or neutral. If in doubt, glass works with everything.
Position your wire or frog inside, if using. Secure with tape or putty.
Fill two-thirds full with lukewarm water. Add a packet of food and stir to dissolve.
Select a large stem to work with. Strip off all lower foliage and any damaged leaves. Stand it temporarily in your container to judge the height for the tallest stems. Re-cut it as necessary on a 45-degree angle (take off at least an inch). The angle ensures water uptake.
Start arranging.
Favorable Odds
For an unforced look, use the rule of odds: 3, 5 or 7 stems of each bloom looks more natural than 2, 4 or 6. Vary the heights somewhat, trimming each stem on an angle as needed. I like to include a few buds as well, mimicking the way they grow in nature.
For centerpieces, tall stems go in the center, shorter ones to the outside. Turn the container frequently and build out the sides as you go. You can fill in smaller gaps toward the end.
One-Sided Arrangements
For arrangements viewed from only one direction, you may want to bank the tallest stems to the back, the side that won’t be seen. In this type of arrangement, extra foliage is often fanned out behind the flowers for contrast, but this is totally optional and will depend on the materials you’re working with. This style is great for sideboards and anyplace where the arrangement will be up against a wall.
Strive for Balance
With flowers of different shapes, intersperse them for a balanced appearance. Make sure the showiest blooms are in the middle foreground where they’re most visible. Stand back and observe; fill in any remaining gaps with smaller stems or leftover foliage.
Voila!
When almost finished, carefully top up the water. Wipe down the container and be sure to dry the bottom. Place your arrangement in your chosen spot, step back and admire!
The amazing peony “Vivid Rose”
After 8 hours and every 2 days thereafter, check the water level and either top it up or change it. Usually I don’t add more food. Enjoy!
Have fun putting together some new and daring flower combinations this summer!
