How to Create a Flower Bouquet Like a Pro
Follow these tips from a floral artisan and learn how to create a professional-looking arrangement in minutes
Victoria Harrison
6 November 2016
Editor, Houzz UK and Ireland
Houzz UK recently invited Stuart Fenwick, floral artisan for bloomon, to run a workshop at its London headquarters to show how to create the perfect flower arrangement. Fenwick is something of a guru in the flower world, and during his demonstration, he shared lots of great advice on how to make your blooms last longer and look amazing too. Here are his steps and tips for building a bouquet.
1. Fill your vase with about five or so centimetres of water. Just enough to cover the base of each stem should do the trick. Too much water could cause the soft flower stems to deteriorate.
Note: There is an exception to this rule: if you’re arranging flowers with woody stems, place them in deep water, as they will benefit from as much water to the stem as possible.
Note: There is an exception to this rule: if you’re arranging flowers with woody stems, place them in deep water, as they will benefit from as much water to the stem as possible.
2. Trim the stems at an angle using a clean, sharp knife or scissors to create the maximum surface area possible for absorbing water. Flower stems can quickly seal up, so make sure you do this just before you start the arrangement.
3. Cut woody stems vertically up the stem so that more water goes to the head of the flower.
4. Strip away leaves and buds below the top of the vase. This is to make sure no foliage or leaves are dipped in water.
5. Starting with the bulkiest stems, begin to place the flowers in the vase in a tripod shape, twisting the vessel as you go so that you can see the arrangement from different angles.
6. To avoid a gap in the centre of the bouquet and to give height to the arrangement, add tall, vertical stems, such as grasses, to the middle of the vase.
7. Keep adding in flowers in a tripod shape. Make sure you have a mix of heights for visual interest, and allow plenty of room between the stems to give them space to flower.
8. Admire!
Tip: To make your flowers last as long as possible, refresh the water every couple of days. You can add a tiny drop of bleach to keep it crystal clear and limit the buildup of bacteria.
How to make cut llowers last longer
Tip: To make your flowers last as long as possible, refresh the water every couple of days. You can add a tiny drop of bleach to keep it crystal clear and limit the buildup of bacteria.
How to make cut llowers last longer
9. If you’re creating a bouquet to give as a gift, carefully lift the arrangement from the vase and tie it with a length of string.
10. Take a rectangle of heavyweight paper and place the flowers diagonally to the left of the rectangle, as shown above.
11. Roll the paper around to form a cone.
12. Secure with a small piece of tape and then present the bouquet to the lucky recipient.
Tip: Always work with seasonal flowers to help ensure that your bouquet is fresh and healthy, and that the blooms haven’t clocked up many air miles to get to you.
Tip: Always work with seasonal flowers to help ensure that your bouquet is fresh and healthy, and that the blooms haven’t clocked up many air miles to get to you.
TELL US
How often do you have fresh flowers at home, and what are your tips for arranging bouquets? Share them in the Comments below.
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Read more stories about decorating
How often do you have fresh flowers at home, and what are your tips for arranging bouquets? Share them in the Comments below.
MORE
Read more stories about decorating
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Oh and forgot to add....an aspirin in the water!!!!!
Putting a copper penny in the vase also helps flowers last longer. (I never use those packets of "flower preservative" anymore)
I'd like to see an article on more complex, professional-type flower arrangements in various containers...particularly contemporary arrangements. Those are the kind I prefer to create on my own.