How to arrange loose flowers in a vase

Fill a clean vase with water containing floral food.

Strip stems so that no leaves will be covered by water.

Insert stems of foliage. Crisscross the stems as you insert them in your vase. This will create a grid that will help hold other flowers in place.

Cut stems to about twice the height of your vase, leaving several stems an inch or two longer for the center of your bouquet.

Place the longest and heaviest stems in the center of the vase.

Starting at the rim of your vase (at the quarter hours of an imaginary clock), place flowers. Add other flowers, working toward the center and spacing them as if they were other hours on the clock.

Stand back and review your bouquet, making adjustments if needed.

Tip: Start with marbles or small pebbles in your vase for extra stem support or to simply give a favorite vase a new look.

The bud vase

This simple design can bring the scent and beauty of flowers to every room in your home.

Select a narrow-necked vase and fill it with water containing floral food.

Cut the flower stem to about twice the height of your vase. Strip stem so that no leaves will be covered by water. Place flower in vase.

To give added support and beauty, add a stem or two of linear foliage or curly twig.

To give your bud vase an elegant, balanced look, insert a few small leaves at the rim of the vase.

How to make your flowers last

Start by buying the very freshest cut flowers. Look for blooms that are just beginning to open, have firm stems and vibrant green leaves.

Condition your flowers properly by giving them a fresh cut. Let them soak for a couple of hours in a bucket of warm water mixed with flower food.

Always start with a clean vase. Re-cut the flowers and change the water in the vase every other day. Do not forget the flower food. The use of flower food has been shown to increase the life of fresh flowers by several days.

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