Start with a clean vase:

One of the first mistakes people make when they arrange their flowers at home is to start the process with a dirty vase. If you haven't cleaned the vase from the last time there were flowers in it, there could be bacteria or fungi in the vase that will cause your flowers to go down early.

A clean vase from your cupboard could also be a source of house dust. We all know that house dust contains all things that could be harmful to you, which are also potentially harmful to your flowers.

Be sure to start with a freshly washed vase every time and your flowers will last a lot longer!

Use lukewarm water and flower food:

Once you have a sparkling clean vase, the next step is to add water and flower food. Dragonfly Flowers On McPhillps should provides customers with one or two small packages of flower food with their bouquet purchase. When the flower was cut, it lost it's source of water and nutrients. The flower food provided by your local florist replaces these carbohydrates and sugars typically used by the flowers and stabilizes and lowers the pH of the water. Some contain microorganism inhibitors to stop fungi and bacteria from growing on the stems and some formulas even contain un-blockers for the stems.

Simply pour the flower food into the container and add water. Swirl the container to mix it up a bit and you are done!

Your flowers are hopefully still fresh and perky when you get them, but they have certainly been through the mill. Most flowers have traveled thousands of miles, been tossed around during shipping, handled 5-10 times and cut 2 or 3 times before they even get to you. You don't want to shock them even more with cold water when you get them, they have been through enough. Your flowers have likely been out of water for 30 minutes to a couple of hours by this time as well. Using warmer water allows them to drink much more efficiently as it slowly cools to room temperature. During this time, they are also sucking up valuable nutrients from your flower food.

Re-cut the stems - again:

You florist likely gave your flowers a fresh cut before they sent them to you, which allows them to drink more readily. Even though your flowers have been cut from their roots, where they typically get their nourishment and water, they still have the ability to draw water up the stems, which will keep their heads moist and nourished. It's always a good idea to re-cut your flowers when you get them home to make sure that the tubes in the stems are free and clear to draw as much water as possible.

You have probably heard that you should cut the flowers on an angle. This cutting the stems on an angle provides a greater area of the stem to contact the water, and allows it to drink more freely.

Try not to use scissors to cut the stems. Cutting the stems with scissors typically compresses the stem to some extent and in doing so, will limit it's ability to drink efficiently. A good sharp knife, like your florist uses, will do the trick!

Remove excess greens:

Your florist may or may not have removed the excess greens or leaves from the stems of your flowers. It's a good idea to strip away these greens and make sure they are not below the water line. The flowers don't drink through the leaves, and the large surface area of the greens provides ample space for bacteria and fungi to hitch a ride into the water and subsequently into the stems.

Display in the right area:

In order to keep your flowers looking their best for the longest period of time there are a few rules to follow for where you display them. The main points are, keep them away from excessive heat and in areas with little air movement. Heat and air movement both speed the evaporation of water from the flowers and make it more difficult for them to survive for longer periods of time.

Flower Display rules:

• Keep flowers away from drafts
• Don't display arrangements on the TV (Or any other warm place, such as close to a register)
• - Don't display fresh flowers in direct sunlight.
• - Don't display flower arrangements on top of the fridge or microwave.

These few simple tips can significantly lengthen the life of your arrangement and keep your flowers looking lovely for several weeks.

Ask the Expert: keeping cut flowers fresh for a rehearsal dinner
We are planning a rehearsal dinner. I will use a candle-holding lantern on each table with a small grouping of maybe 2 roses, baby's breath and something blue tied with wired ribbon lying on two sides of the lantern. How might I prepare the little grouping of flowers early in the day and keep them fresh while on the tables?

Thank you so much for your help and advice. Jane Scobey

Jane,

The easiest way to keep those flowers fresh is to use water picks. Water picks are small tubes with a rubber cap in which you can insert the flower stems. Fill the water picks with water and stick the flower stems into the rubber cap push all the way into the tube. This can be done before or after you arrange your stems. Then you can either wrap the water picks with the ribbon to hide them or remove then a little bit before the wedding rehearsal dinner.

Floral Water Pick.

Consumers can buy these from their florist when they purchase their flowers. Florists purchase water picks from wholesale floral product suppliers.

Today I finally had a chance to catch up on all of the blogs I read. Since it was discussing one of my favorite flowers, lilies, one particular blog caught my eye. As a cut flower, lilies are simply wonderful and I absolutely adore them in my garden. I grow Asiatic, Oriental, Trumpet and Tiger lilies in my home garden and at our garden center. But the difference between lily types is often confusing to many; especially which are used in flower shops and which are grown in the garden.

