Fresh Flower Care for Floral Arrangements and Cut Flowers

You've just received a beautiful gift of fresh flowers, after you express your thanks and bask in the envious admiration of friends, what should you do next? How can you get the most life out of your fresh floral arrangement? With a little bit of extra care your flowers should stay fresh for days to come.

Keep the floral foam or vase saturated with fresh, clean preservative water mixed according to the directions proved on the packet.

If the water becomes murky or cloudy, replace it entirely.

Remove any spent blooms or foliage.

Keep flowers in a cool location away from direct sunlight, air vents, radiators and

Other heat sources; also avoid spots near air conditioners or on top of appliances.

If your flowers are arranged in a vase it is a good idea to re-cut the stems daily. To do this grasp the flowers firmly at the top of the vase to hold the shape of the design and trim off about half an inch of the stems off using garden shears or in a pinch, plain old scissors.

How can you choose the best fresh flowers to buy for your friends and home? Once you've chosen healthy flowers how can you keep them fresh?

Look for firm flowers and green, not yellow foliage.

Flowers, perversely enough, are at their most beautiful just before they die. Select the bud rather than the showier open bloom.

Shelter your flowers during travel. Avoid extremes of temperature on the drive home.

Select a roomy enough vase for the job. Clean it well with hot soapy water, rinse well.

Flowers last much longer with correctly mixed preservative. Mix according to package directions. FORGET all of the so-called home remedies rumored to prolong flower life. They don't work. It's better to use plain, fresh, pure water than water contaminated with aspirin or soft drinks.

Before arranging your flowers cut off about one inch of stem (or more as cosmetically necessary) with a sharp knife under water. Cutting them at angle prevents the stems from resting completely on the bottom of your vase. Never crush or bruise the stems as it shortens flower life. Re-cut flowers daily if possible.

Remove all foliage that will fall below the water line.

SPECIAL SPRING FLOWER ALERT!!!! The juices that leak from daffodils can be deadly to other cut flowers. They should be left separate from other flowers for a full 24 hours after cutting and MUST NOT BE RE-CUT when arranged with other varieties of flowers. Do not re-cut daffodils daily.

Follow the above directions for arrangement care.

Remember that you can find lots of great designing ideas and free tips on the Internet, especially right here on Associated Content! You don't need to be Martha Stewart to decorate your home with beautiful, long-lasting fresh flowers.

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Create a Scented Mother's Day Flower Arrangement with Lilies

Moms Do Better Than Sweethearts on Mother's Day
When it comes to flowers, more Americans give flowers on Mother's day than they do to sweethearts on Valentine's Day according to a 2004 Consumer Tracking Study by the American Floral Endowment. According to the American Society of Florists, flowers are the number one gift choice when remembering to take care of Mom on Mother's day .

How About Something Different?
But if you're looking for something a little different than a mixed bouquet, a floral arrangement stuffed with carnations or a bouquet of roses, why not try creating your own unique flower arrangement following a suggestion from Talmage McLaurin, vice president/creative of Florist's Review, America's most influential independent floral trade and design publication.

Scented Flowers
If your Mom loves scented flowers then single stems of oriental lilies can be easily found at your local florist or supermarket. Perhaps the most sophisticated approach, said McLaurin, is to place dramatic architectural flowers in a simple vase, then adding a subtle unexpected touch. Lilies are one of the most versatile of architectural flowers which is why the superstars of lilydom, Oriental lilies - with their large flowers, heady scent and luscious colors - star in so many Mother's Day and wedding floral designs.

Try an Arrangement of Oriental Lilies
For Mother's Day, McLaurin suggests a fun design: ake three Oriental lily stems and three sturdy broad blade-shaped leaves, use Ti leaves or any thick elongated leaves. Roll the stem of each lily in one of the leaves, stapling the leaf into a tall vertical cone shape . Be careful not to staple through the lily stem. Place the lilies into a tall narrow clear vase or large glass, with the lower stems submerged in water and the flower heads emerging only slightly above the vase top.

What Colors Are Available?
The blooms of oriental lilies can be found in elegant white and pale soft pink. Look for the dramatic dark pink stargazer lily with its abundant fragrance and bold color. Even without the ornate leaf wrappings, this simple but elegant arrangement of lilies is sure to be a welcome Mother's Day gift.

Words of Caution
As the blooms open up, there will be delicate looking dark yellow stamens with powdery pollen. It is alright to gently remove these to prevent them from staining furniture, floors and anyone's face when bending down to breathe in their intoxicating fragrance. Lilies are highly toxic to cats and not recommended if your Mom has flower loving, plant chewing cats.

By Adrienne Jenkins

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How to Make a Dried Flower Potpourri from Valentine's Day Bouquets

Potpourri is a multi-million dollar industry that helps people make their homes more beautiful and beautifully scented. But a lot of people don't even think about making their own potpourri at home. With Valentine's Day coming up, you may be looking for a craft where you can use the flowers you receive. Making your own potpourri is an excellent use of those flower petals. These tips and ingredient suggestions can help you make your own potpourri out of dried Valentine's Day bouquets.

To begin, you will need to display your flowers differently. The point to displaying flowers is to keep them fresh and beautiful for as long as possible. The point of making potpourri is to dry them out as quickly as possible. So this craft is something that you will probably have to decide beforehand. If you have displayed your flowers and there is no way to use them for potpourri, or if you have not received enough to make your potpourri, you can still use the directions below to make a nice potpourri for your home or apartment. Just omit the first step.

