Floral arrangements are a fundamental part of decoration, both in the home and in other spaces, such as offices, meeting rooms, conference venues, restaurants, wedding or funeral halls -these are already traditional places where flowers occupy a central position.
The flowers bring beauty, harmony and light and are a very aesthetic touch that gives the point, wherever they are placed, a feeling of comfort and vitality. What a flower arrangement does is combine several flowers and plants so that their positive effect is multiplied and spread thanks to a wise presentation of that flower arrangement.
It can be a simple bouquet of several fresh flowers in a vase that you change every day, or it can be something more complex and prepared, that although it has a very natural appearance, and that is the key to this art, it can only be used for a few hours. In a specific celebration or event.
It is an art that comes from ancient times and in which oriental peoples such as the Japanese have stood out, raising it to admirable heights of subtlety and balance. It about knows the different flowers, their characteristics, and not only their colors, cultivating the aesthetic sense and letting creativity develop.
And there are also several techniques and tricks that will be very useful for you to learn how to make flower arrangements, and we are going to comment on several of them.
A basic flower arrangement
To make a basic flower arrangement, such as a vase with mixed flowers, for a centerpiece, for example, gather two or three different bouquets of flowers, fill with green leaves, and cut the stems of the flowers so that they are one and a half times the length of the vase or container that will contain them. Also remove the leaves from the lower part of the stems.
It would be good if you got a vase with a square mouth, because it will make it easier for you to prepare this arrangement. The reason for this suggestion is that the first thing you should do is create a grid based on strips of adhesive tape or transparent zeal, placing several horizontally and others crossing these vertically, and for this it will be more comfortable if you use a square vase.
The first thing you are going to do is put the green base, with nothing more than green leaf branches, in the outermost holes of the grid, forming an abundant lattice around the center of the vase.
Then, in the central hole, place the flower that we want to stand out the most, trying to make it a larger flower than the others or more striking, which will be the dominant flower. Then we put the rest of the secondary flowers around the dominant flower, using the rest of the free spaces in the masking tape grid.
Finally, in the gaps that have been left free of the grid, introduce other filler flowers, less showy or smaller, that complement the secondary flowers and the dominant one, and finish off with a touch of green with a branch of leaves other than the base ones and that it is almost as tall as the dominant flower. You will notice that the result, although the process is simple, is spectacular. Your creativity will be the key when choosing the different flowers that you use in this composite vase. And it only remains the decision of where you prefer to display this magnificent basic flower arrangement.
The reason
But apart from a vase, there are many other ways and forms to create flower arrangements, such as a centerpiece, heart or double ring shapes, pendants to put vertically on walls, both indoors and outdoors, etc.
For all of them, there are some general tips to take into account as a preliminary step and that will guide you to have a panoramic notion of how to create a flower arrangement based on its location or reason.
In the first place, it is important that you are clear about the reason that causes the realization of a specific flower arrangement. It always has a destination or an objective, whether it is generic, such as decorating a corner of the house, or a celebration or an event that deserves to be accompanied by a flower arrangement. It can be a wedding, a birthday, an anniversary, a special meal…
The colors
One of the things you should think about first, in addition to the reason or destination that your flower arrangement will have, is the colors. Choose them carefully, depending on the environment in which they will be found, if you want them to stand out and attract the eye or if you prefer them to be in a more discreet and less relevant plane. The usual thing is that you handle three or four colors, although you can also opt for a single color, if you are looking for a striking focus, such as red flowers, and give them a small contrast with green leaves, which will always give a touch of naturalness.
You can choose the colors using complementary or contrasting tones, or all in a range of tones of the same coloration, or simply using your favorite colors, those that you like the most and that will make you feel more comfortable with the final floral arrangement, although it is better that you do not forget the reason for it if it is something to decorate an event or event in which other people will participate.
Design
When building your flower arrangement, design is important. Think that a floral arrangement is something that combines all kinds of flowers and plants, as well as ornamental elements such as branches, bamboo sticks or stones, to achieve an effect of plant beauty, and that in many cases it is intended to be used only for a few hours. Hours, a day or a weekend, as an ephemeral decoration.
That is why it is a good idea that you make a sketch on paper, with the general lines of your arrangement, pointing out the flowers and plants to use, and the general structure that it will have. It can be horizontal, in a wide, low basket, or vertical, as in vases or pitchers, or simply with long stems that will rise above its base.
The recipient
Flower arrangements are presented in some type of container or container, such as a vase, a basket, a glass dish, a wooden bowl or even bamboo stems. But you can use your imagination to recycle any type of container, especially if it is made of a material related to nature, that is, ceramic, stone, wood, glass, metal… from a zinc bucket to a hemp basket, a burlap sack or a wooden fruit crate. Play with the colors and textures of the container materials, and remember that they do not have to be the main focus of attention; this will be the flower arrangement.
The flower oasis
The floral oasis is another very common part when preparing flower arrangements, because it is the base on which to hold the flowers. It consists of a green artificial foam sponge or, alternatively, a sponge with a green, synthetic scourer side, used to wash dishes by hand. These sponges are usually very small, so they will only work for a minimal base arrangement, but you can find other sizes or go directly to the specific base that is sold for flower arrangements.
This sponge is placed at the base of the container, be it a horizontal basket or a square or round glass bowl, or a vase. It can be stuck with some glue to the bottom of the container so that it does not move.
On this sponge the stems of the flowers and plants that are used will be nailed. Various flat and round pebbles, shells, crushed cork, sawdust, sand, etc… can be placed around it to decorate or hide it.
Placement
Once the sponge is in place, tape the container walls together, as explained at the beginning of this article, forming a grid. If the design you have thought of is circular, follow the instructions given there. But if you have devised another type of design, such as, for example, in groups next to each other, then follow that direction, placing the flowers you want to arrange.
First, the leaves or foliage, ferns, branches or small flowers along the inner edges of the container, and then the main flowers or plants, to finish off with other plants or flowers that you want to stand out less. You can play with the length of the stems and the placement of fresh flowers and dried leaves or branches, the colors and the species of flowers used.
You can also use artificial flowers, or paint parts of the flowers. You can even simulate dew or rain drops by diluting silicone or white beeswax in a sprinkler and spraying the petals. With all these tips you will achieve a great flower arrangement on every occasion you need.
