You see it all of the time in books and magazines, so why aren't more people decorating their mantlepieces with flowers? The truth is that many people don't consider it or put other items there. There is nothing wrong with family photos and mementos on the mantlepiece. However, decorating a mantlepiece with flowers is a great idea for those needing a flower decorating tip for spring and summer months.

Photo Credit: Petals A Florist in Atlanta Georgia

I know that it seems odd to think about the mantlepiece during the spring and summer. After all, it's definitely a winter fixture in the home. But you know, who wants to look at a boring empty mantlepiece all spring? Spice it up!! Add flare to it with flowers from your local florist. From a home decor perspective, here are two reasons why you will be glad that you chose flowers to enhance your mantlepiece.

Decorating the mantlepiece with flowers adds color to the room. Colorful flower arrangements are eye-catching no matter where they are placed. Setting them on the mantle surrounded by votive candles, family portraits or unique mementos will quickly draw the eye in this direction.

Flowers help draw attention to the fireplace and that side of the room. If the theme of the room centers around that fireplace, why not play it up all year round? Decorating it with flowers will help during the spring and summer months.

You can't go wrong when you decorate with flowers. The beauty of decorating your mantlepiece with flowers is that you get to enjoy their beauty while giving life to the fireplace for more than just three or four months out of the year. When it's time to put out the fire, light up the room with flowers from your local florist.

Hip Hop Into Easter Because "Somebunny Loves You"

What gains a second look from me?? To be honest, I prefer edgy versions of an original product. Some prefer subdued versions and others delight in the raucous. Whatever it is, there is something to be said for floral industry creations that peak our interest.

Those of us who work in the floral industry take great pride in the trendy new creations that come out of it. The thing that caught my attention recently is a fabulous new trend. I absolutely love how many florists are forming animal shapes out of flowers and accessories. It's so cool!!

I've noticed this trend a lot lately. The Somebunny Loves You arrangement is a particular favorite of mine for this reason. Every chance I get to splash this Easter flower arrangement up is a chance that I take. However, we're not the only ones doing this. I was browsing the photos at Wedding and Party Network when I stumbled across a puppy formed of daisies. Props to The Garden Girls Flowers & Gifts for being so creative!

Enjoy Kisses & "Puppy Love"

For me it's very much the same as staring at the face of an innocent puppy. They are so cute and charming! How can you resist them? It's the same feeling when I see flowers arranged to look like a puppy or other cuddly animal. It's an irresistible appeal.

Animal flower arrangements are awesome gifts for kids. What kid wouldn't be entertained with a flower animal? Besides, parents love that there's less clean up! Anyway, check out these types of arrangements. I think you'll be impressed!

Peaks My Interest is a new monthly blog featuring floral industry creations that, well, peak interest. Know of something that grabs your attention? Email me the what-where-why and it may make next month's feature! bjackson@flowershopnetwork.com

The secret to creating unique containers is…

*drumroll*

Imagination. Indeed, imagination mixed with a little bit of creativity is the secret to creating some of the most fabulously unique containers for all of your arrangements. The most valued vases aren't the ones that are the biggest and the brightest (necessarily) but rather the ones that express the most unmatched and distinctive qualities.

Creating your own containers and vases is an excellent cost saving measure because it spares the fancy price tag of buying a set amount of someone else's creations. Better still, each vase or  container becomes instantly one-of-a-kind. There may be similar ones crafted by your own hand, but no two are exactly alike. What a great selling point for a unique gift idea!

Creating Unique Vases Step By Step

There are many ways to design and create your own unique vases. To get you started, here is a technique that many florists have found to be an eye-catching design to customers.

Ribbon is a staple item in local flower shops. It brightens an arrangement and adds color where more is needed. It softens the appeal of the bouquet while adding a very distinctive look. There is, however, another way that ribbon is being used that draws on these well-known qualities. Wrapping ribbon around the vase or container is becoming very popular. Not necessarily covering the entire outside of the vase, a small amount of ribbon can be wrapped around the vase to make a very pretty and distinctive pattern. This enhances the beauty of the flower arrangement while adding an extra pop of color and style. Take a look!

