Flower arranging - any tips on where to start?

miffyhugmuffin

Hi,

I've recently come across a market stall that sells flowers for a £1 a bunch, which seems very cheap to me. I've been getting flowers from him for a while now and I'm a bit bored with always putting them in the same vase. I thought I might try to learn a bit of flower arranging and I wondered if anyone has any tips they could pass on? Are there any books that are good for beginners? I would prefer not to buy lots of expensive accessories though (if possible). Thanks

Pink.

Hi miffyhugmuffin,

There are some video's here that might give you some tips also it might be worth a look at this website: A flower arrangers garden.

Pink

skyeandeviesmummy

Hi, The library is worth a trip I know that my local library has loads of flower arranging books where I have picked up loads of tips.

paddy's_mum

Not particularly moneysaving, but it may be that your local authority has an evening class on flower arranging somewhere in your area.

I got suckered into doing a "few flowers for the tables at the reception" for my SIL over 20 years ago. I felt so overwhelmed by the responsibility that in panic, I signed on for a six week course. It has proved to be a passport to pleasure. Books etc have their place but a good teacher can demonstrate where you might be going wrong and really open your eyes to the possibilities.

I now get to do all wedding, party or funeral flowers for members of my family. It is amazing what a little knowledge and the right equipment can produce out of just a single bunch of flowers. I cannot estimate how much money it has saved over those years in terms of not paying out for a florist's work.

I did my own wedding flowers three years ago, and made my own large bouquet, three smaller ones for my daughters (my bride's supporters) about twenty small table arrangements, one large arrangement for the buffet table, corsages for the matriarch from each side of the family and still had change left over from £50 for flowers from Morrisons! Scrumped foliage from friends' gardens and, not to be immodest, it was a really nice show.

Just be aware that it can become a real hobby/pleasure and don't let it take over your life.

lil_me

Library, courses at colleges or even volunteer to help at a florists if they will teach you, that was how a friend of mine learned how to do it, she now runs her own business.

miffyhugmuffin

Great, thanks folks. I hadn't thought about going to the library! Will check it out. I have been thinking for a while I might do an evening course but as I'm a bit lazy I keep putting it off - I've missed the summer one they run here. Might look to see if there's one starting in the autumn though. It's very encouraging that it can become such an enjoyable (if all-consuming!) hobby. I fancy doing sometime creative, and good point about it being a practical skill so reading about it in books maybe not the best way to start. Like the videos on the videojug site though, gonna try this one as it seems fairly easy:

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-arrange-flowers-for-a-small-vase

Lots of inspiration on the gardener site too, thanks. Does anyone know if you put flowers in foam (oasis) whether they last as long as putting them in a vase of water? I know you have to keep the foam wet, but does it impact on the life of the blooms?

paddy's_mum

I think you will find that there is little real difference in the life of the flowers between water v oasis. However, there is a big difference in that the leaves on the stems of flowers in a vase often go manky and smelly, staining the vase itself and generally looking rather unsavoury. You can, of course, strip all the leaves before placing them in a vase but then you end up with a rather 'leggy' looking display.

I also find that because an arrangement is usually placed in an eyecatching place (coffee table, hearth, lounge windowsill) I see it needs attention more quickly than a vase full of flowers stuck half out of sight somewhere. Be careful though - you might take to this like a duck to water!

Seakay

Japanese flower arranging has the advantage of needing very few flowers, so it can be ultra cheap if you have access to some free greenery. It is called ikebana. It has it's roots (ho ho) in Buddism, but I just adapt the very simplist principals for my own use, and don't worry about being too strict.
Here is a site to start you off http://www.japan-zone.com/culture/ikebana.shtml
Just Google Ikebana for loads more
I got into it by going on a 2 day course with my Mum years ago and even now am always picking up interesting pebbles and twisty bits of wood!

miffyhugmuffin

Thanks for the encouragement paddy's mum and the advice about oasis. I went down to the local adult education college this arvo for some info on courses. They do a 12 week course but it's £100 (plus cost of flowers), so I will have to have a think about it!

Seakay, I really like the japanese designs and my secret ambition is to graduate to this style, I was thinking I should master the basic traditional western styles first, but I might be brave and experiment a little particularly if I can reduce my flower budget doing japanese designs. Did you have an interest in western flower arranging first?

All the best
MHM

paddy's_mum

Seakay - I couldn't let your comment about picking up pebbles etc pass without saying 'I wanna tell you a story'.

At the height of my flower arranging fanaticism, I had a cupboard in the garage full of bits and bobs. One day I asked my hubby to give the garage a good clear out and a thorough clean. Off I went shopping and when I returned, I noticed a bit of broken broomhandle laying in the middle of the floor. When I asked what that was all about, I was told that hubby thought it was one of my flower arranging 'treasures' and that he hadn't dared to chance my wrath by throwing it away!

At about the same time, a question went the rounds - "how can you tell a dedicated flower arranger?" Answer - "they're the ones sweeping up broken glass (to hide the oasis) in the middle lane of the M40"!!!!

Who else would gleefully rescue twisted, rusting bicycle wheels or dried up old fungus from dead trees! However, you have only to look at the smashing site mentioned by pink-winged to see how they can be used to produce real art and beauty. Miffy - if you can, find the £100 - it will be money well spent, I am absolutely sure.

Sweet_Pea_2

I did a flower arranging class with a friend about ten years and we had a brilliant laugh. I think its really worth going to classes because you really need to see it I think, although I have a few books and they are good for ideas. Some florists will sell oasis to you quite cheaply. The only thing I needed to buy was some decent secateurs. Florists tape is useful too, to stop your arrangement moving around.

I havent done any arrangements for years, but I recently got added to the church flower rota so have taken it up again and I really enjoy it.

When I first started we had to take a bunch of flowers to the class each week and also some greenery. My friend and I both had recently bought our first houses which were new starter homes, so we didnt have any nice established bushes we could chop pieces off, so quite often I had to resort to getting my husband to drive around the neighbourhood whilst I nipped out of the car with my secateurs and chopped bits off the bushes which grow on council roundabouts!
Our tutor rumbled us (she was a bit snooty and had an enormous garden herself) and often made comments about how our greenery "was very hardy - the council plant it because it can withstand exhaust fumes!"
Even then my friend was very moneysaving - she used to have a bet with herself about how long she could get her carnations to last for, each week she bought them back and they got shorter and shorter.
We did some great arrangements though, for bonfire night we did carved pumpins and a shaped arrangement to go by the side of the pumpkin in oranges and yellows, we did arrangements on the side of bottles (for dinner parties) arrangements coming out of cards, christmas arrangments, and at harvest we did a loaf of wholemeal scooped out and varnished with an arrangement coming out of the top of it.

Its good fun, it needn't be expensive and its a useful skill too.