To dry your flowers, there are several methods you can use. First, place them in a food dehydrator. This warm dry air will suck the moisture out, and dry them very nicely. The downside is that you have almost no time to display them. You can place them a shoebox with silica gel, but this also means that you will not be able to display them. You can try a mixture of these drying methods by displaying them for a few days and then drying them. This will give you a few days to enjoy their beauty, and you should be able to still dry them without much difficulty. You can hang them upside down, staggering their length so that each one can get some air. This lets you display the flowers, although they are displayed very oddly. Probably the best solution that maximizes your time that you can enjoy them and also allows you to dry them sufficiently is to fill a vase with silica gel. Then, place the stems in the silica, as if it was filled with water. The silica will help dry them somewhat, as will the lack of water. When they start to wilt, move them to a shoebox. Trim the stems so they will fit, and then cover the head of the flower carefully with silica.

Next, you will want a nice flower to complement your own. Try a craft supply store, or visit www.sfherb.com. They have a large selection of potpourri making ingredients. Remember that you do not need much, so order the smallest size possible. Choose things that match your decor, and that look nice with the flowers you received. While you are at the store, pick a fragrance oil. This will be the scent for your potpourri.

Some things that make an especially beautiful potpourri that is suited for Valentine's Day will give it texture. Don't be afraid to use large items, and pay attention to the season. Whereas a fall potpourri might use gourds and a summer potpourri would use small sunflower heads, one for Valentine's Day would be out of place using these items. Angel Wings (Oroxylum Indicum), Belani Apples, Cockscomb, Pintado Hearts, Moneta Leaves, and Tulips can provide an interesting mix. Also, you should be aware that your scent will hold better if you use a fixative. The problem is that none are very attractive. Orris Root and Cellulose Fiber hold the scent extremely well, but they make the potpourri look cheap. If you decide to use them, do so sparingly.

Next, you have to decide how you want your potpourri to look. Most potpourris take the ingredients and mix them up. If this is the route you choose, you should get a very large ziploc bag and place the ingredients in it. Make sure to leave especially delicate items out, and items that have been dyed should be added after you add the fragrance, because the color can bleed out onto the other items. Put a few drops of fragrance oil, and shake the bag until everything is mixed well. If the scent is not strong enough, you can always add a little bit more fragrance. There is another look for potpourri that is more sophisticated, although it takes more time. You will need several ziploc bags that are big enough to hold some of the potpourri. Say you have six ingredients total. Put them together in groups of two, according to how well they complement each other. The size, color, and shape of the items should be taken into account. After these are in groups of two, place those two items in a bag with some fragrance, and then shake them each separately. This will leave you with three distinct groups of potpourri. That is when you move on to displaying them.

You will now be ready to display it in a large glass jar. If you are using the second method of preparing it, place the bags in the jar one at a time. This gives it a layered, sophisticated look. Because you chose all the ingredients to work well together, they will all complement each other. And because each layer has more than one type of flower or item of interest, it also has some complexity.

If your potpourri ever needs the scent refreshed, here are some things you can do. If you have the layered arrangement, obviously you will not want to disturb it because it will mix it together. Use a spray bottle filled with the fragrance oil, and spray it over the top of the flowers.

Hopefully these tips have given you ideas of your own. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients, and make sure to add different textures to give your potpourri a classy, unique look. There are many different ingredients you can use, and specialty stores will carry them in many different colors to help you match your home decor. By using the Valentine's Day bouquet you received, you can enjoy your flowers throughout the entire year, instead of just in February.

By L. Brown

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How to Use Silk Flowers to Brighten Up Your Home!

Most people love to have some type of flower arrangement in their home. It really does help to add a little something extra to make your home look a lot more comfortable. Realtors often use flower arrangements to help when they are trying to sell a home. Whatever your reasons for adding flowers to your home, you may have also felt that you have a hard time keeping your plants alive. Let's face it not everyone has a green thumb. Some people just don't have the time or energy that they need to keep up with the care and maintenance of plants. This is why so many people choose to use silk flowers instead of the real thing.

What you don't need is some type of professional to come to your home and instruct you on how to arrange silk flowers in a way that will really add something to your home. If you visit some websites like TLC.com you are sure to find plenty of ideas and suggestions n how you can make some very beautiful silk flower arrangements. The first thing you will need to do is visit your local arts and craft store. Most arts and craft stores have some very beautiful silk flowers for you to choose from. They also have them at a very reasonable price. Try strolling through the store to see if you can find any flowers that you particularly like. You can also find some very nice vases to put your arrangement in. It really does not matter which vase you choose.

Most vases can be used both for real floral arrangements and silk ones. Some people like to get flowers that are appropriate for the current season, and then change them when the season changes. This is a really nice idea if you want to constantly give your house a nice fresh clean look. If you want to do this then you will have to choose several different types of flowers when you are at the flower shop. You should keep in mind that you want good silk flowers, not ones that look like they are about to fall apart. Some of the larger silk flowers may cost you more but most of the time you will find that the silk flowers are very reasonably priced. You should avoid adding ribbons or bows to your arrangement. Remember that you want them to look as realistic as possible when they are sitting in your home. Try arranging them in different ways until you find an arrangement that really looks nice in your home.

Remember that it is not carved in stone exactly how to arrange your silk flowers. It really depends on what you like and how you want to arrange them.

By renee

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Ideal Greenery Plants for Winter Flower Arranging

At Christmas, it is always fun to have lots of color, fresh scents and flowers to help cheer you through the darkness doldrums. I often like to give flower arrangements as gifts and use services like Harry & David's or FTD to send them. Sometimes I look up a local florist when I want to send a specific type of flower, for instance, a fuchsia basket for a birthday. A lot of the time I buy them at Thriftway, or QFC where they have many bundles of cut flowers and take them to a hostess. Buying cut flowers and arranging them yourself can save you money. Often, for less than $15, I can create 3-5 arrangements and have them in several rooms of the house. Arranged cut flowers or live plants are also really nice to add to the center of wreath.

