If you`re wondering how to keep your own home in bloom, here`s what the floral experts suggest:
– Inhibit bacterial growth. ”When a flower is cut off a plant, basically it`s dead and you`re trying to prevent it from rotting,” says Joel Pizzo, owner of Alice`s Garden. Bleach is the best antibacterial solution, according to Pizzo. ”Use a couple of drops in a vase or mix two tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water,” he says.
– Try novel containers. ”See what you have in your kitchen,” says Fields of Flowers owner Robb Land. ”Watering cans, glass bottles, cups and saucers, clay pots . . . there are a number of things you can use.”
– Use containers scaled to the height of your flowers. ”Flowers should be at least three times the length of the vase,” says Walter Warden, owner of Flowers with Feeling. If the stems aren`t long enough, fill the container with pebbles.
– Cut stem tips daily. ”Use a knife, not scissors,” Pizzo says, ”to cut off 1/4- to 1/2-inch.” Scissors pinch the veins closed.
– Use warm water, not cold. Warm water travels faster through the cells of a stem.
– During spring and summer, dress up an arrangement with a few wild flowers or grasses, Land says. ”In the Midwest, grasses like Queen Anne`s lace or goldenrod can be found along the roadside or in alleys. It`s an inexpensive way of doing flowers.”
– Fill a wooden bowl with fruit and slip in a few blooms, Land suggests. Alstroemeria and Star of Bethlehem work well.
– Add branches and twigs. For a dramatic touch, use ”fantail willow, curly willow or simply a beautiful branch that may have been broken off by a windstorm,” Warden says.
– Don`t worry about color. ”When you`re making a colorful arrangement, there`s no color that won`t fit in,” Pizzo says. For instance, ”purples and yellows and purples and oranges are combinations that can work very well, but are unexpected.” Pizzo suggests starting your bouquet with primary colors and complementary colors. ”Then use shades of those colors to bridge the gaps. If you really don`t know where to start, get a color wheel; it will help you understand color relationships.”
– Skip the centerpiece. Create individual arrangements in small bottles.
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