Tuesday Tip - Spring Flowers

Get the most of your spring flowers

How to Trim, Arrange, 

 Display and Extend  

the Life of your Blooms

via  Real Simple

Long-Stemmed Flowers

Tulips and daffodils come in dozens of varieties; Ranunculus (shown, second from left) and Poppies (shown, bottom) run the rainbow gamut. Also look for Anemones (shown, top red flower),Iirises, and Amaryllis. All bloom sometime between March and July.

Trim

• Cut stems at an angle with sharp flower clippers or a knife. For poppies, use a lighter or a match (Perez uses a flat iron) to gently singe the cut ends. This keeps sap inside but allows for water absorption.

Arrange

• Some of these flowers emit a sappy substance (in poppies, it is toxic and can kill other flowers). Let the sap drain by putting flowers in water separately overnight before arranging.
• For a dense, upright arrangement, cut stems so the blossoms are about three inches from the top of the vase. Or fasten flowers loosely with a ribbon or a twist tie and lean them to one side in an extra-wide-mouthed vase.
• Poppies’ curling stems rule out structured arrangements. Put a bunch in a tall vase for a loose, extravagant look, or place two or three stems in a bottle or a decanter.
   

Maintain

• Tulips can grow after they’re cut, changing shape; trim them vigilantly.
• Tall stems have more leaves, which decompose and pollute the water; change it at least every three days. Alejandro Saralegui, a landscape designer in Wainscott, New York, uses Floralife Crystal Clear, a citric acid formula, to extend the life of blooms. 

tree & shrub blossoms

Fruit trees bear flowers ranging from pure white to hot pinkish red. Some of the most popular are cherry (shown, far left), quince (shown, center), and apple (shown, right). Also look for crab apple, plum, and, for a jolt of yellow, the nonfruiting forsythia bush.

Trim

• Start tall. Height is an advantage of branches; you can always trim as you go.
• Cut branches on a diagonal (if they’re thick, use pruning shears or shrub pruners). Then split each one up from the bottom about an inch, or use a vegetable peeler to peel the bark off the bottom two inches. Don’t mash them; splitting is less traumatic and allows just as much water in.

Arrange 

• Mixing varieties is fine, says Saralegui, “but keep things fairly symmetrical―short cherry blossoms with tall dogwood branches will just look strange.”
• Branch arrangements can be top-heavy. Make sure your container is sturdy enough to resist tipping. For more stability and a wider arrangement, use a shorter, broader vessel.
  
   

Maintain

• Tepid water is best―cold water delays branches’ already slow blooming. Murk and bacteria accumulate much faster with branches than with stems, so check the water daily (if you use an opaque vase and can’t assess the water, simply expect a shorter life span).
• Trim branches every few days, splitting or shaving as you go.
• As with long stems, a tablespoon or a capful of a good floral food helps prolong the spectacle. You can prune out wilted blossoms and adjust your arrangement to suit its new, sparser shape.

 

Share |