Cut Flowers Garden Plan

To create fast, no-fuss arrangements on the fly, follow a few simple design principles.

  Tall elements go in the middle and back, short elements belong in front and sides
  Use shades/variations of the same color and colors opposite each other on the color wheel
  Use foliage or thicker blooms at the base of the arrangement as filler to hold things in place

You don't need to be a botanist or even have green thumbs. But, it does help to know a little bit about the actual structure of flowers and their stems. When a flower stem is cut, a tiny bubble of air forms on the base of the stem and covers the small screens that allow water through. If this bubble is not removed, the flower won’t be able to absorb the water in the vase and will dry out and die, so you have to act quickly to stop this drying-out process. Here are 6 more helpful hints.

  Trim the stems
  Remove unnecessary leaves
  Do not remove thorns
  Avoid heat
  Cut flowers early in the evening
  Use a clean vase

Use Citrus Fruits

If you use colored vases, a good squeeze of lemon, orange, or lime juice will work just fine. However, they can stain glass, so they are no good if your vases are clear.

Use Lemonade or Sprite

For clear vases, use lemonade or Sprite instead. This is a good way to use up the last drops of your soda as the flowers won’t care if the soda is flat. Don’t use the diet variety though.

Use Vinegar and Sugar Mixture

Another useful homemade flower food is to mix two tablespoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in two pints of lukewarm water.