With Mother’s Day approaching, I wanted to share some great tips on how to create a modern, small arrangement you can do for that special mom in your life. Fresh flowers can bring so much life to a table or home décor, and quite honestly, what girl doesn’t love flowers? With so many beautiful varieties of flowers, you can create gorgeous arrangements and save money by doing them yourself. I’ve listed a few tips and tricks for preparing, arranging, and caring for flowers.
Shop Wholesale
Going to a flower wholesale market, you will always find the best selections at a reasonable price. I love Watanabe Floral in Honolulu, as they are the best on the island with the best flower selections. I can spend hours there!
Choosing Seasonal Flowers
Since Mother’s Day falls in the spring, choosing flowers that are in season are key. This will give you a fresh selection for a reasonable price vs. something that is out of season. Peonies are my absolute favorite for the spring and they look beautiful on its own. Here are a few others that are in season for Mother’s Day: Calla Lily, Dahlia, Gardenia, Stargazer, Ranunculus, Rose, Tulip and Anemone. If you’re a beginner at arranging flowers, you can choose a big bunch of one type of flower, which always looks great.
Prepping Your Flowers
Once you have chosen your flowers, put them in lukewarm water with a dash of bleach to keep flowers fresh. (I know it sounds crazy- but it works!) It will help reduce bacteria, keeping flowers healthy. Remove the rubber bands and use a sharp pair of flower shears to make a fresh cut at a 45-degree angle, about an inch off the bottom to help prolong the life of the flowers.
Here are some materials you may need:
– Rubber gloves
– Knife/clippers
– Flower shears
– Dash of bleach
– Small round vase
Arranging Your Flowers
If you are arranging flowers with thorns or sharp edges, be sure to wear rubber/garden gloves. Remove thorns with a sharp knife at an angle or clippers at the base of the thorn. Make another 45-degree angle cut before you put the flowers in your arrangement, and trim any leaves that will be submerged in water. Leaves that stay in water have a tendency to rot, contaminating the water and allowing the flowers to die quickly.
When building the flower arrangement, arrange the flowers on the outer vase with just the head of the flower at the base. Then, with your second layer around, make sure the height is just a tad bit longer and then the middle flower will be the longest creating a dome like effect. You can also fill in your arrangement with foliage or leaves for low-cost flower fillers to make your arrangement fuller. As you build, take a step back one in a while and fill holes and make sure no empty spots are showing. If you want to get fancy, you can even add a ti leaf and wrap the vase inside to hide the stems.
Ongoing Care
Keep flowers away from direct sunlight or heat. You can re-cut the stems and change the water daily to prolong the life of the flowers. Don’t forget to remove any debris in the water to avoid contamination and also replenish flower food.
I created a simple arrangement of peonies and added veronica’s to add a little texture to the arrangement. You can’t go wrong with just a one type of flower, creating a very modern look.
Good luck creating your own small, modern floral arrangement. If you’re too busy or not comfortable making your own arrangement, you can always still choose flowers from your local wholesale flower market and then wrap it in burlap and tie a ribbon around for a very polished look.
Visit Watanabe Floral for the premier selection of flowers!
