| So your going to bring your grocery store or florist | | | | gladiolas, blue delphinium, lilies, snapdragons etc. |
| bought flowers home, now what! I have seen many | | | | Sometimes you can get tall tulips and that looks |
| people just plunk them in a vase of water and that's it. | | | | fantastic too. |
| Sometimes that works but here are some simple tips | | | | 4) A design mistake I have often seen is placing the |
| to make you look like you're a pro at it. | | | | flowers in a vase perfectly even. The reason this |
| 1) In a clean vase, take your greens first, snip the ends | | | | does not work is because it looks unnatural. Have a |
| off to the size you want and then start criss crossing | | | | look at any garden and you will see some of the |
| the stems into the vase so that you have stems all | | | | blooms are sticking out, some are tucked in; some are |
| around inside the vase. There are two reasons for this. | | | | almost hidden but still contribute to the overall look. |
| One is because you now have a base for the flower | | | | Mimic nature and you won't go wrong! Don't be afraid |
| arrangement and two; a criss cross of stems makes it | | | | to tuck some of those flowers in a bit. |
| easier for flower placement. | | | | 5) A good rule of thumb is to use odd numbers of |
| 2) If you are making a small, low arrangement, slide in | | | | flowers. What I mean by that is to use 3 roses |
| the flowers in a criss cross so that the stems are all | | | | together or 5. Even numbers are not as effective. If |
| around the inside of the vase. You should now have a | | | | you use 5 roses for example, Place 3 together |
| vase with a ring of flowers on the out side and nothing | | | | (touching but at slightly different lengths) near the |
| but stems showing in the middle. (The more stems you | | | | bottom center of the vase and then two more higher |
| have in the vase, the easier it will be to have flowers | | | | up. |
| stay put!) The rows of flowers are going to be higher | | | | 6) The next best advice I can give you if you are |
| each time you get them in until you have a nice | | | | really new at floral design, is to collect pictures of floral |
| rounded arrangement. | | | | arrangements you like and with the tips I've stated |
| 3) If you are making a tall arrangement, then use a tall | | | | above, practice while looking at the pictures. Before |
| slim vase. Your flowers will hold up better and it will | | | | long, you'll be looking like a pro! |
| look well proportioned. Great flowers to use are | | | | |