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Fresh Flower Arrangement

Materials and equipment

For many arrangements, little is neededbeyond a good pair of sharp, strongscissors and some florist's wire, butelaborate displays on special occasionsmay need more support.

Canes: thin canes can be used tosupport hollow and top-heavy stems.Carpet moss (sheet moss): this moss isuseful for covering the surface ofarrangements to conceal individualcontainers, creating the illusion thatthe flowers are growing in the basketor container.

Cellophane: use for wrapping bouquets,as a waterproof lining for porouscontainers and scrunched up as aninvisible support for stems in a vase.Floating candles: a bowl of thesesurrounded by beautiful fragrant flowersmakes a stunning table centrepiece,especially at night.

Florist's adhesive tapes: waterprooftape is useful for sticking plastic orcellophane to the inside of containers.Strong adhesive double-sided tapeprovides a removable surface on whichto stick decorative materials such asmoss or vegetation to the sides of vasesand containers.

Florist's foam: as well as the brickshape, spheres and rings are availablein various sizes. Rings have a built-inplastic drip tray to make table centre-pieces without the worry of flooding.Florist's scissors: the most importantpiece of equipment that no flowerarranger can afford to be without is apair of strong and very sharp scissors.There are numerous designs for bothleft- and right-handed flower arrangers.Florist's wires: useful for making falsestems to fix cones and nuts to freshflower designs.

Flower food: the correct amount offlower food should he used in everyvase. This harmless preparation of milddisinfectant and sugar inhibits growthof bacteria in the water and encouragesbuds to mature and open.

Gilt cream paint: gives a sheen tonuts, cones and fruits as well ascontainers. It is available in gold, silverand bronze.

Glass stones: widely available from giftshops and garden centres. Thetransparent ones are most versatile asthey resemble precious crystals in thebottom of a glass vase or howl.

Glue gun and glue sticks: the glue gunis a dream machine for instantlyattaching fresh flowers to containers,wreaths and garlands. The liquid glue isextremely hot and potentiallydangerous if left unattended and shouldbe kept out of reach of children.

Nuts and cones: walnuts, hazelnuts,acorns and all types of cones can becombined with fresh flowers.

Pebbles and shells: these make adecorative mulch and an attractivesupport for flower stems in glass vases.Raffia: natural raffia is ideal for tyingflowers together as it is strong but doesnot bite into the stems. Coloured raffiais perfect for making lush trailing bows.Secateurs (pruners): these are morepractical than scissors for cutting wiresand tough branches.

Containers

The type, size and colour of container you choose should complement theflowers you arc arranging. Here aresome simple ideas.

Baskets: shallow baskets lined withplastic and filled with florist's foamconcealed with moss provide a supportfor flowers, and deeper baskets can hideseveral containers within it filled withfresh blooms.

Glass tanks: very versatile and areeffective used singly or in a group ofvarying heights. They can be used to contain a mass of flowers of just a fewstems supported with coloured glasspebbles or stones.

Glasses and jars: simple, straight-sideddrinking glasses are cheap and perfectfor small posies and table centrepieces.Terracotta pots: natural colouredterracotta pots complement counrry-style arrangements, and with a simplewash of diluted emulsion paint theycan he gently coloured in minutes tosuit any number of styles. Terracotta isporous, so use an inner container orline them with plastic.

Metal containers: some metals reactwith water and can cause flowers to dieprematurely and obviously shouldn't beused. But galvanized metal is safe andrustproof. A tall metal bucket is idealfor supporting the height of long stemsor large branches of foliage. Buckets inhold colours provide instant cheer.

PREPARING FLOWERS

If you are picking your own flowers,gather them in the morning, when the sun has caused the dew to evaporatebut before there is a danger of wilting.Ideally, have a container of water withyou to hold your harvest. Once back inthe house, re-cut the stems, remove allfoliage that will he below the waterline,then plunge the stems into a bucket ofdeep water to allow them to have agood, long drink. Stand the bucket in acool, draught-free room, in the dark ifyou wish to slow the development ofthe blooms, or in indirect light toaccelerate blossoming. During theconditioning time, which should be aminimum of 6 hours, check that theflowers are raking in water. Droopingfoliage and limp heads indicate anairlock - roses are particularly susceptible to this problem.

All stems must be cut again beforethe flowers are placed in the displaycontainer. Research has shown that asingle, diagonal cut provides the bestuptake of water. Fill the hollow stemsof flowers such as delphiniums withwater and plug the ends with cotton.