Begin by wrapping the ribbon around the base of the vase.

The fun part is in creating these little twists which make the ribbon look like pretty bows!

Form a bow by twisting the two ends of the ribbon around each other over the center of the vase, making sure to line up the knot with the others.

After twisting to form the knot, pull both ends tightly. Maintain pressure while wrapping around again or the knot will loosen and come undone.

Continue to wrap and tie until the top is reached.

Trim the edges of the ribbon and then you have...

The Perfect Creative Vase

Like what you see? Find another great tip for creating your own unique vases in this month's Aspects of Design post.

Ever have a vase that shows up one day with a mysterious defect such as a slight crack or scuffing? I have found a creative way to be able to keep the vase, use it, and make it prettier than before!

Regina Berryman and I were discussing new design techniques when we discovered a slight crack in a vase. It did not penetrate through to the inside (did not allow water leakage) but seemed to be the result of transportation. It also had a bit of scuffing around the defect. We used a tip that we'd learned to make this vase better than before—and all it took was some pot melting glue and spray paint.

First, Regina covered the vase in glue. Spreading the glue on with a thin piece of cardboard, this gave the vase a very unique texture. Note:  Trying to create this at home? Hot glue will work also. Simply use a Popsicle stick or something similar to maneuver the glue.

After the glue dried, Regina lightly spray painted the vase until it was covered in a silvery finish. You can use many colors here to accentuate the colors in your flower arrangements. We chose silver simply because it's a very clean color that does not detract attention from the flowers.

After the glue dried, Regina applied paint to the vase.

The paint was allowed to dry until tacky. Then, powder was lightly applied by hand. This has the same affect as face powder over foundation. It simply creates a consistency that allows the paint to stay on better and maintain its appearance.

Here Regina applies powder to the paint. Believe it or not, it’s Cascade® !

Voila! A one-of-a-kind vase that looks better than ever!

The best hand model ever (me!) displaying a very creative vase.

"You Have My Heart" Romantic Arrangement

Want to know what's taking shape in the world of floral designers? In the age of floral wire and other creative accessories, line and form flowers are bending and shaping their way into hearts everywhere.

Speaking of bending into hearts, many people have asked how the designer of the "You Have My Heart" romantic arrangement created the heart shape from calcynia. The designer, Regina Berryman, explains that line flowers such as calcynia and heather can very easily be formed into this shape in just a matter of steps.

Cut the stem of the flower of choice until it forms a better angle for entry into wet floral foam. A standard wood pick with floral wire is the tool of choice for creating the shape. Simply hold the ends of the flowers together and wrap the wire around the tips. Use a high gauge (thin) wire as these are easier to disguise. Simply stick the wood pick in the floral foam and you're ready to go with a great new shape!

Flowers with a stronger, hollow stem such as Bells of Ireland and equisetum also form shapes well. A slightly different technique can be used to create wavy shapes, curves, hearts and more. Simply cut the end of the flower to ease insertion into wet floral foam (if used). Insert a medium gauge floral wire into the stem and gently ease the wire through the stem, pushing through any knots that support the stem. The distance from the tip where the floral wire should stop is mostly a matter of judgment. This technique allows more flexibility in the flowers for a great shape.

A benefit to this design technique is that often flowers arrive to the local flower shop with more (or less) of a curve than expected. Where many flowers should be straight, packaging and light affect how upright they are upon arrival. These techniques help make lemonade from lemons, or in this case shapes from pretty flowers.

Regina cuts the flowers for freshness and ease of insertion.

Insert the wire into the stem of the flower.

A better look at how easy this technique is!

Here Regina inserts Bells of Ireland at a slight angle.

Here Regina forms the heart shape by adjusting the floral wire.

The other half!

Beautiful flowers and a few bells around the rim complete the design.

