Floral Arrangements

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What better way to showcase your achievements in the garden than to create a flower arrangement for your home, friends or family with fresh, home grown flowers? We've compiled some simple tips on how to get your gorgeous blooms ready for a floral arrangement that will make anyone smile!

Cutting Flowers

When Open

• Asters
• Carnations
• Chrysanthemums - Flower open, but the centre petals still tightly packed
• Cornflowers
• Daisies
• Dahlias
• Delphiniums
• Marigolds
• Statice
• Zinnias

At the Bud Stage

• Daffodil - When the bud is just starting to open
• Freesia - Flower at the top is open, most of the remaining buds showing colour
• Gladiolas - When the lowest flower has just started to open
• Irises - Only if the colour of the flower is visible
• Lilies - Only if the colour of the flower is visible
• Narcissus - When the bud is just starting to open
• Peony - Only if the colour of the flower is visible
• Poppies - When the bud is just starting to open
• Roses - When the bud is just starting to open

Cutting and Pruning Tools

When cutting live plants and flowers, it is recommended to use a bypass cutting tool. This type of tool will give the cleanest cut, minimising damage to the flower stem. The cleaner the cut, the easier the flower will be able to absorb water.

Cut the stem on a slant to expose the most feeding surface possible. Remove leaves that will be under the water or inside the floral foam. Hard and woody stemmed flowers have more difficulty absorbing water. Cut a slit up the centre of the stem bottom about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. Some authorities suggest hammering or crushing the stem ends to increase water intake. Crushing, however, makes it difficult to insert the flower into foam.

Preparing Cut Flowers

When a plant is cut, a small bubble of air gets trapped at the end of a stem, blocking the flow of water. A new cut must be made right before arranging to open the stem to receive water. Make the new cut under water in a large container.

• Use lukewarm water in flower arrangements. It has less air bubbles than cold water, so the flower can use it faster.
• Keep cut flowers as cool as possible. Moving arrangements to a cool room during the night can prolong the flower life.
• Misting flowers with water can prevent the arrangement from dehydrating.
• Hollow stem flowers, such as lupines or delphiniums, can quickly wilt. Turn each flower upside down and fill the stem with water. Cover the stem end with your thumb to keep the water in prior to placing it in the arrangement. The pressure of water or foam in the container will keep the stem filled with water.

Maintaining

Preservatives can extend the life of an arrangement by 3 to 10 days, depending on the flower, and kill bacteria at the same time. Bacteria and yeast grow on sap released from the plant, clogging the stems. If you don't use any preservatives, change the water every 2 days to keep it fresh. Or, make your own preservatives by using the following:

Homemade Floral Preservatives 1 litre water 2 tbs. fresh lemon juice 1 tbs. white sugar 1/2 tsp. household bleach

Floral Foam

Floral foam will hold flowers in place while allowing water intake, promoting longevity. Always soak floral foam by letting it float in a container of water. Floral preservative can be added to the water to increase flower life. Never soak the foam under a running faucet because air pockets will form, clogging the flower stem. To avoid air pockets, the stem end needs to be in direct contact with the foam. A flower that may be too deeply inserted into the foam will need to be entirely removed from the foam and re-inserted in a different area for maximum results.

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