One way I can make unusual flower arrangements from the same bundles of cut flowers is to have plants in the yard that I can use in my arrangements. The best plants to grow in wintertime provide the greenery used as backbone in the arrangement.

In Picture 1, I've followed Malcolm Hillier's advice from Flower Arranging for creating a facing arrangement. In creating one of these, you fill your container with wet foam, then use greenery to cover up the pot edges and supply the backbone of the arrangement. Greenery used in this arrangement include:

Yew (Taxus)

This time of year, or in late autumn, our yew has usually almost grown into the roof of the house, so just by pruning it back, I get nice cylindrical pieces with tiny evergreen leaves. Use this for upright center greens.

Sweet Bayleaf (Laurel Nobilis)

This plant's leaves are used in cooking. It took us several years to establish a plant, but now, this time of year it needs pruning and the leaves smell heavenly sweet and stay green for a long time. Use this stuck into the edges to hide the pot.

Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster Horizontalis)

There are many varieties of Cotoneaster. I grow a variety that lies low to the ground, usually less than 3' tall and use it to cascade down a wall. The plant flowers in spring, often with the red berries still intact. The deer browse on them and help me keep them pruned. Use this over a fern leaf on the side to extend the area of the arrangement and to provide color.

In Picture 2, I've added Alstromeria and Chrysanthemums bought at the store, Money Plant seedpods used for a fine light spray in back, and Christmas Camellia cut from the yard. In a second arrangement see Picture 4, I used red carnation, ivy and clematis seeds combined with the Alstromeria and Chrysanthemums and Viburnum Tinus.

Item 1, Picture 3: Chrysanthemum

I still have some in bloom despite having had frosts. The few flowering are rather stunted.

Item 2, Picture 3: Christmas Camellia (Camellia Sasanqua or Camellia x Vernalis (Yuletide))

Blooms near Christmas time for nearly a month and has a single petal flower with large yellow stamens. Blooms may freeze but the buds will wait and open later.

Item 3, Picture 3: (Viburnum Tinus Spring Bouquet)

This plant blooms through February, just starting right now and has blue-black berries the birds love. It is evergreen, a compact variety and grows to about 8' tall and 4' wide.

Item 4, Picture 3: (Skimmia)

This plant comes in male and female bushes. Both get red berries but the female bush flowers and has fewer berries. The flower scent is incredibly sweet.

I saved the containers used when I was given floral arrangements as a gift. I also copied how the original arrangement was put together, with layers of steadily decreasing sizes and deepening colors. The foam and additional containers can be bought at a craft supply store like Michaels. Most of the branches need to be cut with a pruner.

I also used a local variety of fern whose name I don't know. These can be split and planted or grown from starts bought at the nurseries. They like lots of mulch when planted and I used crumbling bits of rotted maple log at the bottom of the hole when I planted them. The usual produce new fronds in spring so cutting some of them this time of year will help prune the plant and allow the new stems to flourish.

Given a warmer period when the ground isn't frozen, this time of year is a good time to plant trees and shrubs since they are dormant. Most nurseries have shorter hours during wintertime.

Botanica edited by R. G. Turner was used for the latin names and has pictures of most these plants and explanations on their growing needs.

By Sheri Fresonke Harper

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Flower Arrangement Ideas to Brighten the Home

Flower arrangements can bring freshness to any drab area or room in your home, even an outside porch or patio. All you need is a little imagination. Doing it yourself brings a sense of satisfaction when all is done. Keeping the arrangement to the theme of the room is the easiest and most practical way to begin, along with color. If your room has, for instance, beige furniture, beige walls and carpet with accents of color in toss pillows or in pictures , make your arrangement in the accents colors, using the beige as a base color only in the arrangement as well. You can keep to one style flower, such as roses, or make a bouquet of all different flowers and greenery. What to put it in is entirely up to you.

For themed rooms, such as a Nordic look, find an old fishermen's lantern. Yard sales and flea markets are ideal places to locate hard to find items. Carefully remove all the glass panels and you now have a hanging plant holder. You can spray paint it to match your d?cor or just to freshen up the color. All home improvement stores carry spray paint in a variety of colors. You will need to get a chain, or rope to hang it from plus the ceiling hook to suspend the entire planter. With hot glue you can place a small piece of Styrofoam or oasis in the bottom of the lantern. Then, starting with greens, insert them into the Styrofoam, to cover the base, then start adding flowers. You can make it red, white and blue with a variety of flowers. For a more flowing effect, and this can be done with any hanging arrangement, add ivy before the flowers. Have the ivy flow out of each open window pane if the arrangement can be seen from all sides, or just the front panes if hanging in a corner.

If your house is filled with old fashioned dolls, bears, or has that country look, find an old wooden high chair. Again, flea markets and yard sales are the place to go for great deals. You can refinish the chair or just leave it in its worn-over-time look. Find a planter to place on the seat part, one high enough to come up over the tray of the high chair if it has one, otherwise, any size holder will do. Place Styrofoam into the bottom of the planter and make sure it comes to within 2 of the top of the planter. Add gypsy moss or any other ground covering to hide the Styrofoam. Then, start adding your flowers. Add Ivy first for the flowing look, followed by your flowers. Wicker baskets are inexpensive and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Use their natural color or spray paint them. Craft stores and even dollar stores carry them. Hot glue a Styrofoam square to the bottom. Add greenery and artificial fruit on picks to the arrangement for a fall look. You can buy pre-made bows or make your own with a variety of ribbons to pick from. It really doesn't matter what you put flowers in. Look around your home. If it has an opening, it can be filled. Mason jars make a great holder, fill the inside with gypsy moss and there's your instant filler to hold any flowers. Add a bow to the outside of the jar. New out now are the wooden roses, those can be inserted into any artificial arrangement. Glass long stem flowers that are heavy and hard to use, insert them into an already existing arrangement for an added shine. Indoor trees can be decorated with birds, bird houses, lights, holiday trim, etc. Cut the top off a bird house, and that's another planter idea. You can hang that outside or inside. A small child's tricycle with a plastic basket can be used as a planter on a front porch. An old milk box, mailbox, watering can, bird baths, are all great ideas. Paint to match your house or trim. Wintertime, fill old ice skates with holly and hang them from your front door. Use your imagination. Plastic flowers work best for outdoor to withstand rain and the elements but will fade with the hot sun after time, but they are inexpensive and can even be found in dollar stores.

