Arranging Peonies

ARRANGING FLOWERS ISN’T DIFFICULT, BUT EASY TO GET WRONG WITH A FEW MINOR MISTAKES. THINGS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN PUTTING TOGETHER A BOUQUET:

1. HOW BIG WILL THE FLOWERS BLOOM?

2. HOW TALL IS MY VASE?

3. HOW NARROW IS THE MOUTH OF VASE?

HOW BIG WILL THE FLOWERS BLOOM? THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT DETERMINES THE NEED FOR FILLER OR GREENERY. IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH PEONIES, HYDRANGEAS, OR GARDEN ROSES, YOU’LL EASILY BE ABLE TO MAKE YOUR BOUQUET WITH JUST THAT FLOWER. IF YOU’RE WORKING WITH SMALLER FLOWERS, SUCH AS RANUNCULUS, YOU’LL WANT FILLER TO HELP WITH THE BALANCE OF THE FLOWERS.

HOW TALL IS MY VASE? IT’S IMPORTANT TO CUT YOUR FLOWERS SO THEY DON’T SINK INTO YOUR VASE OR AWKWARDLY STICK OUT. HOLD A STEM IN ONE HAND AND YOUR VASE IN ANOTHER AND EYEBALL HOW MUCH TO CUT OFF. THE TRY IT OUT - IS THE STEM AWKWARDLY TALL FOR THE VASE? THIS IS NEVER A GOOD LOOK. YOU WANT AN HOURGLASS SHAPE WITH YOUR BOUQUET SO THAT YOUR FLOWERS LOOK BIG AND FULL AND NOT LIKE YOU SKIMPED ON THEM

HOW NARROW IS THE MOUTH OF VASE? MOST PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT THE SHAPE OF THE VASE IS PART OF THE ARRANGEMENT AND IN ORDER TO GET THAT BIG, OVERFLOWING BOUQUET LOOK, IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A NARROW NECK ON THE VASE UNLESS YOU ARE INCORPORATING BOUGHS AND GREENERY. A NARROW VASE MOUTH PINCHES THE FLOWERS TOGETHER RIGHT BELOW THE BLOOMS, GIVING THE LOOK OF VOLUME. NOBODY LIKES LOOKING AT LOOSELY STUCK TOGETHER FLOWERS, SO IF YOU DON’T HAVE A NARROW MOUTH VASE, YOU CAN CROSS YOUR STEMS SO THAT THEY FLOW OUT ABOVE THE NECK OF THE VASE.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ARRANGING PEONIES:

1. START WITH AT LEAST 5 STEMS

2. ON A FLAT SURFACE, LAY OUT ALL THE STEMS

3. GATHER HALF OF YOUR FLOWERS AND ALIGN THEM SO THE BLOOMS ARE THE SAME HEIGHT. AS YOU GATHER THE REMAINING FLOWERS, PULL THE ONES IN THE CENTER OF THE BOUQUET UP SLIGHTLY (THE GOAL IS TO STAGGER THE HEIGHT OF THE FLOWERS SO THAT THE CENTER FLOWERS ARE HIGHER THAN THE OUTSIDE RING OF FLOWERS )

4. PINCH THE FLOWERS JUST BELOW THE BLOOMS TO SEE WHAT THEY WILL LOOK LIKE IN YOUR VASE. IF IT DOESN’T LOOK RIGHT, ADJUST THE HEIGHT OF THE PEONIES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOUQUET. TRY PULLING THEM DOWN A BIT FIRST.

5. ONCE YOUR BOUQUET LOOKS RIGHT, HOLD THE BOUQUET IN ONE HAND JUST UNDER THE BLOOMS AND TRIM THE STEMS SO THEY ARE THE SAME LENGTH AND LOOK LIKE THEY WILL FIT INTO YOUR VASE (DON’T TRIM TOO MUCH!)

6. WHEN PUTTING THEM IN THE VASE, THE BLOOMS ON THE OUTSIDE RING SHOULD REST ON THE MOUTH AND THE BLOOMS INSIDE SHOULD BE ELEVATED

7. CONTINUE TO TRIM UNTIL THEY FIT APPROPRIATELY IN THE VASE AND YOU ARE DONE!

HAPPY ARRANGING!

NOTE: A SECRET TO HELPING THEM STAY FRESH LONGER - TRIM OFF THE LEAVES ON THE STEMS, UNLESS THEY ARE PART OF THE GREENERY OF THE BOUQUET. YOU DON’T WANT YOUR FLOWERS LOOKING NAKED, BUT IF YOU CAN TRIM OFF THE LEAVES, IT ALLOWS THE FLOWERS TO LAST LONGER AS THE LEAVES CAN MAKE THE WATER MURKY.