Fresh flowers brighten up any room, and a thoughtfully arranged bouquet is the ultimate finishing touch to a home's decor. Over the past few years, I've developed the ritual of picking up grocery store stems once a week and spending some time creating a beautiful vase. More than home decor, fresh flowers simply put a smile on my face. For me, it's self-care that others can enjoy.
Next time you are at the grocery store, consider picking up a few bundles of stemmed flowers. With a few easy steps, you can transform grocery store flowers into something splendid and upscale, an everyday luxury.
1. Select Flowers:
Find seasonal color combinations, including varied shapes, sizes, and textures. Most grocery store arrangements already have strong combinations. Look for fillers, smaller flowers meant to highlight the larger flowers. You’ll probably need one arrangement and two fillers to build two average-sized bouquets.
2. Choose Focus and Prepare Stems:
Remove all lower foliage on each stem and sort by type. To begin assembling, choose 4-6 stems to use as focal flowers. These are generally the biggest and brightest.
3. Measure and Place:
Hold focal stems next to the vessel to measure where to cut. Use an approximate two-thirds vase to one-thirds stem ratio. Cut at an angle, removing at least an inch to help absorb maximum water.
4. Fill out Bouquet:
Cut the filler stems slightly shorter than the focal flower stems. Continue measuring your fillers and adding them around the outside. To add contrast, you can also add fillers to the center of the focal stems.
5. Tips and tricks
If you work quickly, add water last to prevent recutting a stem if you change your mind. Choosing a vessel with a narrow, straight opening instead of a flared top helps stems stand straight. Cut the stems to reach the bottom of the vessel for support. If you use a large vase, increase the number of focal stems and fillers.
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