Kenji at Flower Insolita gives a great outline as to which lilies are used by florists as cut flowers and the vase life expected of each kind. According to Kenji there are three types of lilies used: Asiatic, LA-hybrids and Oriental. Asiatic lilies are very colorful and my favorite is one called Lollypop. This lily has a snow-white center with vibrant pink edges. It adds a pop of color to any mixed flower arrangement. But as Kenji mentions, Asiatic lilies tend to be the smallest of the three with the shortest shelf life 5-7 days. On the plus side, Asiatic lilies tend to be the least expensive with a wider range of colors available.

Oriental lilies have two of my favorite flowers Stargazer and Casa Blanca. Most people are familiar with Stargazer lilies and Casa Blanca lilies. Stargazer lily bouquets have become a popular Valentine’s Day flower and Casa Blanca lilies are often used in funeral flower sprays because of their pure white color. Stargazer and Casa Blanc lilies are fantastic as, both, cut flowers and garden flowers. I have both in my garden and when they bloom the air is filled with an incredible aroma and the eyes are immediately drawn to the massive blooms. In fact, Oriental lilies display the biggest blooms and are all very fragrant. This premium flower is available in white, pink, pale yellow and a “red” (more of a dark pink) and has the longest shelf life, 10-14 days. According to Kenji, there is a dark purple oriental lily that is sometimes available called Sumatra. I am not familiar with Sumarta and would love to see a picture of it used in a mixed flower arrangement.

LA Hybrids are a cross between Asiatic and Trumpet lilies. Non-fragrant like Asiatic, but with bigger and stronger blooms and a shelf life of 7-10 days. These lilies have an abundance of bright color options. As a premier Huntington New York Florists Flower Insolita uses LA hybrids instead of Asiatic lilies.

I often cut the lilies in my garden and place them in a vase to enjoy them in the house. During the off-season, I purchase stems from my local florist. But, I never really though about what to look for when buying lilies. Kenji pointed out three great tips for buying lilies.

1. Count the number of buds rather than the number of stems. Cheap stem price doesn’t equate to quality lilies.
2. Look for thick study stems. Lilies are top heavy and need a good support system.
3. Look for healthy leaves. Yellow leaves could mean ethylene damage.

Subconsciously, I always look for thick stems and healthy leaves; but bud count isn’t something I paid attention to. But the more blooms the better presentation in the vase, so it make sense to look for a good bud count when selecting lilies.

Asiatic, Oriental and LA hybrid lilies are used by florists to create a multitude of flower arrangements. Maybe some of the confusion surrounding florist lilies has been removed and we can all just sit back and enjoy these wonderful flowers. Remember, there is more to the florist’s lily world than Stargazers and Casa Blanca lilies.

I hope you enjoyed this discussion on lilies, as much as I enjoyed Kenji discussion on lilies. I thought I'd share some pictures of flower arrangements containing lilies. If you have any flower arrangement pictures with lilies send to me and I'll post them here.

Easter Flower Basket

Mothers Day arrangement with pink Asiatic lilies

Secretaries Day vase arrangement with yellow lilies.

Orange lilies in a vase great for an anniversary.

Ask the Expert: How do I hydrate a hydrangea bouquet for a wedding

Should I just leave them in the water before the wedding starts? We are combining 2-3 stems for a bouquet and wrapping them with a ribbon. I'm worried about the hydration.

Lara,

When you get the hydrangea be sure to submerge the heads under water for up to 4 minutes this encourages hydration. Then gently shake dry, at this pint you can re-cut the Read the rest of Hydrating A Hydrangea Bouquet For A Wedding »

Ask the Expert: I have been told that color blocking for flowers is an excellent way to
display assortment of flower please reply   Tari Hendrie

Tari,

Color blocking is an excellent flower display strategy. It is especially helpful when you are creating venues in your store. Color blocking is a technique in which a mass quantity of color is used to create a dramatic or eye catching effect. This is a creative, yet simple, way to display cut fresh flowers, blooming plants or bedding plants. It is, also, a flexible and versatile way to display an assortment of flowers. You can create beautiful flower displays by grouping flowers of the same color with different size blooms and textures. The intense concentration of color will draw attention to the flowers while the assorted textures will create depth and interest. Grouping buckets of gerberas, gladiolus, roses and lilies (all some shade of orange) around a grouping of cobalt blue vases or glazed pottery will create a display that will draw the customers to, both, the flowers and the containers.

