Tips for Arranging Flowers!

Over the weekend some friends and I took a flower arranging class from The Farmer's Florist.  Not only is she super cool to work with, but she's also doing great things for Nashville communities! My friends and I met her at her shop on Sunday afternoon.  We popped open the champagne (naturally) and got down to business!

To get started you need three types of flowers: 

• Greenery - Christie recommends two types when making various arrangements
• Focal Flowers
• Details Flowers - Christie recommends having a couple of different detail flowers when making various arrangements

You want to start building your arrangement by "covering the hole" with your greenery. As you cut your stems, always on an angle to allow for more absorption, make sure to cut them down to their most potential.  For example, one stem could have various limbs that can be broken down and used throughout the arrangement.  Use your vase as a tool/ruler to easily measure the desired height of your stems. When covering the hole, you want to create a grid which allows movement in your arrangement. Don't be afraid to turn your arrangement as you build, allowing yourself a view from all sides.  Let the greenery rest on the side, covering the lip of the vase. Be sure to strip any leaves that will get into your water as the leaves will create bacteria and make your water turn more quickly.  Placing a dropper of bleach in your water can help! 

Now that you have your base, you want to pick one focal flower and details flowers.  My focal flower was a beautiful pink color with slight purple undertones.  To compliment, I chose a detail flower with a soft purple hue. Christie recommends picking two colors then use your other detail flowers to bridge the gap. Having too many colors causes your arrangement to look less curated.  Once you have your color palette and flowers you should simply begin to fill any holes created by the greenery grid.  One helpful tip was to cut off any knobs on the stem.  This way, as you poke around and play with your arrangement you have less of a chance at moving the other flowers around.  There is no science to the art of arranging, you simply have to play around, filling the holes until you're happy with your arrangement.  When my focal flower would not cooperate, Christie wove a piece of greenery underneath for the focal flower to rest upon and also prodding the flower to face in the right direction.  After filling the holes with a few more detail flowers I had created one beautiful arrangement.  

The same approach applies when working with smaller vases. Build with your greenery, focal flowers, and detail flowers.  When working with bud vases you will likely want to use one flower, a bit taller than the vase, allowing the stem's personality to be on display. 

Stop by your local flower store or find a farmer in the area and start building beautiful arrangements to fill your home! Don't wait for guests to create a lovely space you can enjoy!  If you're simply too busy to create your own arrangement, The Farmers Florist offers weekly subscriptions! Love your space, create a place you love, one flower arrangement at a time!