Remember, paint is the cure-all for old containers and other objects. Be creative, use your imagination and most of all, have fun!

By M.Soozan

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Japanese Flower Arranging In Japanese Decorating

The ancient roots of Japanese flower arranging. Various kinds of japanese flower arranging. Elements in flower arranging.

Japanese flower arranging or ikebana, is rapidly becoming more and more popular all over the world. Flower arranging is an art form, and doesn't just take the arrangement of flowers into account, but the entire structure, such as vase, placement and form. In the west, we merely place the flowers in a vase, and strive for a balanced look, but Japanese flower arranging is structured along lines that represent the important elements of life: heaven, earth, humans.

These three representational symbols are found in many expressions of Eastern culture and Japanese flower arranging is one of the prettiest forms. Each of the components, such as the stem, the leaf or the flower is viewed as representing a symbol of this holistic view, and the vase also becomes an important component.
Ikebana is an ancient art that probably began in Buddhist temples in Japan in the sixth century as a form of offering. The flowers and branches of a plant would be placed in such a way as to point to the heavens, illustrating the faith of the person making the offering.

Original ikebana flower arrangements were simple and almost crude in their design, but through the centuries the art was improved upon and became more sophisticated. A new form of the art of flower arranging, called rikka, emerged in the fifteenth century and become the precursor of the stylized flower arranging practiced in Japan still today.
Rikka seeks to capture the wonders of nature in a single flower arrangement. Flowers are placed in such a way that they represent a mythical mountain called Mount Sumeru that is a symbol of our universe, and each piece in a rikka arrangement is a part of that universe. For example, white chrysanthemums represent water and pine branches represent stone. Although these exact representations are no longer respected, in prior times rikka was used extensively in ceremonial decorating.

In the late nineteenth century, another form of ikebana became popular in Japan and carried over to Western cultures. This is called moribana and in it the garden artist seeks to create a garden world in miniature. Terrariums and bonsai were popular outgrowths of this art form in the west.

Though Japanese flower arranging is very popular in modern society, it has ancient roots that it are important to remember. You may see beautiful Japanese style flower arrangements in both formal decorating schemes as well as casual arrangements in a stylish home.




By: Mr.Andrew Caxton

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How to Make a Dried Flower Bouquet

Making a dried flower bouquet is a fun project. You can use your own ideas and imagination to make a dried flower bouquet for any room in your house. Dried flower bouquets can take some planning or you can do at the spur of the moment when you see some pretty weeds that you like.

To plan on making your own dried flower bouquet you have to start by planting a flower garden with a variety of flowers that look nice dried. You should pick out the type of flowers that dry well. Some varieties of flowers that dry well are statice, straw flowers, and baby's breath. You can find out what types of flowers dry well at a garden center. You can also see pictures of the flowers to see what kinds of flowers you like. Then you can take the flowers you like and make a flower garden with them. You can enjoy the live flowers that you have growing and then when the flowers are ready you can pick them to dry for later.

To dry live flowers you need to pick them with a stem attached. After you have the flowers picked you need to hang the flowers upside down to dry. When you hang the flowers up side down to dry that makes the stems and flowers stronger and straighter; It also helps the dried flowers to last longer. If you dry the flowers right side up they are weaker and they tend to bend over and not look as nice.

After your flowers are dried you can make dried flower arrangements with them and set them in a vase. Or you can make crafts with your dried flowers.

Sometimes you find weeds along roadsides that are pretty and would look nice in a dried flower arrangement. You would be surprised how nice a bouquet of dried weeds can look. When you pick wild weeds make sure you pick ones that are growing in an undesirable place like on the sides of a country road. If you pick flowers that are growing along the roadside they will not be missed since they are probably not wanted there. You can find some beautiful fascinating flowers to dry along the roadsides but be careful when you do it. Make sure you don't get hit by a car and park in a safe place. Never pick a wild weed or flower that is in a natural setting or wild area. Wild flowers are valuable and should not be disturbed so they can live to produce more flowers in the future.

By Donna Daniels

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Fake Flower Arrangements to Liven Up Your House

Floral arrangements are a great way to spruce up any occasion. As a centerpiece to a dining room table or to entrance-way of a house flowers can speak volumes. The look of the floral arrangement is one that is memorable. The problem is when you use live flowers they eventually wilt. The trick then is to create a fake flower arrangement that looks real, but will last a lifetime. This can be accomplished in many ways. They range from simple table arrangements to wreaths to cute decorations.

Simple table decorations are easy. First you want to select some fairly live looking flowers from your local craft store. Look for the flowers that look and feel more realistic; try to stay away from the flowers that have the very obvious fake stems with wires sticking out. When you have gotten a mixture of flowers that you like, you are ready to leave. Once you get home, look in your backyard or local beach for some nice smooth round stones. They should not be too big or too small, as you will be placing them in a vase. If you do not live somewhere where you can find rocks or stones in your backyard or are near a beach you can also purchase these stones at the craft store. Place the stones at the bottom of a vase and place the flowers in the vase, this will assure a nice, realistic looking centerpiece.

For a wreath, it is nearly as simple as a floral arrangement. In the local craft store, find a simple wreath made out of sticks. Now look for flowers, leaves or berries. Once you get home, cut the stems of the flowers, leaves or berries. Place them in between the gaps in the sticks. Use your creativity on your wreath.