Ask the Expert: How to keep stephanotis fresh in bridal boquets
Tips For keeping cut stephanotis fresh. thanks Theda

Reply:
Theda,

Although I am not well versed on stephanotis, I do know this:

1. Stephanotis is a short lived cut flower and should be arranged as close to the time period needed as possible.

2. The oil on your finer tips can and will turn the blooms brown. So limit your touching or wear gloves when arranging stephanotis.

3. Bridal bouquet with stephanotis need to be misted frequently and have a damp tissue placed over the blooms.

4. Keep stephanotis bridal bouquets very cool. Warm air with accelerate the decline of the blooms.

I believe there is a special way to prep the stephanotis blooms by inserting something in the stem I will research this and discuss it with some of the designers I know and get back to you.

****Addendum***

Cotton Tipped Wire

I spoke with Regina Berryman an AIFD floral designer about the this issue. Regina told me that Stephanotis blooms have to be prepared with a cotton tipped wire called a Stephanotis Stem.

I am attaching a picture of one that was used in a Stephanotis arrangement.
Regina said insert it into the base of the Stephanotis bloom. ***Once this is done, you take a small container filled with water and take the flower and turn it upside down and dunk it into the water. This will keep the stephanotis hydrated and the wire will allow you to place the bloom in your arrangement.  If you need to hide the white of the stem wrap it with floral tape. *** The cotton and the wire can be trimmed on an as need basis.

You should be able to find this type of wire at one of your floral suppliers. You can also create your own with cotton and regular floral wire. I hope this helps.

If any florist has pictures of how to do this I would love to post them on this blog.

Stephanotis Stem

**** I spoke with Regina who clarified my explaination above. (See *** section).  She said that trying to make your own Stephanotis Stem is not easy and buying the Stepahnotis Stems is much easier and more cost effective.  Stemson 's has a product called Stephanotis Stems.  The stems come in white or green. The picture to left shows the Stephanotis stem as it is inserted into the Stephanotis bloom.  You can go to Stemson's Stephanotis Stems page for a better demo of the product.

Oasis Floral Wire

Take one look at the list of floral wire from Oasis® Floral Products and you'll instantly fall in love with its many features. For many years, floral wire has been used as part of the mechanics of the design; a stabilizer in most cases. While this serves as a very functional feature of floral wire (say that ten times fast), there are many other ways that floral wire benefits a design. Regina Berryman returned recently to show me some of these features.

In many of her most recent designs, Regina bends colored floral wire of various gauges to create a grid inside the vase. This grid holds the stems of the flowers in place while giving the design a very contemporary look. While many designs call for a grid of tape, floral wire grids are a bit more forgiving. One of the benefits of a floral wire grid is that it allows you the ability to remove flowers from a floral grid and place them back in the arrangement without damaging the Read the rest of Aspects of Design: Floral Wire As Mechanic & Design »

One of the best things about art class was being able to mix the paints and see all of the variations of color that formed from the controlled spills. Our eyes are naturally drawn to color and soak up the creative hues. Well, florists have the same opportunity every time an arrangement is started. Flowers come in a rainbow of colors so blending the shades and hues into a dazzling, eye-catching bouquet is truly an artform. Skilled floral designers are able to master this technique thanks to the color schemes found in the color wheel used by artists in a variety of genres.

Primary, Secondary, and Intermediate (Tertiary) Inspiration

Most artists are familiar with the primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary or intermediate colors. These colors form the basis of most other color schemes. The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. These are the colors that can be blended or toned with achromatic hues to form every other color. Primary colors tend to be vivid and can therefore play a part in any arrangement needed a vibrant pop. These colors are often used alongside achromatic hues (white, black, gray) to please the eye. Secondary colors are orange, green, and violet. These are the colors formed from mixing one of the primary colors with another primary color.

Tertiary colors are the colors between primary and secondary colors on the color wheel. Red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, and yellow-orange are the tertiary colors. These are formed from mixing a primary color with the closest secondary color on either side according to the color wheel. Tertiary colors are particularly appealing in fall flower arrangements and other occasions that require warm, muted bouquets.

