Whether you’re making a bouquet for a friend, crafting a centerpiece for your dinner party or just want to brighten up a room with a vase of fresh flowers, arranging flowers can be a fun and meditative experience. With a bit of knowledge on how to care for your flowers, a few tools of the trade and some simple tricks, you can keep your flowers fresh for a long time and feel empowered to experiment with flowers at home. In this article, we’ll go over the basics of flower care, the tools you’ll need and some easy tricks to get you started.
The lifespan of a flower can be a bit tricky to figure out.
Just like fresh produce, flowers need a bit of care as soon as you get them home. While each variety of blooms has a different longevity, all flowers benefit from fresh water, clean vessels, and a comfortable temperature. Understanding that flowers can be finicky makes you a more informed customer who can choose an arrangement that will last.
General Floral Care
First and foremost, your tools and vases should always be clean. We cannot stress this enough – use a clean vase and fresh water. Bacteria can very quickly start to multiply in the water. Cut the stems of the flowers on an angle. This helps them to absorb water better. Make sure that there are no leaves below the waterline, as they too can cause bacterial growth. Change the water in your vase every other day. Don’t place your flowers in direct sunlight or near any heat source. This will help to keep your flowers fresh for longer.
The following items are considered must-haves when starting out. I urge you not to spend more than necessary on these basics, as it’s likely you’ll end up replacing them with something better once you have gained more experience. 1. Reference book or video, safety glasses, pencil, paper, and a set square. 2. Sandpaper, steel wool, and a steel scraper. 3. Tool steel square-edged scraper, sharpening steel, and a small anvil. 4. Ruler or straightedge, glue, and a mitre or try square. 5. A vice. 6. A heat source (for instance, a heat gun or torch), and a sharpening kit. 7. Dividers, a marking gauge, and a mallet. 8. A small hammer. 9. Measuring tape, square, and calipers.
You don’t need many tools to begin making bouquets, but there are a few essentials. A good pair of sharp floral scissors or pruning shears help you cut stems without crushing them. A knife is helpful for cutting thicker stems. Floral tape, twine, and a variety of heavy vases round out the list. If you’re just starting out, you don’t need professional tools, just tools that work well and are easy to handle.
The Type of Container You’ll Need
The container used for a flower arrangement will not only determine how the arrangement looks, but also the structural integrity. For starters, choose a simple vase, jar or bowl. The container should hold the stems in place without being too tight, and it should enhance the flowers without overwhelming them. Try different shapes to help you learn what works and what doesn’t in an arrangement.
Now we will look at some basic methods for arranging flowers.
Want to know a secret to making flower arranging easier? Learn a few basic mechanics to get you started. Use some greens or larger blooms to provide a foundation, add smaller flowers around them and turn the vase as you go so everything is balanced. And a trick for newbies: Don’t pack the flowers in too tightly. It’s harder to mess up an arrangement when it’s a bit more loose and organic. Plus, it lets the flowers be the star of the show.
Adding Greenery
Greenery adds bulk, structure and proportions to an arrangement. It serves as a backing for flowers, but it can also be a focal point in itself. Novices should work with greenery to master proportions and negative space before adding in flowers. Plus, it allows for fuller arrangements with fewer flowers, making designs less expensive.
Flower Support Accessories
Simple supports can help if you prefer more controlled designs. Crossing stems in the vase or using floral tape to create a grid or placing flowers in groups are supportive methods. They help hold the flowers in place and can prevent them from falling over in a wider vase.
Mistakes Newbies Make
Most people tend to overdo it when they first start out: too many flowers, or too many different flowers. Keep things simple and think about proportions. Then there’s not refreshing the water, or not cutting stems when you need to. You’ll figure it out.
“Confidence comes from practice.”
Floristry is a skill that develops with practice. Don’t be too hard on yourself and feel free to try out different blooms, vases, and methods. With every bouquet, you learn about balance, hues, and textures. Eventually, your process will become second nature and far more enjoyable.
The following are a few simple ways you can make caring for your flowers a routine. – Start a Routine: Develop a routine of tending to your flowers at the same time every day. This could be first thing in the morning, right before bed, or whenever you have some spare time. The key is to make caring for your flowers a regular part of your day. – Use a Calendar: Mark the days when you need to water, feed, or prune your flowers on your calendar. This will serve as a reminder so that you never forget to do these tasks. – Ask for Help: If you live with others, you can ask them to help you with your flowers. Assign tasks to each person so that everyone knows what they are responsible for. – Make it Fun: Play some music or listen to a podcast while you tend to your flowers. This will make the task more enjoyable and something you look forward to.
With a little maintenance, your blooms will stay gorgeous and your arrangements will last longer. It’s easy to get into the habit of checking the water, tweaking stems, and changing out arrangements once you get the hang of it. Learning the fundamentals of flower care, investing in the proper tools, and trying these easy techniques will help you unlock the world of floristry and keep gorgeous blooms in your home for a long time to come.