by Heather Brindza, New Farmer Academy Intern
Have you found yourself with a surplus of freshly picked flowers and a desire to turn them into a pretty centerpiece in a jar? Are you at a loss of where to start and how to arrange your flowers to their ultimate potential? Well, look no further! Here are a few tips and tricks that we hope will help you boost your bouquet building skills:
1 | Gather your materials.
You will need scissors for trimming, a vessel to put them in, and depending on your desired end product, possibly ribbons to jazz it up. It also helps to have a rubber band on hand to hold your arranged pieces all together.
2 | Pick your flowers.
Consider choosing one or two “focal point” flowers to build your bouquet design around. It’s fun to add variety in size, color, and shape when building your bouquet, so choose the main star flower and build around it to compliment that one. This can be accomplished by adding flowers of complimentary colors (like yellow and purple, or orange and blue) to your bouquet to really make that main one pop, or by choosing smaller or differently shaped flowers to encircle the focal flower. Another way to spice up your bouquet is by choosing flowers in the same color family like reds, oranges, yellows, pinks and then add variety by introducing lighter and darker shades. Consider making your focal point flower a light and bright flower that you place right in the center, then surrounding it with darker shades and fillers.
3 | Fill it out.
Filler flowers and foliage are where the real fun begins. Try foraging in your yard for plants we often consider as weeds to add variety into your bouquets. Queen Anne’s Lace is a perfect example of a “weed” that can be used in bouquets to fill in some empty space. Or how about those tall grasses that have gone to seed in your backyard? Use them to add a wild-flower feel to your bouquet. Another option is adding herbs for extra scent power and to create a more dynamic bundle by introducing new shapes and colors.
4 | Tie it all together.
Once you’ve arranged your flowers in a pattern you like and to your desired height, use a rubber band to hold them in place (this keeps them from splaying out and moving around once you put them in your vase). You can hide the rubber band by wrapping a ribbon or scrap piece of fabric around the bundle.
5 | Put your creation in its final resting spot.
Drop them into your favorite vase or jar and place them in a spot where you can admire them daily. An easy way to make your cut flowers last longer is to add 3 drops of bleach and 1 teaspoon of sugar into every 1 quart of water. That way you can stop and smell the roses for longer! Another tip is to cut off all foliage that falls below the water line. This prevents leaves from rotting and spoiling the whole bunch.
We hope these steps will help you to create your perfect bouquet! If you’re looking for a fun place to test out your skills, consider attending Countryside’s Bubbles and Bouquets event taking place Saturday, August 21st at Old Trail Farm (and get a chance to learn about and support our New Farmer Academy program). To purchase tickets to the event where you can build your own bouquet and sip on some bubbly, follow this link.