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Simple Tip That Will Have You Arranging Flowers Like a Pro

June 18, 2017

There is one simple idea to remember when putting flowers in a vase, and it will easily take your arrangement from looking basic to professional.....no formal education required.

CREATE   |   Published March 21, 2022



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com



It seems like peony fever has hit Instagram once again this June.  You'd swear that just about everyone has fields of these gorgeous blossoms outside of their home.


Seeing them always makes me want to go out and cut a few of my own for an arrangement.    They are a flower that can pretty much stand on their own whether as a single bloom in a tiny vessel or amassed together as a bouquet.



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com

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But flower arranging involves more that just adding a single type of flower to a vase, even if they are fake.  It is easy to look at some of the phenomenal displays showcased on wedding websites and Instagram (one of my favorites is Sinclair and Moore) and believe that this is something that you must spend years studying in order to do well.  And yes, those kind of arrangements do take practice and a trained eye for what should go together and where.


But there is one single thing you can remember that will have people believing that YOU must posses those skills required for arranging flowers.  It is the main thing that separates a simple vase of blooming peonies from the elaborate displays of a trained florist.



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com



You may have heard a decorating secret of how arranging things in groups of three (or other odd numbers) is more pleasing to the eye and the idea holds true for flower arranging as well.  Adding a single type of flower to a vase can be pretty and will add beauty to whatever room you place it in.  But mixing that variety with two other things in the vase will look professional and planned without needing any education in floral arranging.


Think outside of the box when choosing what to use in your floral display.  Add some wildflowers or Queen Anne's lace that you see alongside the road.  Snip off a few blooms growing on your potted geraniums.  Add flowers from a bouquet you pick up at the grocery store.


And it doesn't have to be three different flowers as the greens you put into an arrangement are just as important as the colorful blossoms.  Hosta leaves and branches from bushes you have growing in your yard are perfect for creating a green base to any arrangement.



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com



The only things you have to remember is to work in odd numbers and choose flowers and leaves that will coordinate together.  Each choice should enhance the other two and not compete for attention in your arrangement.  Ideally, one thing should be the star and the other two (or more) should enhance it.



When putting together my peony arrangement I chose to use....


  • A mix of open and unopened peonies
  • Small cuttings from a white wild rose bush
  • Large green leaves from the same peony bush



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com



______________________________

When cutting flowers from your garden, 
take them early in the morning and place them 
immediately in a container of cool water 
to lengthen their lifespan in your flower arrangement.
______________________________




The container I choose was a large glass canister jar picked up from Goodwill for practically nothing because it was missing its lid.  For this display, I choose something simple because I wanted the peonies to be the star.  I filled it to the top with lukewarm water.



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com



The peony leaves went into the canister first and I criss-crossed the branches creating a web that the peony flowers could be tucked into.  Depending on what you put in your vase, you may want to use floral tape across the top of your container or a floral frog to hold everything in place.



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com



Next, I added the peonies to the container.


The number of flowers that you will need will be determined by the size of your container, as well as the type of opening that it has.  A wide mouthed vase will require more to fill it than a vase with straight sides.



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com



And finally, I tucked the wild rose blossoms into empty spaces throughout the arrangement.


You don't need to perfectly place these flowers in the vase.  Just add them wherever you think there is a space to fill.



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com



The variety of what is in a display is what makes it better than basic.  Anyone can add a single type of flower to a vase, but adding a few other things into your arrangement shows that you have put thought into what you're creating.

Remember that you most often will want to choose one type of flower to stand out, a flower that is a bit smaller and less showy to complement your star, and something green to act as a base and enhance the other two flowers.  As you feel yourself growing in confidence, you can begin tucking in more than just three choices.



Learn one simple tip that will take your flower arrangements from looking basic to professional, even if you think you don't have flower arranging skills.  |  www.andersonandgrant.com



I hope that today's post has inspired you and opened your eyes to the idea that flower arranging doesn't have to be complicated.  It is something that you can try yourself today and you'll get better the more you do it.


Now grab a pair of shears and go in search of something pretty to place in a vase!  Feel free to share your arrangements with me by tagging andersonandgrant on instagram or send me an email.  I can't wait to see what you create!

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