Ingrid's Floral Tips - # 5 - Top Ten Flower Arranging Tips

1. Always condition your flowers – before making your arrangement. It helps to prolong the life of the flowers in the vase. Just follow these simple and easy tips below!

2. Make sure all tools are clean and sharp and all containers clean and free from any bacteria. Bacteria will encourage deterioration of the flowers.

3. Most flowers will come wrapped in cellophane and have elastic band holding the bunches together. Remove all wrapping and elastic bands as soon as you get home.

4. Use a pair of floral scissors or snippers, preferably one that is comfortable to use and will not hurt your hand - if you are using it for a long time. For any woody stems you will probably need a pair of strong secateurs. 

5. Remove all leaves that will end up below the waterline in the vase or container. Any leaves submerged in water encourage bacterial growth and that will make the flowers deteriorate quicker.

6. Cut the bottom of the stems at an angle. This is to allow maximum surface to absorb water and to prevent the stems from sitting flush against the bottom of the container.

7. Cut all woody stems at an angle and then make another vertical cut upwards on the stem. This is to increase the surface that can absorb water.   

8. After cutting the stems place the flowers in a clean container with tepid water. Tepid water is more easily absorbed by the flowers.

9. Leave the flowers in a cool and dark place for at least a few hours – preferably overnight. This will give the flowers time to recover and to absorb water.

10. When making the final arranging in a vase or container you will probably have to re-cut the flower stems again to an appropriate length for your vase or container.

I hope you find these flower arranging tips useful. Following these simple advice you can make sure your flowers will look good and last longer. 

Have a Creative Floral Day! 

See you soon again!

xoxo Ingrid

[Styling and photography © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

Ingrid's Floral Tips # 4

This is the fourth in my series of Ingrid's Floral Tips. I will give you links to the first three at the end of the post.

This post is about how to take care of your flowers once you have conditioned them and made up the arrangement at home.

# 1. Flowers will last longer if you put them in a cool place at night.

# 2.  Avoid putting your flower arrangement too close to any heat source like a radiator or heater, in a window with direct sunlight or close to any electronic equipment that gives off heat.

# 3. Change the water in the vase every couple of days and at the same time if possible re-cut the stems. This might not always be practical - as you don't want the arrangement to fall apart or if it means that the flower stems would end up too short in the vase.

# 4. If you have a large arrangement and you don't want to take the flowers out of the vase - one trick to change the water in the vase - is to put the whole arrangement vase and all in the sink under the running tap and let the water run clear in the vase. 

You have to be able to pick up the vase - it might be very heavy when full of flowers and water, the sink has to be deep enough for the vase to fit under the tap and you have to dry the outside of the vase - but if you can do that then you are OK.

# 5. Keep flowers away from fruit and vegetables. Ripening fruit produce ethylene gas that will make your flowers wilt faster. 

# 6. Remove any wilted or fading flowers as they appear in order to keep the rest of the flowers looking nice and healthy. 

# 7. Some flowers in an arrangement will last longer then others and it might not look as nice as it did to begin with. Then don't be afraid to de-construct the whole arrangement. Discard any faded flowers, cut the stems shorter and make up several smaller arrangements. 

Maybe use bud vases or make up a collection of bottles with just one stem in each or make new arrangements in some jam jars. 

# 8. Always make sure that any container you use is watertight. If you use a glass vase you can obviously be certain - but if you use a vintage vase or container of any other material you can never be certain. Pottery, china and metal are all to be treated with suspicion! I have learnt this from bitter experience and ruined many surfaces. If you are not sure - always put some kind of plate, tray or dish under the vase.  

Here are links to the previous three posts:

Ingrid's Floral Tips # 1 - Where to Buy Cut Flowers.

Ingrid's Floral Tips # 2 - How to Choose Your Cut Flowers.

Ingrid's Floral Tips # 3 - How to Condition Your Flowers.

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Have a Wonderful Floral Day!

Back soon!

xoxo Ingrid

[Styling and photography: © Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]

Ingrid's Floral Tips #3

This is the third in a series of blog posts called Ingrid's Floral Tips. 

This time it's about the very basics of cleaning vases, what tools to use and how to condition flowers.

# 1. Always make sure you use a clean vase. Any bacteria will shorten the life of the flowers. Give the vase a good scrub with warm soapy water and a brush. For a vase with a narrow neck you will need a bottle brush. Finish off with a a thorough rinse making sure there is no soapy residue left. 

# 2. Always use clean and sharp cutting tools, a pair of floral scissors will be sufficient for most flowers. Have a container with water ready for the flowers.

# 3. For woody stems you might need something a little stronger - like a pair of snippers or secateurs.

# 4. Most flowers you buy will come wrapped up in paper or cellophane and the individual bunches will have elastic bands holding them together. Remove all wrapping and elastic bands as soon as you get home.   

# 5. Next you need to condition the flowers. Start off with removing all the lower leaves - any that you think will end up below the water level in the vase. Leaves submerged in water encourages bacterial growth. 

 # 6. After you removed the lower leaves - cut about 2-3 cm/1" off the bottom of each stem. The cut should be at an angle to allow maximum surface area to absorb water. Put the flowers as soon as possible in the container with water and leave the flowers in a cool, dark place preferably over night or at least a few hours before you arrange them. 

I hope you have enjoyed my flower tips and as this will be a regular series I hope you'll come back for more.

Have a Lovely Floral Day!

See you back here soon!

xo Ingrid

Ingrid's Floral Tips # 2

Last week I started a new series called Ingrid's Floral Tips. 

In last weeks post I talked about where to buy your cut flowers - here is the link to that post: Where to Buy Your Cut Flowers. 

