The Ultimate Guide to Arranging Flowers Properly

With the spring and hot weather coming to Australia, we can finally enjoy the lush flowers in our spaces. Some people prefer to put flowers in the entryway, some in the dining room, and some in the living room. There are many kinds of flowers, as well, and not everything goes together. Other things you need to consider are the type of the vase you are using, the size of the flowers and the space you want to put them, as well as the colours that you have in your interior. Here are some tips on how you can arrange flowers to fit your space, your personality and your budget!

Colour coordination

One of the most overlooked things while arranging flowers is definitely colour coordination. First, you need to look at your space and see which tones you have. If your space has cooler tones such as blue and grey, a lot of concrete and metal, use pink, lilac or blue flowers. Best to use are orchids, pink roses, lilacs, jasmine and all other flowers with a softer note in it. Your otherwise masculine space will soon turn into a delightful garden with flowers. If however, you have warmer tones like brown and blue and a lot of light wood in your space, the colour choice of the flowers can be bolder. You can choose red, green, orange or yellow flowers. Poppy, for example, is a springtime favourite in Australia, so think about using that. If you prefer neutral colour flowers, pick a colourful vase. If you like monochromatic flower arrangements with only one to two colours, play with textures of both vase and flowers. Pick something oversized or make an arrangement odd in shape for it to stand out even more. 

Flower size

Maths should come in handy when arranging the flowers in a vase. The total height of the top part of your arrangement should not be more than two and a half size of the vase. So, if you have a vase that is 20 centimetres tall, the tallest flower should not be more than 50 centimetres above the end of the vase. This is a textbook example, and no one expects you to get a measuring tape and be precise, but be mindful of what will look best compared to what you already have. Luckily, fresh flowers can be found in all sizes, shapes, colours and variety. Springtime has the most flowers to offer and you should definitely use that to your advantage!

Another thing to consider when talking about size is what goes where in a vase. We mentioned that foliage should always surround the focal flowers for depth and dimension. However, if you have more than one type of focal flower, like a rose and a lilac, then the wider flower should go in the middle. Wide petal flowers are heavy and tend to fall more easily as time goes by. To avoid your arrangement looking like a sad sap after only a couple of days, structure the arrangement so that the heaviest flower is always supported and most visible. 

Vase shape

Vase shape will greatly dictate the way you will make your arrangement, as well as the level of difficulty it will present. For inexperienced makers of flower arrangements, the best vase to start with is the column-shaped vase. It is the least demanding, and all you’ll need are some long-stemmed flowers and foliage. Begin with foliage first, as a base, and then work in a circle around the vase, adding the flowers. Cone-shaped and cube-shaped vases are also grateful. For cones, you want to use bushy flowers with short stems, and add ivy for decorations, and for cubes, the recommended flower is hydrangeas. Cut off the leaves and put them in the vase first, and then insert hydrangeas. A fourth easy vase is a pitcher. Pick your favourite flower, gather them by the stems and release them in the pitcher for best result. 

For the more experienced arrangement makers, gift hampers are the way to go. For this arrangement, you need to combine foliage plus focal flower with other treats. Stylishly crafted hampers include a bouquet and a range of treats like a box of assorted chocolates, a bottle of wine and some chocolate biscuits. First, make a floral arrangement, put it into a hamper and position other products around the bouquet. The flower arrangement must stand out so don’t cover it with other products. 

Properly cut and water

Depending on the flower, the amount of water you will need to put in the vase will differ significantly. The size of the vase is also important because you don’t want to overfill a smaller vase with water and risk drowning your fresh flowers. One of the things you can do to make sure your flowers will live longer is properly cut them when arranging. Most of the flowers like to be cut at an angle, allowing them more space to absorb the water and be fresher for a longer period of time. However, poppy, for example, likes to be burned off. If you are not sure how to cut your particular flower, ask the florist, or simply look it up online. Another thing to do to prolong the freshness of your flower is to put a packet or a teaspoon of sugar in the water. Sugar will feed your flower for longer, and you won’t need to change the water as often. 

Maximize your materials 

To avoid having a lot of waste, and to maximize all your materials, start your arrangements with the largest flowers first. It is almost inevitable not to have breakage, especially if you are inexperienced in making flower arrangements. But that is not the reason to be sad, because you can use all that, and here’s how. Always buy more flowers than you think you’ll need so that you can make one big arrangement, and maybe even several smaller ones. If your bigger foliage breaks while arranging, save them for later to use on the smaller arrangements. If your bigger focal flowers break off, use them in little bud vases - they will make a great decoration for a dining table, or a coffee table if you don’t have enough for every seating. That way, you will not waste flowers, and your space will look refreshed and smell amazing. 

Conclusion

We hope these tips and trick helped you learn what to do and what not to do when arranging flowers. For most inexperienced arrangers, it is best to stick to what you know and what looks good. No one expects a first time arranger to nail it and make a processional-looking bouquet. But if you follow these tips closely, you just might!