Flowers have always added a magical touch to special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. But why should flower power be restricted to celebrations? We say, adorn your home with floral arrangements for good vibes and pops of colour.
Here’s an easy guide on how to style floral arrangements at home.
First, you need to gauge whether you want to opt for artificial flowers or real flowers. Take the green route if the area you are planning to decorate receives ample natural light.
If you have allergies, steer clear of real flowers. While flowers like amaryllis, chamomile, sunflowers, goldenrod, daisies and chrysanthemums may cause allergies, chenille, petunia, rose, salvia, tulip, daffodil and geranium may not.
Although each of these flowers will enhance the look and feel of your home, it’s better to choose something that doesn’t endanger residents.
Prestige tip: try choosing the flowers according to the season. Earthy tones — yellow, amber, burgundy, rust and red — are best for autumns. Spring and summer call for pastel tones of sky blue, pink and mint green. Meanwhile, the colder climes mean getting the whites on point.
Once you have selected your flowers, it’s time to trim and arrange them. Cut off the leaves that you feel are extra from the stems; double-check for damaged petals and remove them too.
Next, cut the stems diagonally before placing them in a vase or container filled with water and flower food — a mixture of sugar, acid and bleach made to ensure your flowers look fresh and last long. This will ensure your flowers absorb all the required nutrients.
You can now start arranging your flowers in the vase. The easiest way to begin is by adding a dash of greenery as the base, for which eucalyptus, ivy or fern fronds can be used.
To arrange flowers in the best possible way, ensure that you choose your focal flowers carefully. Focal flowers are either the largest blooms or those that have a unique colour and texture. Add a few supporting flowers to the arrangement to fill up the space around focal flowers.
Prestige tip: You can also create a simple assorted bouquet, summer arrangement for your centre table, chic creations with some basic flowers or just a casual floral arrangement. Analyse which arrangement suits your abode best, and learn how to improve the look for these blooms.
The next step to floral arrangements is choosing the type of vase.
Ensure that the vase is suitable for the kind flowers and supports the flower arrangement. For example, a tall straight-sided vase is likely to hold tulips better than a short round-bottom vase, and heavy flowers with sturdy stems will require one with a heavy base.
Without ample support and a heavy base, the flower arrangement might topple. Apart from choosing the right vase, you can also use floral foam or tape to ensure the flowers remain together.
Prestige tip: Those who are into sustainable living can use jugs, vessels and containers they already have to keep their flowers.
The most essential thing one needs to keep in mind, to retain the freshness of a flower arrangement for a long time, is to water it regularly.
Once the stems have been cut diagonally, flowers will require water to stay hydrated. So, don’t expose the freshly cut stem to air as it might cause the water-absorbing cells to shrink. Thereby, shortening the life of your blooms.
Change the water regularly — it’s high time to replace the water in the vase if it gets cloudy. You can also add additives, like soda, vodka, aspirin, flower food, apple cider vinegar and bleach, to the water to keep your flowers fresh and healthy.
Prestige tip: It’s also advisable to trim the stems, at an angle, every few days to enhance water absorption. Also, remove dead leaves and damaged petals that may have fallen in the water. This will prevent the leaves and petals from decaying in the water, which can reduce the lifespan of your flower arrangements.
Try to avoid clutter and choose places that have ample space for your flower arrangement. While adorning these spaces with flowers, make sure the colour of the furniture and flowers are not similar — both should complement each other.
Additionally, keep your flower arrangement away from too much heat. This will ensure your blooms don’t wilt and stay fresh for a longer time.
(Main image credit: Earl Wilcox/Unsplash)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Bangkok.
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