10 Flower arranging tips from home

Create impressive floral displays with a little DIY know-how, this holiday season

Text: Lewee Hoi Han

Who doesn’t love a beautiful bouquet of flowers? While they’re are often associated with gifting, having a vase of colourful blooms on your dining table brightens up any room. But while it’s easy to leave a shop or market with a big bunch of flowers looking stylish and elegant, keeping your floral arrangement looking pro when you get home is another matter. 

Still, the effort is more than worth it. Apart from being gorgeous to look at, being in close vicinity to flowers can bring a host of health benefits. Research has shown that arranging flowers can raise mood levels, increase positivity and reduce stress because of their natural soothing effects. Now that the Christmas holiday season is upon us, a beautiful bunch — real or fake (we won’t tell) — adds to the festive spirit, and with a few tips and tricks you can go all-out with your arrangement. 

Here, we get expert advice on how to do it: 

Opt for seasonal flowers

To quote American poet and author Caroline Howard; “Live fully in the season you are in.” Not only are seasonal flowers cheaper, they will be fresher and more beautiful because  they’re in season and are meant to thrive in the current climate. Additionally, since seasonal flowers are accustomed to the in-time weather conditions, they are likely to have longer shelf lives.

Choose similar colours

While you might be thinking of elevating 2020s mood by adding a burst of colours, creating a beautiful arrangement is way easier when flowers of complimentary hues are used. To create harmony and balance avoid too much colour contrast Fay Chamoun, principal of Floral Art School of Australia and International Floral Design School. You can, however, switch things up by experimenting with flowers of varying textures to add dimension.

Don’t forget your fillers

Apart from your main flowers, supporting flowers draw attention to the stars of the show. Flowering herbs, such as thyme and chamomile, stunning eucalyptus and skinnier stemmed flowers are popular filler options but you could even use branches and twigs to save cost. The best choice for when you’re on a budget, however, is perhaps high quality fake flowers. Not only are these babies long-lasting, they are highly versatile and require little to no care so you can reuse them time and again. 

Less is more

Laurenne Resnik, co-founder of Bloom2Bloom advises “less is definitely more’. She suggests picking out a maximum of five feature flowers and working on building the flower arrangement with fillers instead. This will help ensure that your arrangements are not too overwhelming, and are instead focused on the natural beauty of the centrepieces.

Keep flowers hydrated

A very important but often overlooked point is that you need keep your flowers hydrated. Transfer your flowers into a bucket or pail of water as soon as you get them home and add some floral food. Note that if any of your flowers are not in full bloom, leave them in warm water for a day or two to help those tight flowerheads to open fully. (Also to note: beware of dengue). 

Snip

Trimming is key. Cut the ends of your flower stalks at an angle to prevent the stems from sitting flat against the bottom of your vase. This helps to facilitate water absorption, keeping your flowers fresh and hydrated. A general rule when snipping is to ensure flowers are at least 1.5 times the height of your vase.

Additionally, remove any leaves, thorns or other foliage that will be submerged in water. This helps to prevent bacteria growth which may cause your flowers to die faster. You can easily do so with your bare hands, but be careful with pesky thorned stems — use a pair of scissors or even flower pruners instead. 

Add flowers stem by stem

Fully prepped, begin arranging the flowers. Start with creating a foundational framework of greenery, twigs and foliage. Then, add in your ‘main’ flowers, before slowly filling the excess spaces with fillers. Work in a circle as you go along for maximum coverage at every angle.

Feature unconventional elements

Other than the filler flowers and foliage, you could add in unconventional non-floral elements to spice up your arrangement. Fun options include berry branches, succulents, and even kumquats, though you might need to utilise floral wires to keep them in place. These non-traditional elements will add depth and uniqueness to your display so work those creative juices.

Use floral tape

There are a variety of flower arrangement products you can use to secure your blooms. While it isn’t necessary to purchase these products if you’re new to floral arrangement,  Laurenne suggests keeping some thin floral tape on hand so that you can easily tame uncooperative flowers, particularly if you want their flowerheads pointing in certain directions.

Location is everything

Search for a prime spot to show off your flower arrangement. Find somewhere away from direct sunlight but close enough to the windows so that the flowers are still able to bask in   warm, energising rays. Also, like humans, sufficient ventilation is necessary but keep them away from direct cold aircon blasts. Nobody wants to be sneezing their way into the new year.

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