Flower Arranging 101

August 27, 2013

By: Amanda Gates

If you are like me you know little about flowers, but I do know they are gorgeous, smell great and I ADORE getting them. Other than that, my expertise runs out. Over the years I have realized that many people are just like me, they want the best, but don’t always have the time, or patience to achieve results that Martha bequeaths onto us. My motto in life is to keep it SHORT, SIMPLE and STUPID-(all while making it look fabulous). I demand simplicity and I demand things to be easy and effortless. But the designer in me still wants Martha results, just without all the work!

Nothing is more festive than a fresh bouquet of flowers in the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom. Whether you purchase your loose flowers from the grocery store or flower market here are my best tips to make you look like an expert arranger.

1. Group Colors

Keeping one floral color is a classic practice in floral design and the simplest approach. Group flowers by color and your arrangements will always look amazing. And also be easy! For some added pizzaz, group the flowers with other groups in a row for extra style–this looks chic, expensive, and custom made from the floral shop.

2. Don’t Overlook Greenery
Greenery is plentiful in the fall and easy to find. Ivy, eucalyptus, magnolia leaves, boxwood branches and herbs are plentiful in the fall and winter. When flowers are typically hard to find, use greenery for holiday arrangements, or combine them with your favorite holiday flowers like hypericum berries.

3. Be Creative; Be Simple

Don’t over look simple points that can add some serious wow factor. While massive arrangements can be stylish, small details often look more elegant and smart. Here are some of our favorite clever details:

Also keep in mind that roses are THE most competitive and most sold flower on the market. Most floral marts sell a dozen top quality roses for less than $29.99. Smith and Rogers offers a bundle of roses starting at $23.99 and they stand behind their product. If you have any problems or are unhappy with them they will replace them! Your grocery mart will not offer this service but offer many colors and styles that are inexpensive and easy to experiment with. So have fun with it and add a little luxury in your life because nothing uplifts your spirit like fresh flowers!