Valentines Day

Bouquet Arrangement

Fresh Flowers make my heart flutter..literally. They have to be one of God's greatest creations. I try and find every excuse to buy them. Most of my reasons don't justified the cost spent and sometimes I have no reason at all but that doesn't seem to keep me from an occasional stop at the flower mart or the flower section at Trader Joes. Some chickas get regular pedicures-I buy flowers. I also like to think I'm taking the pressure off of Mr. Frugal, unless he's giving flowers to make up that is. Nothing says "I really screwed up" like a simple bunch of daisy's from Albertsons.

While working at Winston Flowers in Boston I learned this simple and quick technique to making bouquet arrangements.

The first step is to clean and prepare all the flowers by removing all the stems leaves and thorns. This is critical because you will only have one free hand to work with.

Next, make a small bunch of several flowers to create your center.

Thoughtfully bring in one flower at a time holding the stem with your thumb. Your grip should hold the flowers securely but should be loose. This is important and will make any adjustments needed at the end a whole lot easier. You should look compact but not squished.

With each one or two flowers brought into the arrangement twist the arrangement to ensure balance.

When making an bouquet you want your eye to flow through the entire arrangement with small rest spots. This can be achieved by grouping two or three of the same flower together and spacing your flowers or colors evenly.

The last step is optional depending on your final look but it's to add your sturdy foliage around the base of your arrangement. Lemon leaf (Salal) adds a good support for the bouquet.

*Important* I don't have a picture but once your arrangement is complete you need to wrap it with floral tape to hold is securely into place. This can be the trickiest step. Once your bouquet is secure cut the stems at the same length and add to your container.