Design In Bloom

Nothing livens up the home quite like a pack of petals.

While buying floral arrangements is convenient, in our DIY-obsessed world, it’s much more fun to make them. Whether you want to keep your flowers in the dining room, living room, bedroom or even the bathroom (try it!), it’s time to start living your own floral fantasy. We spoke to Carole Mayberry, who has 37 years of floral design under her belt and manages Boca Raton Florist, about how to arrange flowers like a pro.

Fresh Start

Make sure you have the essentials, Mayberry says: fresh flowers, sharp cutting tools, your clean container of choice and fresh water. Source your blooms from a grocery store or even a wholesaler, but remember that the freshest flowers last the longest. Be sure to use the flower preservative that comes with store-bought flowers as it really does make a difference.

Stay Sharp

Using sharp floral shears or scissors ensures stems aren’t damaged. “If you end up smashing the stems because your tools aren’t sharp enough, then they don’t draw up as much water,” she says. As a result, flowers won’t last as long. Cut stems at an angle so they have more space to access water, and submerge immediately, Mayberry says: “If it’s more than nine seconds before it hits the water, it has to be recut. All stems develop little air bubbles as soon as you cut them if they’re not put in water.”

Putting It All Together

For beginners, choose heartier flowers like carnations, daisies and alstroemeria, which last longer. Start with a base of greenery, such as eucalyptus, willow branches or fiddlehead ferns. This helps balance out the blossoms. Next, group your flowers into bunches of three, and place each bunch in the container, Mayberry suggests. You can also cluster all the flowers together or make a grid across the mouth of the container using pieces of tape to hold up the flowers as you place them. O

Photo by iStockphoto.com/Adene Sanchez