To create a simple home decoration, go to the craft store and find a straw hat. Then get a small length of ribbon, long enough to go around the part of the hat where you place your head and a little extra to make a bow if you choose. Now go and find some flowers. When you get home, warm up your glue gun, making sure you have several glue sticks ready. Glue the ribbon around the part of the hat that you place your head. Cut the flowers off of the stem, so it is just the flower left. Glue the flowers around the ribbon. Make a bow out of the remaining ribbon and a tail for the bow. When you are satisfied with your work you are done.

Making floral arrangements doesn't have to be hard and they don't have to cost a fortune, you can make them yourself.

By Frances Dottino

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Tips for the Amateur Flower Arranger

It is extremely easy to simply go to the flower shop and buy a pre-made flower arrangement for your house. However, it is much cheaper and rewarding to pick your own flowers and arrange them yourself. If you are clueless when it comes to flowers, don't worry. Here are some amateur flower arrangement tips you can use for your creations.

Cutting the Stems
Many people have seen florists cut flower stems under running water, but do they know why? If you cut flower stems under running water, it prevents any air from moving up the stem. Air blocks water flow. Also, if you cut the stem at an angle, it provides more surface area for water to soak. It also prevents the stems from sealing to the bottom of the container or vase preventing water flow.

Remove the Foliage
One of the main ways to quickly kill a flower arrangement is to leave foliage remaining below the water level. Foliage encourages bacteria growth in the water. Also, foliage above the water does nothing but take water away from the flower blossoms. It is best to remove most of these leaves as well.

Size of Container
You never want your flowers to be overbearing to their container, or too small for the container. A good rule to keep in mind is to leave the tallest flower no taller than 3 times the height of the container. Any flower with a large blossom should only be 1.5 times the container height while more delicate flowers can be somewhat taller. An overbearing flower arrangement can be distracting, so be sure to keep these tips in mind.

Anchors
Most florists use oasis blocks to anchor flowers in arrangements. These are foam blocks that hold water and keep the flowers steady. You can place them at the bottom of any container or vase. However, if you do not have an anchor laying around your house, you need to improvise. Simply take a bag of marbles and place it at the bottom of the container. The marbles will hold the flowers in place while allowing water to flow freely around the stems.

There is nothing more beautiful in a living space than a nicely designed flower arrangement. It brings life, color, and creativity into a room. Although you can still buy your flower arrangements from the store, arranging them yourself is fairly simple and very cost affective.

By Kendra Dahlstrom

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The Japanese Art of Flower Arrangement

Ikebana is a Japanese art of flower arrangement; also known as kado- he way of flowers. I learned about this art form while I was a college junior at Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines. I was so much enthralled by the beauty of the flower arrangement displayed in one of the display windows of a flower studio close to the university. The studio was owned by an elderly woman who was married to a Japanese businessman. They owned a flower and antique shop specializing in Japanese potteries, prints, and other relics while selling potted bonsai and Ikebana flower arrangements. Their store was frequented by the affluent locals and their flower arrangements graced the lobbies of some of the popular hotels and restaurants in the city. My curiosity led me to go inside and investigate further. The old lady was nice enough to let me in and answered a lot of my questions. Since then, for two months after my chemistry class, I would go to her shop and watched her as she arranged flowers for customers. I particularly enjoyed learning the Ikebana flower arrangement from her. She allowed me to help her create the arrangements as I learned the art. She then presented me with a beautiful Ikebana which I gave to my paternal grandmother for her 80th birthday.

Ikebana's origin is said to date from the sixth century when Buddhist priests offered up flowers before Buddha. Ikebana arose from early Buddhist offerings and grew throughout the fifteenth century into an art form with many styles and schools all over Japan. The most popular styles are Sogetsu, Ohara, and Ikenobo.

Ikebana flower arrangement is simplistic by nature. Instead of using massive blooms which is the traditional way of arranging flowers, Ikebana uses only a small number of blooms. It uses the line and curves of twigs and leaves to highlight the arrangement. The balance of the composition is evident in the choice of plant, vase, and placement of the branches. What makes Ikebana different from the traditional flower arrangement is its use of empty spaces as a part of the composition which is dealt with creatively. The arrangement used symbolism representing ten or shin (heaven), chi or hikae (earth), and jin or soe (man).

SYMBOLISM:

Heaven: This is the longest stem which suggests the sun in heaven. This is the main line where branches and twigs are used. It is important to choose the branch which is the longest, most beautiful, and has the strongest curve.

Man: The symbol is a rectangle which is the medium stem. This suggests a man standing squarely on earth. This line follows the main line.

Earth: The symbol is a triangle and is the shortest stem. This suggests a mountain peak on earth. This line balances heaven and man.

The container used also plays a key element to the arrangement. Most vases have simple designs, one that doesn't compete with the beauty of the arrangement within. The choice of the vase has to be in harmony with the plant and other compositions. Ikebana can be roughly divided into two styles - the moribana (shallow vase style) and the nageire (tall vase style). Generally, these simple vases are filled with water then by adding twigs and/or branches, rocks, and flowers to the arrangement and adjusting the height of each element to achieve the variation of a scalene triangle.

The materials used for an Ikebana is restricted to two or three kinds, and not more than that. Branches and twigs are used as main lines while flowers are used as additional lines. The larger and darker blooms are positioned at the lowest part of the arrangement while the buds or smaller flowers with lighter shades are placed higher. Using scissors to cut the height of each element and by moving or repositioning each element helps in achieving a balanced look.

Ikebana is a beautiful, elegant, and simple way to decorate a home. This is a very good choice to decorate a clutter-free home, where less is always more. This is a true art form that you can enjoy as well as add balance and harmony to your design.