Another form of color blocking is to create a display of color bands. This involves using multiple flower color groupings side by side; grouping either complimentary or contrasting colors together depending on the effect you desire. While giving them a “wow” factor that entices them to select more flowers, this type of flower display shows customers how colors relate to each other.

Ask the Expert: orchid question

I am helping a friend with her wedding flowers. She wants to have phalaeonpsis orchids in a cascade bouquet. If I make a cascade bouquet and have to wire in some flowers (they would have no water source) how long can she expect them to last. She needs to have it made on a Friday to transport 1 1/2 hours to another town. Then the wedding is not until 4:00pm Saturday. Will the bouquet hold up for this amount of time? Thanks! Shellie

Shellie,

With the time and transportation issues, I would not take a chance on using Phalaenopsis orchids without a water source. However, there maybe one or two solutions to your problem. You can soak chenelle stems (pipe cleaners) in water and insert them in the Read the rest of Cascading Orchid Bouquet - Designing Without A Water Source »

I was wondering if you have heard of making a grave blanket out of grapevine and christmas tree outdoor garland. I am wanting to make one for my brother that passed last christmas.

These are pictures of the grave blanket made by Liberty.

Last Sunday was the first day of Advent. At church, I wove greenery through the circular base of our Advent candle stand to create the look of a wreath. Advent wreaths consisting of winter greenery and 4 candles are used to honor the advent season. Many of our parishioners use Advent wreaths in their homes, as well. After answering the question “how are Advent wreaths made?”, I decided to share my answer with all of you.

How to Make an Advent Wreath.

Keep in mind Advent wreaths are always horizontal. To make an Advent wreath you will need the following items:

• Fresh Christmas greenery – balsam fir, cedar, holly, juniper, noble fir or white pine.
• Wreath form containing oasis (floral foam).
• Bowl or Saucer big enough to hold wreath form (optional).
• Floral tape.
• Floral wire.
• 3 purple candles.
• 1 rose Candle.
• Pine cones (optional).
• Bows (optional).
• Red berries (optional).

Begin by soaking the oasis in warm water until fully saturated. Measure and mark the position for each candle. Place the candles in position (you may have to cut some of the oasis to stabilize the candles). Once the candles are in place, insert the greenery into the oasis; positioning the greenery until the entire oasis is covered. Once the greenery is in place you can attach the extra embellishments using the floral tape and wire to secure the items. Keep the oasis moist by adding a little water each day. Never leave the candles burning without supervision – if the candles burn too low the greenery might burn.A simpler way to make an Advent wreath is to purchase a greenery wreath (a pre-made wreath containing only greenery). Add the candles and any other embellishments to the wreath securing them with floral tape and wire.

Easier way to make an Advent wreath is to purchase a greenery wreath (a wreath that contains greenery only) and add the candles and other embellishments.

Simplest way to make an Advent Wreath contact your local florist and let them do all the work.

Ask the Expert: grave blankets i was wondering if you could email me directions on how to make a christmas grave blanket for my dad and my sister? thanks norma

Whether your creating or ordering a floral design it is important to understand the terminology. Since communication between designer and client is crucial, I thought that every so often we could discuss floral designs terms and procedures.

Under the geometric design chart in the AIFD Guide to Floral Design is the term: Crescent Design. According to AIFD, crescent design is a three-sided composition having the form of a triangle with unequal sides. Asymmetrical triangle designs are generally considered to be less formal than symmetrical triangle designs.

The design shape is represented in this picture

The crescent design provides a unique style with great movement. This design is used in sympathy flower arrangements, centerpieces and most container arrangements. Flowers can be presented tightly as in this arrangement

or in a more free flowing design. In fact, bear grass works well in creating movement when using a crescent design.

So, why is it important to someone ordering a flower arrangement? Many times when someone places a flower order, an idea of what they want is dancing in their head. Often, the person placing the order has trouble relating the image in their head to the florist designing the flower arrangement. When both the customer and the florist understand a design and the term associated with it, then the image and the actual product will be more in sync.

For florists, this design is something both the novice and experienced designer can create with relative ease and with a multitude of flowers, foliage, and other materials.

I am interested in what you think about this type of design and in which ways you have used it.  I would,also, like to know if their are other floral design terms that you would like to discuss.