Tuesday, March 23, 2010

SPRING BOUQUET


I can't live without fresh flowers in my home.  They bring personality, color and fragrance to a room-and they look fabulous!  Whether its a bunch of vibrant parrot tulips or branches of luscious blue hydrangea, I love scouting out what's fresh, taking them home and creating a pretty bouquet. Long considered a luxury, fresh flowers are readily availability and best of all, they are priced to enjoy without the guilt. Bring home a lovely bunch of flowers and follow my easy steps to create a beautiful spring time bouquet.


I went to my local Whole Foods and found an assortment of spring flowers.  I like the monochromatic color scheme from this bouquet. 



I trimmed the leaves and cut the stems a little to make the flowers easier to work with. I also discarded the green filler and baby's breath that is sometimes included.  I learned this flower arranging technique from a very patient florist in the flower district in Manhattan. 


Start with two flowers and crisscross them by the stems in the palm of your left hand (I am left handed but I will give directions for right handed). 

Continue to rotate the flowers placed in your left hand while you add flowers on an angle with your right hand.  Hold them loosely and adjust the flower height as you go along. 


Continue to rotate and add flowers until you have a full, uniform shape.  You can adjust the height and pop in a flower to a section if necessary.  Take your scissors and cut the stems to a uniform height that will fit the vase. (I've used a short square vase which I lined with  green leaves.)




Place the arranged flowers in the vase and adjust if necessary-well done! 
What are your favorite flowers for Spring?



8 comments:

Stephanie @ La Dolce Vita said...

Beautiful - simple and elegant. And you explained it very clearly. I love having fresh flowers in the house.
Best,
Stephanie

HAMPTON HOSTESS said...

Oh Stephanie,
If only I could take photos like you do! Thanks for the comment, Barbara

Unknown said...

Hydrangeas! Planted them all over our property...so it could look like the Hamptons (of course)! Still trying hard to get the acidity in the ground right to get those gorgeous blues and purples

The Neo-Traditionalist said...

You did such a better job than I ever could! They look lovely! I adore fresh blooms as well, they're such a pick-me-up in any interior! XO Katie

Unknown said...

Katie,
Honestly, you can do this! The secret is to trim up the flowers before you start and keep checking the top (to make sure you like what you see)and adjust along the way-by the second try you will be a pro-I promise! Cheers, Barbara

red ticking said...

i am left handed too! love the bouquet... xx

hello gorgeous said...

I love these! White tulips for spring. White flowers for any time. The only colors I really love are the ubiquitous pink peony and as Zhush, hydrangeas! But they're not blooming yet.

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