This week is about what to look out for when buying your flowers. Later on I will talk about the all important subject on how to condition the flowers once you've brought them home. Later in the series it will be about what kind of containers to choose, design and tips about how to look after your flowers in general and much, much more. 

Later on I'm also going to include tips and advise about cutting gardens.

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Tips On How To Choose Your Cut Flowers

# 1. There are going to be many factors that will influence your choice  when buying cut flowers. Size, colour, budget etc.

# 2. You might want to think about where the arrangement is going to be placed. Is it going to be a large arrangement for a hallway or living room or a small one for a bedside table or maybe a bathroom.

# 3. Another factor would be the colour scheme of the room where the flowers are going to be placed. 

# 4. The shape and size of the individual flowers - big and bold or small and dainty.

On the other hand you might you just want to get something pretty and seasonal. Especially if you buy from a farmers' market where you might not have a large variety to choose from.

# 5. Your budget is also important - cut flowers can be expensive. Buying a few stems of something really special and lots of foliage plants could be a way of cutting cost.   

# 6. When you buy cut flowers, look at them carefully to ensure they are in good condition. 

# 7. Take your time - try not to be rushed in making up you mind about what flowers, what colours and how many stems to buy.

# 8. Make sure the flowers have their stems in fresh clean water. Look for flowers with long straight stems and avoid stems that have started to go brown at the bottom.

# 9. Look for flowers with fresh green leaves - avoid any flowers with wilted, yellow or brown leaves or flowers that are shedding their leaves. Also avoid flowers with floppy heads or petals that are starting to brown at the edges.

# 10. Look for flowers with pert heads and some stems that are still in bud. The buds should show the colour of the petals just breaking through.

There are some flowers that you should avoid buying when only tight green buds are showing such as peonies, poppies, roses, dahlias and irises as they will probably never open.

# 11. Avoid flowers that has started shedding their pollen, loose pollen is a sign that the flowers are nearing the end of their life. 

# 12. Ensure the flowers are well wrapped for the journey home. It will protect them from any fluctuating temperatures.

Remove the wrapping as soon as you get home to prevent any build-up of condensation. Also remove any ties or elastic bands.

I hope this has been informative and that it will be of use next time you are buying cut flowers.

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In last weeks post I talked about where to buy your cut flowers  - here is the link to that post: Where to Buy Your Cut Flowers.

Have a Lovely Floral Day!

Thanks for the visit and for making lovely comments.

I'll see you back here soon.

xoxo Ingrid

[Styling and Photography by Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.] 

Ingrid's Floral Tips #1

This week I am starting a new series called Ingrid's Floral Tips. 

In this series I will talk about where to buy your flowers and what to look out for when you choose cut flowers.

I will start with talking about where to buy your flowers, followed by the all important subject of how to condition the flowers once you've brought them home. Later I will talk about what kind of containers to choose and tips about how to look after your flowers in general and much, much more. 

Later on I'm also going to include tips and advise about cutting gardens.

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Where To Buy Your Cut Flowers

# 1. There are many different places to buy flowers - from your local supermarket or grocery store, petrol stations, street flower stalls, farmers' markets to florists' shops and wholesale flower markets. In some areas you can find pick-your-own flower farms and you can also order flowers on-line.

# 2. Buying from the petrol station or similar place at a reduced price might not be a bargain as the flowers might not have been looked after and therefore not last for very long.

# 3. If you're lucky you might have access to a wholesale flower market. They are large and busy places and can be a bit overwhelming if you are not used to them but it is worth persevering as you will have an amazing choice at wholesale prices.

# 4. In London you have the wonderful New Covent Garden Flower Market that florists and event organizers depend on -  and it's also open to the public. The core trading hours are Monday to Saturdays 02:00 am to 08:00 am. Some traders may open and close later - but the whole flower market closes at 11:00 am every morning.

# 5. My favourite place to get flowers are from local farmers' markets. London Farmers' Markets has 21 local markets open on different days throughout the week. It's well worth finding out if there is one in you area and if there is a stall that sells flowers.

# 6. Another favourite place of mine to buy flowers is Columbia Road - open only on Sundays from 08:00 am till about 3:00 pm. It is a really fun place to to spend a Sunday morning whether you are buying flowers or not. Apart from all the flower and plant stalls there are fabulous shops and cafés.

# 7. Most big cities around the world has at least one big flower market. Los Angeles has its own Los Angeles Flower District, in New York you can go to NYC Flower Market and in San Francisco you have the San Francisco Flower Mart. Paris has Marché aux Fleurs and in Amsterdam there is a charming floating flower market - just to mention a few.

Find out if there is a wholesale flower market or a street flower market in your area.

# 8. As we are more and more concerned about the carbon footprint and want to buy local food and flowers. In the UK you can order flowers on the internet from British flower farms. That way you can be sure to buy seasonal and that your flowers have not added up a lot of air miles. 

Here are a few to choose from - Scilly Flowers, Pinks by Post, Cornish Flowers, Common Farm Flowers and Scented Narcissi. They all grow their own flowers and send them out by post.

In Seattle, Washington you can find this beautiful flower farm called Floret Flower Farm. Have a look at Erin Benzakein's lovely website and blog - an inspiring lady!

# 9. Another wonderful way to have cut flowers is to grow them yourself. I will write more about cutting gardens later on in my series.

# 10.  There can be advantages and disadvantages to most of the different ways and places you get your flowers from. You need to find out what is the most convenient way for you, how much you want to spend and this will vary depending on season. The most important is obviously to choose the best quality flowers for the best price.       

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I hope this has been useful and that you have been able to pick up a few tips.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I'll see you back here very soon.

xoxo Ingrid 

[Photography by Ingrid Henningsson for Of Spring and Summer.]