The Eight Main Color Harmonies

Understanding the basic colors and the basis of special colors is just the beginning in mastering the unique interweaving of colorful flowers into a dazzling arrangement. There are also various groupings of colors and their hues. Hue refers to the value of a color, i.e. the rich presence of a color as it applies to the gray scale. Basically, that's a lengthy way to say how vivid or subtle a color is.

A color harmony is a grouping of specific hues and/or different values of a hue. There are essentially eight (8) color harmonies, though several have popular variations. These color combinations are:

1. Achromatic: Color scheme referring to a grouping of colors without hue. This includes white, black, and any shades (values) of gray.
2. Monochromatic: Grouping of various values of one hue; can include achromatic hues (white, black, gray.)
3. Polychromatic: Color grouping of multiple hues which may be related or unrelated.
4. Complementary: A pair of hues directly opposite each other and equidistant on the color wheel. Complementary colors and schemes have many variations such as near-complementary, split-complementary, analogous complementary, and double-complementary.
5. Analogous: Color scheme referring to the grouping of three adjacent hues on the color wheel wherein one color dominates. Ex:  deep red, dusky red, dark orange.
6. Diadic: two colors that are two colors apart on the color wheel; may also be seen as Dyadic referring to a grouping of two.
7. Triadic: grouping of three hues that are equidistant from one another on the color wheel.
8. Tetradic: a grouping of four hues that are equidistant from one another on the color wheel; forms an equally spaced double-complement.

Using these color schemes, a florist can easily create dimension and a colorful dynamic in flower arrangements. Knowing which colors appeal the most to the eye when paired with other colors is as much a matter of science as talent. While no one doubts the designer's eye of a florist, using the color schemes of the color wheel provides another form of inspiration for floral designers.

There are many reasons to run out and grab throngs of equisetum stalks (Equisetum hyemale) for use in flower arrangements. Also known as horse tail, I would never have known how cool and diverse equisetum is in flower arrangements if it were not for watching Regina Berryman work with this amazing plant material one day. Regina is certified through the American Institute of Floral Design as well as the American Academy of Floriculture.

Regina Berryman Creating An Equisetum (Horsetail) Arrangement

I was caught off guard one day while watching Regina create a contemporary arrangement of red gerbera daisies and equisetum. The movement and flow that this odd little stalk created was very eye-catching and rather charming. Regina was kind enough to explain a few of the many benefits of using horse tail Read the rest of Top 5 Amazing Benefits of Equisetum In Flower Arrangements »

Pink Hydrangea Bridal Bouquet

Hydrangeas are the true definition of mass flowers. It’s easy to see why hydrangeas have received such a recent boost in popularity. These versatile blooms appear to be bursting at the stems with colorful blossoms that can appear in purple, hot pink, green, blue, white, multicolored and more.

This very full appearance makes hydrangeas the first choice of many floral designers looking to add mass and dimension but lack the time or budget to use many stems. Because of this, a single stem can easily take the place of many other focal flowers. Who doesn’t want more bang for their buck?

Tony Medlock of PJ’s Flowers and Gifts knows this design tip well. One of the talented florists in Phoenix, Arizona, Tony understands that hydrangeas are the star of the show and need little extra for a beautiful flower arrangement. Many of his creative hydrangea arrangements focus on the dynamic presence of the hydrangeas. This larger-than-life quality coupled with simple floral accessories gives the hydrangea arrangements an architectural significance matched by few other flowers.

Blue Hydrangea Blooms

Hydrangeas also are such a quality mass flower that the attention is easily diverted to the flower itself regardless of how ornate or simple the adorning decorations appear. A simple cluster of hydrangea stems can easily be carried as a beautiful wedding bouquet, used as a quick and simple table centerpiece, or accented by peonies or roses for a large, decorative flower arrangement.

Stems of hydrangeas can also be purchased from local florists for a wide variety of creative uses around the home such as decorating around a Jacuzzi tub for a romantic anniversary celebration. Whatever the use, hydrangeas offer the perfect balance of beauty and boldness for every occasion.