By Josienita Borlongan

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Silk Flower Projects to Decorate Your Home

Using silk flowers to decorate your home can be a frugal way to liven up your home. There are millions of projects that anyone can do with silk flowers for decorating your home. Fake flower arrangements in vases, baskets, buckets, shoes, tableware, and wreaths will make a pleasant addition to any room's decor. Silk flowers come in a wide array of colors and sizes. Also, there is a wide range of fake greenery that can be used with fake flowers.

Silk Flower Projects

Materials Needed for the Silk Flower Arrangements

Bushes of fake flowers, babies' breathe, and greenery. The greeneries are bushes of leaves or ivies.

Wire Cutters. You will need the wire cutters to cut the flowers from the bushes.

Styrofoam Pieces. The Styrofoam pieces come in squares, rectangles, circles, half circles, and cones of various sizes.

Various containers. The containers can be anything that you are not using in your home such as colored plastic buckets, metal buckets, any type of wicker or bamboo baskets, old shoes, tableware such as gravy urns, large bowls, etc.

Vase Silk Flower Arrangements

Get a bush of silk flowers, babies' breath, and greenery, any color or style that you like, cut the baby's breath and greenery stems off the base of the fake bush. Place the whole bush of silk flowers in the vase. Arrange the baby's breath and greenery throughout the fake flowers for a fuller and prettier arrangement.

NOTE: For the following silk flower projects you will cut all silk flowers, greenery, and other additions from the larger stem at the bottom of the fake flower and plant stub.

Dinnerware Silk Flower Arrangements

Use any piece of glassware for this project. You can use glasses, bowels, gravy boats, and other types of serving dishes to create silk flower arrangements for your dinning table.

For glasses, use a cone-shaped piece of floral styrofoam. Place the cone-shaped styrofoam with the skinny part facing down in the glass. This will allow you to use the wider portion of the Styrofoam to arrange the silk flowers in. Also, you may want to use smaller flowers for this silk flower arrangement.

For bowls, you should use a half circle piece of floral styrofoam with the curved area facing down. For other glass pieces, square or rectangle styrofoam pieces will be used

Arrange the silk flowers and greenery in an order that is aesthetic to the eye. You can arrange a few of the flowers to be a bit taller than other silk flowers.

Shoe Silk Floral Arrangements

Use any style of a shoe for this silk flower arrangement. Sometimes, the styrofoam piece may need to be trimmed to fit inside the shoe. If you are using heel dress shoes, you may need a touch of glue to hold the styrofoam in place. The glue will need to dry before placing the silk flowers in the styrofoam.

For boots, a cone-shaped piece of floral styrofoam will be used. The cone shaped styrofoam will be inverted into the boot in the same manner as in the glass silk flower project. With the boot silk floral arrangement, I suggest using vine greenery around the outer area of the boot.

These are just a few silk flowers home decorating ideas that can be done in about half an hour. The larger the base pieces you are using, the longer it may take you to make your silk floral design. The best think about making your own silk floral arrangement is you are able to make the color scheme work for your home. You are also able to use your favorite types of flowers for these projects.

By Karen Barnes

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Silk Flower Arrangement

Floral arrangements always bring vibrancy, elegance, and a sense of beauty into a room or to a person. Flowers appeal to our innermost selves and allow us to cut a snippet of earth's grandeur and take it indoors or wherever we choose. They give voice to emotions and make perfect gifts that speak volumes. Flowers also denote divine and virgin beauty. It is no surprise that floral arrangements are used to decorate places of worship, banquets, hotel lobbies, wedding receptions, and the like.

Silk flowers are known to imitate their original counterparts very well; further, they endure hot and cold climates relatively well. Floral designers will also find silk flowers very easy to work with because very little care has to be taken and mistakes can be easily rectified. There are a variety of arrangements that can be worked upon and enhanced. Combining silk flowers with fresh flowers or dried flowers gives one amazing results, and it adds to the ambience of a particular arrangement.

With silk flowers, you can make quick, beautiful floral arrangements with a few snips here and there and a shifting of flowers. You can also make elaborate and sophisticated silk flower arrangements by picking the right silk flower to matches your d?cor and taste. Also, with silk flowers, there is very little waste. If you have left over pieces (leaves, blooms, and so forth), you can just pack them away and keep them for later design. And there is room for mistake with silk flower arrangements. If, for example, you have cut a stem too short, fret not. Just add a floral pick or wire to the end of the stem, and the problem is solved.

Silk Flowers provides detailed information on Silk Flowers, Silk Flower Arrangements, Silk Wedding Flowers, Wholesale Silk Flowers and more. Silk Flowers is affiliated with Flower Bulbs for Sale.

By Peter Emerson

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Special And Unique Wedding Gifts For Your Special And Unique Guests

It isnt easy coming up with wedding gifts that are both special and unique because it seems a lot of ideas have already been thought of. If you dont want your wedding guests saying been there, done that when they eye the keepsakes you hand out during your wedding reception, then you really need to do a lot of work hunting down special and unique wedding gifts.

A lot of times the best wedding gifts are the ones that come from our closest friends simply because they are the ones who know us best and are on very intimate terms with us. This does not mean that the best wedding gifts are the most expensive, take note. Rather, the best wedding gifts are those that come from the heart.

For instance, if you know the wedding couple like champagne a lot, then you might want to buy them a set of champagne glasses. You might even have these glasses engraved with a special message, or the names of the happy couple and the date of their marriage. If champagne glasses are a bit dear as far as cost is concerned, then try pooling your funds with other friends of the couple. This should help you spread around the cost so that you can still present the couple with a valuable gift they can treasure for generations without wiping out your personal savings.

