How To Choose and Arrange Flowers
In some parts of the world, fresh flowers are as essential as coffee or the newspaper. A single lily, a dozen roses, a basket of lilacs—all evoke a memory of a place, a time, a person, an experience. The mystique of something so simple, so accessible. Flowers are an expression of appreciation, gratitude, forgiveness, recognition, sympathy, love, and romance. They inspire writers, poets, musicians, artists, and lovers. Simply said, flowers are the universal symbol for everything that is beautiful and good in this world.
To my mother, flowers were a simple pleasure that brought her immense joy, satisfied her sense of smell, motivated her to be adventurous, and reminded her she was very much alive and doing what she loved most—creating a beautiful home. Two of her favorite flowers were lilacs and peonies. I think that’s why she loved spring.
Every year when the temperature was just warm enough to open the doors and the windows of our house, my mother would deep-clean the house from top to bottom. Beds would get moved, floors scrubbed, rugs shaken, windows washed, and blankets laundered and hung outside. Often, she’d decide to paint a room—in one day. Usually before I came home from school. This ritual involved rearranging our furniture as well. She was unstoppable. It was as if she had had enough of winter, and it was time to open the house and let it air out.
I was amazed how the house could look so completely different by rearranging the furniture and painting the walls. I remember being excited to see the changes and inspired not only by her boundless energy, but also her creativity. This transformation always culminated with big bunches of lilacs—the double-headed deep purple variety was her favorite—and peonies.
Lilac season is short. My mother cut them from an abandoned farm or asked a neighbor’s permission to cut from their stock. Her plan involved a five-gallon bucket of water and pruning shears. I can still see her reaching for the nearest branch and coaxing the flower close enough to smother her face. To say they’re intoxicating is not far from the truth; the fragrance is unmistakably lilac. One slow-motion inhalation and you will forever have a memory of spring.
Here are her tips for the simple art of arranging peonies:
Use a shorter vase. Because peonies have a large head, I prefer to have the flower just above the top of the container.
Play with quantity. If using more than a few flowers, the effect is a lovely pillow of ruffles.
Strip any leaves that might come into contact with water. Keep a few random leaves around the top for added color and contrast.
This arrangement is more like a bouquet. Dramatic. Artful. Simple to do and looks fabulous.
When people think “flower arrangements,” they typically think of the proverbial fancy country club oversized floral sculptures. It doesn’t have to be that complicated. When I do flowers for my clients, I typically choose one species and use it in abundance to create an impact.
One absolutely foolproof flower for arranging is the lily. Asiatic lilies practically arrange themselves. It’s uncanny. Here’s what I do:
Choose the appropriate vase. It’s best to have a bell- or trumpet-shaped vase that is wider at the top than the bottom. This will allow the stems of the flowers to fan out with ease. The arrangement will look natural and unpretentious.
Decide how much of the flower you want to rise above the top of the vase. Choose more or less stem depending on how many flowers you are using. When arranging lilies, I like to have about 12 inches of stem above the vase.
Strip leaves from each branch below the top of the vase. Avoid having any leaves where they might end up in the water. Leaves still attached to stems and submerged in water will decay and pollute the water.
Cut the ends of the stems at the same desired length. I lay the stems out on a flat surface and align all of the blossoms at the same level, then begin cutting each stem.
Now, the fun part: Put each stem in the vase, arranging them around the perimeter for an even distribution. Plop the stems in one by one, almost like you’re throwing a spear but with less force. Very quickly the stems start to arrange themselves and fill in naturally. It’s that simple—really!
This post was originally written for Art in Bloom 2019 at Mia