TRULY A MONTH of celebration for all of nature, May is green and full of blooms. Whether you are attending a graduation, a party for Mother’s Day or the crowning of the May Queen—this is the moment to let the flowers of May pay tribute to the celebration.
A single bloom accented with greenery is always a nice gift for someone special, but why stop there? Grab your garden shears and walk the garden to make a bouquet sure to brighten any celebration. Not sure how to make an arrangement? Let’s go over the basics.
• Decide on the container for the arrangement. As a rule, the height and width of an arrangement are determined by the container. Height should be 1 and ½ that of the container and width should look balanced. You can deviate on this rule—for example, if you use very short cuts of the same flower and pack them evenly just a bit above the edge of the container making a snow cone effect.
• Make sure the container is waterproof. Be creative in your choices as the container can be a gift in itself. A teapot, mixing bowl or a simple mug would make a nice gift for that going away graduate!
• Cut the flowers and greenery a day before, and season them in warm water with floral preservative. If you have nothing of interest in your yard, go to the grocery. Most now have floral departments where you can get fresh blooms and floral preservative. Also they will have floral foam to put in the container if necessary. While at the grocery, look for some fresh herbs to add to the arrangement for a little fragrance!
• Trim the stems again when making the arrangement, and remove leaves that will be below the water line.
• Place large heavy flowers in first and work from the lower part of the arrangement up. Turn the arrangement in front of you to get a good view of your design from all angles. Don’t be afraid to move a bud or bloom if the placement looks funny. Fill in with greenery, some of the fresh herbs or even tall grasses make great filler.
• Keep water fresh.
Now you have the perfect gift for any celebration. Don’t let fear of arranging hold you back from enjoying the look of surprise and enjoyment on the face of your recipient. Let this May be your happiest yet!
Email your gardening questions and comments to Lisa at shakeslyons@aol.com.