A less common type of wedding gift could be time capsules for the wedded couple. A time capsule basically is a can or tube that will contain mementos prized by the wedded couple which they can store away somewhere (some might even bury the time capsule under ground) so that years later they can unearth the time capsule and re-examine the contents. The value of a time capsule is really in the memories the contents will evoke in the person viewing the contents. A cheap trinket placed in a time capsule could be worthless to a burglar but to the wedded couple it may represent that first real date when they realized that they were really in love to one another. A faded rose whose petals have come loose would be garbage to your househelp but to you the rose petals will bring back memories of the first time your hubby proposed to you. Though a time capsule is a pretty simplistic type of wedding gift, it may provide great benefits to you as far as intimate wedding gifts are concerned.

Monogrammed stuff might have become a clich? as far as valuable wedding gifts go but actually many wedded couples love monogrammed stuff. It helps make them realize that they are really, truly a married couple now while at the same time putting value on their individuality. A bathrobe with his initials on it could have a different color and type of font from a bathrobe with her nickname and a particular type of embroidery affixed on the back. If you have friends who give such monogrammed stuff to you, say thanks because at least you realize that you still have an identity as an individual even if you are now part of a two-some.

By: Ron C Edwards

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Dried Flower Wreaths Keep Nature's Beauty Alive

There are few things more beautiful than a flower. Floral decoration is a mainstay because of this unrivaled natural beauty. Drying and preservation techniques allow one to decorate their home with true flowers instead of sometimes-inferior silk and artificial alternatives. Dried flower wreaths provide a spectacular way to keep nature's beauty alive for several years.

Often, wreath makers rely on artificial leaves and flowers for adornments. After all, plant life tends to wither, along with its beauty, when left to its own devices. However, flowers can be carefully dried or otherwise preserved in ways that allow their use in spectacular decorative wreaths.

Some flowers can be dried on the plant. Generally this requires a period of hanging in a relatively dark, dry space. The end result is often delicate (petals can break away easily, for instance), but the beauty of the flower is preserved.

Other flowers respond better to being dried in a silica compound. Silica, which is something akin to completely dry sand, can draw out the moisture in a flower while leaving it completely intact and in retention of its natural beauty.

Inserting the stems into a glycerin solution dries other flowers. The flower absorbs the glycerin, resulting in a completely preserved, yet pliable decorative item.

Dried flowers are then used to make some of the most stunning wreaths imaginable. By using real flowers, a wreath maker can produce a wreath that not only mimics nature's beauty. Instead, the final product is actually a lasting example of flowers' perfect beauty.

Dried flower wreaths will never be as durable as artificial varieties. As such, it is recommended that those hanging dried flower wreaths try to keep them away from significant foot traffic and direct sunlight. However, if well maintained, a natural dried flower wreath can last years and provide unrivaled beauty throughout its lifespan.

By: Dawn Keadic

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How To Make Simple Tropical Floral Decorations

Tropical flower decorations to be put in different places of the house are very easy to make. Use mainly palm leaves, hibiscuses, geraniums, some dried twigs and vases of course. The hibiscus lasts for only a day, which is really unfortunate. However the palm leaves last long and even when yellowed or dried, they look great.

An interesting thing about using dried twigs is that you can make a bouquet that will last really very long.

All you got to do is to glue a leaf to a small tube, attach an iron rod to the tube and use the iron rod to tie the tube to the twig. You can then place any flower you like in the tube and this will give a real nice look plus you've got an infinite number of possibilities if you got a choice of various flowers in your garden.

It's really worth trying.

Some additional tips:

You can use a gold spray to embellish the palm leaves

Some artificial flowers can also be attached to the dried twigs. This will give a nice look to the general arrangement.

If you do not have the iron rod at hand, you can use cotton threads or any other threads. Green ones will look better.

So table pieces, it would be better to keep the arrangement flat, while for other pieces, the height can be kept tall.

Always make sure to attain a balance in the arrangement, otherwise the arrangement will not look so nice.

By Morinn Chamilall

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Original Wedding Vows How To Write Your Own Unique Memorable Wedding Vows

So you are going to get married and you want to write a beautiful, original wedding vow that the memory of it will last for a lifetime for you and your partner.

Original wedding vows are becoming more and more popular these days. Many couples, just like you, decide to write their very own unique vows to make their special day different and memorable.

But there's a challenge here: When you sit down to write your wedding vow, you might get the writer's block and can't come up with any ideas on what to say.

The good news is, you're going to learn 3 great ideas to help you write your wedding vow easily. Here you go...

Idea #1: Tell Him/Her Why You Love Him/Her

The person you are going to marry is very special to you and you love him/her very much, right?

So why not start your wedding vow by letting him/her know WHY you love him/her so much? What is it about him/her that have made you fall deeply in love with this person?

Tell him/her how different and wonderful your life has become because having him/her in it, and explain why. Simply speak from your heart, because what comes from the heart, reaches the heart.

This will make the perfect beginning for your wedding vow.

Idea #2: Make A Promise about How You Are Going to Make His/Her Life Different

You are planning to spend the rest of your life with this man/woman who you really care about. So tell him/her how the rest of his/her life is going to be... with you.

Here's a sample wedding vow to help you get the picture...

I will be the shoulder you can always lean on. I will be the rock on which you can always rest. Whatever lies ahead, good or bad, I will stand beside you and face it with you. I will be your friend, your lover, and your husband/wife for the rest of our lives.

It's a good idea to use a romantic wedding poem here, because sometimes nothing can show our deepest feelings better than a romantic poem.

Idea #3: Take His/Her Hands and Look into His/Her Eyes

No matter what words you are speaking, taking your partner's hands and looking deep into his/her eyes will definitely double the effect of your words, because they will just flow deep into your partner's heart.

So take your partner's hands! It is a very romantic and memorable gesture that will make those moments a beautiful memory you both will cherish for the rest of your lives.

