Arrange Your Flowers! - # 1 - Essential Tools for Cut Flowers

This is a new series of blog posts called 'Arrange Your Flowers! and I'll be posting them on a regular basis.

It's all about arranging your own flowers - it will have do-it-yourself flower arranging ideas, tips and advice - and will be very easy to follow - even if you've never done any flower arranging before. 

It will be very basic and very down to earth.

So let's start from the beginning!

These are the most basic but essential tools that you need to start doing your own flower arranging:

1. A couple of different size containers - they can be plastic or metal. Nothing fancy, it's just a container to put the flowers in after you've conditioned them. Traditionally florists flower buckets were metal - mostly zinc but now they tend to be plastic. 

2. A pair of floral snippers or floral scissors - like the black handled scissors and snippers in the image . Buy a pair that is comfortable to use and that will not hurt your hand - if you are using them for a long time. 

It's quite useful to have both a pair of snippers and a pair of scissors. The scissors will be useful to cut elastic bands around the flower stems and for cutting the cellophane that the flowers come wrapped in - it's easier to do that with a pair of scissors. Floral scissors or florists' scissors are a bit more sturdy and have stronger blades than a normal pair of scissors - so are also excellent for cutting flower stems. 

In the end it's a personal choice and what you are the most comfortable using. 

3. You will also need a pair of secateurs or pruners for cutting thicker stems or branches - like the red handled secateurs in the image. If you don't already own a pair - get a good quality one - as they usually last a lifetime. 

I hope all my tips will be useful and easy to follow and that they will help to keep your flowers looking good and last longer.

Have a Creative Floral Day!

~ xoxo ~

Ingrid

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