Floral Arrangements – What Goes Where
There are many different types of floral arrangements which are designed to be used in wide variety of situations. From wedding bouquets to table center pieces and party floral decorations, floral arrangements are an excellent way to express your feelings and catch the mood of an event. Beautiful floral arrangements can be created to suit every style and budget, from simple single flower blooms to great floral sprays or arches, and each one can be unique reflecting your own personal style and flair.
Regardless of the event, all floral arrangements need a similar level of care if they are to remain in optimum condition. Fresh flowers require gentler handling than artificial flowers and will last for a much shorter length of time. Many fresh flowers need to be kept well watered and in a position away from artificial sources of heat, direct sunlight and extremes of temperature. Artificial flowers are extremely long lasting if given a little bit of care and as such are becoming extremely popular, especially silk flowers which give a lovely, natural looking display.
If you decide to create your own floral arrangement, here are a few hints to bear in mind. Using florist foam will help you to arrange your design with more precision – green foam for fresh flowers and brown for artificial or dried flowers. Always soak the foam before inserting fresh flowers and try to ensure that the stems are in touching the foam at their base, otherwise they will wilt. It can be useful to cut a little v shaped notch in the top of the foam to allow you to top up with water. Try very hard to resist the temptation to reuse foam, since it will already have holes in it and so you may well be inserting your fresh stems into air pockets which will make them wilt.
Properly caring for cut flowers arranged in a vase or similar container can extend their life. It is good to use a clean container and add appropriate cut flower food. It pays to take away any shots or leaves which would be submerged in water as these would quickly rot. For those floral arrangements which need to have immediate short term impact e.g. wedding bouquets, use flowers which are at or almost at their full bloom; they wont last long but they will look stunning. For those floral arrangements which you can enjoy over a longer time,those used in home decorating for example, use cut flowers which are in bud or just beginning to open and then you will have the pleasure of watching them blossom.
Artificial floral arrangements need much less care than fresh, a gentle blast with the hairdryer to remove dust is about all that is required, but if creating an artificial display yourself, bear in mind that it may be necessary to weight the container with pebbles, shells etc (this will also cover the florist foam) and try to mould each flower and stem in the way it would naturally grow before placing it in your display.
The vast majority of people however, while prepared to arrange a few flowers in a vase, find the thought of creating floral arrangements for special occasions like weddings just too daunting. Fortunately there are many professional florists who can design and create beautiful floral arrangements for you. It is however important to find the right florist, this can mean a little hard work, but the results will be worth it.
If you do decide to use a professional florist, have a look at examples of their work beforehand and see if you can find anything in the design and style that you would like; if not it may be better to look for someone else. Work with the florist in creating an arrangement that will fit in with the event that you are organizing. This is especially true of wedding arrangements which need to be in keeping with the general mood of the wedding, be that traditional, modern etc and also to draw attention to the bride and her dress.
