Lanzarote Relocation

Ok, so you have decided you want to make a flower arrangement but not sure where to start………….here are a few tips and guidelines… follow these and you will have a perfect arrangement to adorn your home.

Choosing the flowers

I know what you are thinking……………not such a varied choice as back in the UK…………true……….but don’t despair……….there are still choices available.

1.    Choose flowers and foliage with different shapes, colours and textures for a more pleasing design.
2.    Generally, you will need three sorts of shapes of flowers and foliage……………
(a)    Line materials – straight leaves i.e. Bear Grass, Steel Grass, Palm Leaves – flowers such as Lilies, Iris, Strelizias, Heliconia, Gladioli – use to form the outline shape of your design.
(b)    Round materials – Carnations, Roses, Gerberas, Chrysanthemums etc. – used as focal flowers
(c)    Intermediate or filler materials – Gypsophilia, Ferns, Statice, Solidago, Ruscus etc.
3.    Choose different textured flowers and foliage which will reflect the light differently and give interest to the design.
4.    When using Lilies, always remove the stamens.  There are several reasons for this.
(a)    The pollen will stain the flowers and any clothing or furnishing that it comes into contact with.
(b)    Removing the stamen makes the flower last a bit longer (a flower that has been pollinated has completed it job and dies fairly soon after pollination, by removing the stamens this pollination is prevented)  NEVER NEVER cut off the stamens with scissors, this is ugly and causes discolouration.  Use you fingers to gently pull the stamens off.  Kinder to the Lily and looks more professional.

Making the arrangement

Here are the basic 5 different types of shapes.

1.    Choose the right foam for the flowers you are using.
Green water retaining foam for fresh flowers and brownish stiffer foam for the dried or artificial flowers.
2.    Before choosing the container, think about the size of the space where your arrangement will be placed.  A huge vase and lots of flowers will look overcrowded on a small table.
3.    If making an arrangement for a dining table, keep it low (no more than 9” high) so that guests can converse without having to fight their way through the flowers.
4.    Try, wherever possible to using flowers in different stages of development.  Buds at the top and edges, largest and fullest blooms in the centre and towards the bottom.  When using open flowers, use them at different angles so that they are not all facing the same direction.
5.    Ensure that your colours are evenly balanced……i.e. do not use all strong colours on one side.
6.    Imagine an invisible outline of the shape you want to create and choose which side will be the front of your arrangement.
7.    Choose your tallest and widest flowers and arrange them in your container first within the outline of your chosen shape.
8.    Fill in around the base and lower part of the arrangement with more large blooms.
9.    Working up and outward user smaller blooms or filler to fill in the arrangement.
10.    Use the smallest blooms, foliage and filler to hide stems, oasis and the edge of container.

There you have it, a few guidelines…………..so go on………………give it a go…………you will be surprised at what you can achieve.

A huge thank you to Glynis who has kindly provided this article (and future ones). You can order your wedding bouquets, flower arrangements, and gifts for friends via Glynis’ website at www.flowersbyserenity.net

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