By Emily Malloy

Receiving (or purchasing) a bouquet of freshly cut flowers, is a momentous occasion filled with joy. So often, this joy is met with frustration when placing the blooms into a vase brings lack luster results. Sometimes, at this particular moment of dismay, friends reach out to me for direction. 

The solution is really very simple. 

Valentine's Day is nearly upon us; a day in which a great number of bouquets of roses (and other flowers) exchange hands and warm hearts. Having a few little tricks up the sleeve will ensure floral bliss remains!

I created a video showing how to make a bouquet work in the vase you have. (I even took a poll to ascertain the most common vases in homes to improve the process.)



The mechanics of the process are simple, really. What lends to this most common problem for these arrangements is flower stem length and lack of greenery. Sometimes a bouquet comes with greens and that is wonderful. It has been my experience that often the greens to bloom ratio is inadequate. 

(1) Take note of the height of your container. Most homes have these common, tall vases. These taller vases with wide mouths can cause the flowers to spread and have a gap between blooms, making it look bare. 

(2) Adding greenery can build a shape to the arrangement, add interest to the overall design, and fill the void between focal blooms. One walk outside will show that there is a great deal of greenery to be had should clippers be in hand. Greenery can also be bought in store, as well, if snipping outside isn't an option.

(3) Make sure leaves do not go below the mouth of the vase into the water. These leaves break down very quickly, spoil the water, and diminish the life of the arrangement. I used Nandia leaves and Eucalyptus stems. 

(4) Creating a shape first with greens will give interesting pockets within which to put your focal blooms. Always give flowers a fresh cut before placing into water. Utilizing any flower food packets can be helpful, but is far from as effective in extending the vase life of the flowers as a fresh cut made on a 45* angle at the base of the stem. 

(5) Placing the greenery and flowers at different heights adds visual interest to the arrangement, while also filling holes. 

(6) Don't be afraid to edit and finesse the arrangement as you go. A flower placed in the beginning may find a better home elsewhere as the process continues. 

(7) Enjoy your beautiful creation! Changing the water when it becomes cloudy and giving all of the stems a fresh cut will extend the life of your work! 

Happy arranging!!