The story below is from our May/June 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Style your home bouquets like a pro with these great tips.
April showers bring May flowers, and a number of occasions that call for them: graduations and Mother’s Day, not to mention the beginning of wedding season. It’s the time for centerpieces and decorations, and while a florist or floral designer is the most guaranteed way to make your arrangements stand out, it simply isn’t always in the budget.
As someone who loves to arrange flowers at home, I’ve developed a short list of rules that work well:
- Always use clean, sharp scissors to trim the stems.
- Change the water and trim the stems every two days or so.
- Don’t put any leaves below the water line or crowd the vase with too many plants.
- Cut the stems to make the flowers all different heights so you can see every bloom.
- Keep away from cats, who will mangle everything and then throw them up on your nice rug when you aren’t looking.
We reached out to an expert for more tips, tricks and tools of the trade. Mary Jo Thompson is the owner and Master Designer of Gloriosa, an event design company specializing in natural and organic floral creations for the past 15 years in Roanoke.
She helped provide some insight into the top questions for anyone looking to DIY their own bouquet, from which flowers last the longest to what’s in those little flower food packets that come with your grocery store bunches. Read on to get some inspiration to make your own flower magic!
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Let’s start with some cut flowers 101. What does a person need to make an arrangement of cut flowers, and how long should they expect it to last?
Mary Jo Thompson, owner and Master Designer of Gloriosa
A vase arrangement of flowers in water should last 7-10 days depending on the location in your home. They should not be put in a sunny window, near AC or a heat vent. A clear vase is the best one for cut flowers because you can tell if the water is dirty and immediately recut and change water. A sharp, clean pair of scissors or floral knife is good for cutting and any vessel that is clean and waterproof will work.
What are the rules for someone who has never selected and arranged flowers in a vessel before? What flowers are best for beginners?
Alstroemeria are the easiest to arrange and last the longest. It is best not to have too many different varieties when just starting to learn flower arranging. Also, a vase with an indented design will help with easier arranging.
What are the best cut flowers in your opinion, which last the longest, hold their shape and don’t fall down, have the best scent?
One of the best cut flowers to purchase would be Charmelia Alstroemeria. It is a hybrid that comes in pink and white, and has a vase life of approximately three weeks. They don’t have a scent. Peonies, lilies and garden roses are some of the most fragrant blooms and will last if cared for properly.
When making an arrangement, what are your go-to tricks, tips and tools?
Okay, so as a designer, I utilize a very complex tool called a chenille stem (a pipe cleaner). I use this to tie up my design before I place it in water. My go-to tip is to arrange your flowers in your hand and not a vase. Once you have the front design complete, turn it around or tie it up. Turn it around and add blooms to the back of the design. Now, trim the stems to fit your vessel. Always cut the stems longer. Place in your vase, adjust and you can leave the tie intact or remove depending on the shape of the vase.
What are some good flowers that go well together? Are there any you would avoid grouping together?
I love combining unexpected floral blooms. I love textures and a variety of shapes. So designing with taller blooms like stock, larkspur or delphinium and roses, tulips, ranunculus and hydrangeas along with berries like hypericum gives a design a lot of interest. Adding in fresh or dried pussy willow or curly willow adds drama too. Using locally sourced flowers provides beautiful textures, unique varieties and amazing colors. I use these as much as possible and belong to a local Cooperative of Flower Farms.
What are some year-round flowers?
Flowers all have optimum growing season. That being said, each flower has their growing season in various parts of the world. This has broadened our availability of all flowers. California and the West Coast has one of the longest growing seasons in the U.S. Some of the flowers that are available year round are roses, carnations, mums, daisies, hydrangeas, larkspur, lilies, stock, orchids and callas.
What are the star flowers for each season and is there anything around in the winter?
Springtime is a great time for early bloomers, such as tulips, daffodils, forsythia, poppies, ranunculus, cherry blossoms and hellebore. Summer brings beautiful peonies, stock, lilies, zinnias, snapdragons and lisianthus. Fall is the best time for dahlias, chrysanthemums, astilbe, celosia, amaranthus and sunflowers. Winter is the best time for evergreens, cedar, berries, magnolia leaves and imported peonies.
Is it possible to make grocery store bouquets look good?
It is possible, however you need to buy at least two mixed bloom bouquets or one larger bouquet with less variety. They don’t usually have much greenery with them so adding some greenery from the store or your yard will definitely make them look more lush. The vase size is also important and shouldn’t be too large.
And what is in that “flower food” packet? Does it work, or can you skip it or do something else?
The packet is actually a preservative that nourishes the cut flowers but it also has an antibacterial agent in it that keeps the water cleaner (it adjusts the PH balance). The main reason cut flowers don’t last is because the water grows bacteria and the stems of the flowers stop uptaking water to keep them fresh. The solution is to change the water every other day and cut your stems to open them up to fresh water. If you do not have flower preservatives, put one cupful of Sprite in your water.
What kind of greenery, berries and other ornamental plants do you recommend?
I use just about anything for greenery and berries. I do test their viability before using in a design for an event or client order. Cut greenery from your yard and place in a vase of water with preservatives and leave at room temp to see how it holds up. If it’s drooping after 24 hours, don’t use it. Shiny, heavier foliage usually does better — boxwood, laurel, euonymus and rosemary to name a few. Berries can drop off easily and make a mess. So I test them as well.
I’ve heard that some flowers need to be trimmed daily, or have boiling water poured on the cut stem. Can you tell me about that?
Certain flowers respond to the hot water process. Dusty miller and dahlias are two that need that to uptake water quickly. It helps to prevent drooping as well. Just cut the stems and place in hot water. Let sit at room temp.
What do you do if you have a really wide mouthed vase to keep the flowers from flopping to the sides?
There are several ways to work with this type of vase. Tying up the flowers will work if you add additional greenery to support the flowers. You can also use some branches to make a support by crossing the stems in the water. A rounded piece of chicken wire can be wedged into the opening. Use this as your grid to insert your stems. These all depend on the type of vase, clear glass, ceramic, metal or low vessel.
Mary Jo is the owner and Master Designer of Gloriosa, an event design company specializing in natural and organic floral creations for the past 15 years in Roanoke. Her work has been featured in The Knot, Style Me Pretty, bridebook and more. She is in “The Knot” Hall of Fame for being awarded the “Best of the Knot” — Couples Choice for over six consecutive years. Her love for flowers and all things green originated in the garden with her father. Floral design became second nature and backyard greens and perennials were a must have. She strives to use locally grown flowers during the Virginia growing season. Creating beautiful floral designs has become a passion of hers. Prior to starting Gloriosa, Mary Jo was a Special Education Teacher for 14 years, loving to learn everyday and share her knowledge with her students. Floral workshops have now combined her two loves, teaching and floral design. Gloriosa has been a proud sponsor and designer for The Taubman Museum of Art’s events for the past six years.
The story above is from our May/June 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!