By: Ladi Lashkari

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Summer Flower Arrangements

Summer is a busy time for the gardener and flower arranger. There are so many blooms out there that are just ripe for the picking and are screaming to be arranged. Flowers reflect the freshness and warmth of summer and it always nice to have a flower arrangement at home. Certain flowers only bloom in the summer and it is best to feature them in your summer flower arrangements.

Here is a list of summer flowers that you can use for your flower arrangements:

- Sunflower. Representing the brightness of the summer season, sunflowers are considered the primary summer flowers. These big, eye-catching, and vibrant flowers only bloom completely during the summer. They are great for big and elaborate arrangements.

- Aster. Aster attracts bright and colorful butterflies in the summer. These flowers come in beautiful shades of white, pink, blue, and purple. According to flower myths and traditions, aster signifies patience, variety, and delicacy.

- Sweet Pea. You can add sweet pea to your flower arrangement to give it a nice, sweet scent.

- Daisy. This summer flower denotes innocence, gentleness and purity. Sometimes called he marker of summer, the daisy is also called the day's eye because it opens up and closes along with the sun. For a simple flower arrangement, simply get an empty milk bottle, fill it with water and put in a handful of these pretty blooms.

- Lily. The sensitizing effect of lilies will never fail to lighten your mood or bring a smile to your face so add them in your flower arrangement.

- Snapdragons. Snapdragons make beautiful cut flowers. They are great hung from a basket or kept in a tall, slim vase.

Make the best of summer by filling the spaces in your house, garden, and office with these summer blooms. They will not only beautify your room, they can lighten up your mood as well.

Flower Arrangements provides detailed information on Birthday Flower Arrangements, Christmas Flower Arrangements, Dried Flower Arrangements, Flower Arrangements and more. Flower Arrangements is affiliated with Send Easter Flowers.

By Ken Marlborough

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Why Purchase Silk Flower Arrangements 10 Reasons

How many reasons do you need to enjoy silk flower arrangements? We only need one, because we think they are beautiful. However, if you need more reasons, here are ten reasons that occurred to us. How many more do you think you will need to brighten your world?

1. Silk flower arrangements will not wilt. After a few days, a live plant will droop with its colorful petals raining on the table.

2. Colors stay as vibrant as the day you bought them. The colors in your silk flower arrangements will remain alive and as stunning from the day that you purchase your arrangement for months to come.

3. You can change the theme of your office or living area with the seasons. You can save your arrangements and use them throughout the seasons and holidays. We use arrangements with a patriotic theme and color around the Fourth of July, Labor Day and Memorial Day. Bright floral arrangements are used in the spring and summer. Yellow, orange, and red foliage colors displayed for the fall, Thanksgiving, and Halloween. Green pine sprays and reds for Christmas.

4. They make great gifts that will last for years. Instead of sending live arrangements that will parish after a few days, send your well wishes during illness, celebration, anniversaries, and wedding. Your gift will be cherished long past the event.

5. Flowers add life and vibrancy to a room.

6. No water required. Go on vacation and your silk flower arrangements will still be as beautiful as the day that you left.

7. Artificial arrangements are easy to maintain. A feather duster or low cool setting on a hair dryer will do the job. See our other article on caring for your silk flower arrangements for further suggestions.

8. Silk flowers are always in season. You can buy a silk flower arrangement with your favorite blossoms year-round.

9. Silk flower arrangements can take you away. A tropical arrangement conjures up dreams of Tahiti. A Tuscan container and arrangement; you fly off to the rolling hills of Italy.

10. Silk flower arrangements perform fine in limited lighting. Unlike live plants, your artificial floral arrangement will flourish in your office or room that has limited or no natural lighting.

Make up your own reasons if these are not enough, but do not hesitate to brighten up your world with silk flower arrangements.

Corey Regelin has been designing custom home decor for years and specializes in silk flower arrangements, silk wreaths, and swags. We hope these tips will help you enjoy your arrangements for the years to come.

By Corey Regelin

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Unique Wedding Gifts For Guests Of The Wedding

You will be getting married soon, and as such you are trying to make sure all of the plans are finalized. However, one of the things that you cannot decide on is which unique wedding gifts to choose for your guests. Consequently, what you need are some ideas to help you find unique wedding gift for your guests.

When choosing wedding gifts, cost will probably be the first consideration, and this is driven by both the cost of the items and the number of guests.

To be unique with the wedding gifts that you give your guests, it is important to first pick a theme for the gifts. It does not have to be along the traditional lines of wedding gifts. In fact, the more creative your thinking, the more unique your gifts will be.

For example, what about a beach theme? You can give your wedding guests specialized seashell favors, starfish favors, flip-flop coaster, beach chair place-card holders, and many more beach and sea related wedding gifts.

A popular wedding favor gift is a disposable camera, with the name of the bride and groom, followed by the date of the wedding on them. These are an especially fun wedding favor gift for children, since many children like to take pictures of the bride and groom.

You can also be very creative and unique with candle wedding favors.

When it comes to giving food as a wedding favor gift, a popular choice is chocolate. People generally love chocolate! You can make very beautiful and unique wedding favors from different shaped chocolates. Just a word of advice, do not give only chocolates. It will not be appreciated if your wedding guests include people who have diabetes.

Some couples prefer to offer more practical things as gifts for guests that are still unique. Perhaps the most popular example of a practical wedding gift is a ballpoint pen. Some couples might want to add a personal touch by choosing to include their favorite romantic quote.

You can also make your own wedding favors by purchasing the basic components, such as takeout boxes or organza bags and then adding to them the candles or whatever other unique wedding gifts that you prefer.

When it comes to finding unique wedding gifts for the guests of your wedding, the sky is literally the limit.

By: Chrystal Holman

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