We asked some of the area’s floral experts to share their advice for DIY floral design, from growing the flowers to keeping your arrangements fresh. Here are a few hints to get you started.
1. What to plant
An infinite variety of flowers make beautiful arrangements and are hearty enough to be cut and brought indoors. “Go to your local nursery and shop the perennials section,” says Pete Kossoudji, owner of North Dayton Garden Center and Nursery, 1309 Brandt Pike, Dayton. “Many, many different perennials make excellent cut flowers.”
As a starting point, Kossoudji suggests lilacs, coreopsis, salvia, Russian sage and, as an accent, greenery such as the sprengeri fern. Daisies, roses, tulips and other long-stemmed varieties are always winners, too.
“A lot of garden and wildflower designs are popular right now,” says Bobbi Jo Saunders, buyer at The Flowerman in Centerville.
2. Caring for your flowers
One of the secrets to beautiful roses is to fertilize as needed, Kossoudji says. Roses need plenty of sunlight and should be protected from pests with sprays and powders. Although roses are generally sold in pots, plant them in a rose bed, and they will be “bigger, better and have a lot more blooms.”
Be sure to read the information provided on labels or seed packets before planting anything. Gardeners at your local nursery can help you choose flowers that will flourish in your unique space.
3. When to cut
If you plant strategically, then you’ll have fresh-cut flowers “starting in spring, all the way through the summer,” Kossoudji says. Gardeners “can plant varieties of perennials that will give them cut flowers all summer long and way into the fall.”
Cut flowers when they are mature and blooming. Be sure to cut the stems on a 45-degree angle and plunge them immediately into a clean bucket of water. Arrange in a vase or container the same day for best results.
To cut sprengeri fern, Kossoudji says, “cut the stems off at the top of the pot and drop the greenery into the vase.” The fern will add bulk and interest to any arrangement. Eucalyptus and vines are popular choices, too.
4. How to arrange
Creating an arrangement is “a very personal style, based on taste,” Saunders says.
From containers to choice of flowers, the look is entirely up to you. Saunders offers some tips for using natural containers: “The pumpkin is very popular in the fall. In the summer, you’ll see a watermelon. Larger pieces make it easier to provide a water source for the flowers.”
To achieve this look, hollow out a pumpkin or natural container of your choosing.
Vintage vases, pails, and bowls work well for this also.
Soak an oasis, available in the floral department of most craft stores, in water for several hours before placing it in the container.
Cut the flowers’ and greens’ stems on an angle and arrange them as desired in the oasis, starting with the greens.
5. Seasonal arranging
In the spring, tulips, lilies, iris and peonies make for beautiful designs.
In the summer, try gladiolas, which mature in July, and sunflowers, which are ready in late summer. For autumn, mums are a perennial favorite.
Don’t forget about winter. The greenery you’re cultivating now can come inside at Christmastime as your own DIY decorations.
Pine, spruce and boxwood all grow well in our region and can be clipped very late in the year. Accent with ribbon or pinecones to get a festive bouquet at a fraction of inflated holiday prices.
6. Keep it fresh
Cut a little off the ends of the stems every two days, and change the water, too.
Keep flowers away from strong sunlight and drafts.
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