Fresh flowers add the finishing touch to the look of your home and roses are surely the all-time favourite choice. Whether you pick yours straight from your own garden – or a friend’s – or select a bunch from your local florist, they’ll give much more pleasure if they’re displayed attractively in a pretty container. Floral designer Jenny Smith shows how to put together a sweet bouquet.
Roses look lovely in traditional rounded bowls or, for longer-stemmed varieties, in tall open-mouthed vases, but why not look around for unusual containers for a personal look? I chose an oversize cup and saucer for a sweet cottage style, but whatever you use, ensure it suits the length and style of the flowers as well as your decor. Soft greenery helps give a fuller look and provides a contrast to show off the beauty of the blooms – a few stems of camellia, murraya or pittosporum leaves work well.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CREATING A VINTAGE-CHIC ROSE ARRANGEMENT
1. The first step is to strip the thorns and lower leaves off the roses and the greenery and lay your flowers out on a table or bench.
2. Choose a rose to start, then add just enough foliage to give support. Add three more roses, spaced regularly, around the centre rose.
3. Try to hold them just firmly enough – not too tightly – this takes a bit of practise!
4. Keep the stems going in the same direction, diagonally around the central rose – don’t cross them.
5. Keep adding foliage and roses in this manner, keeping the heads on the same level, until you have used all the roses or as many as you need.
6. Hold the posy together with an elastic band, or tie a ribbon around it, again not too tightly.
7. Cut the bottom of the stems at an angle with clean, sharp secateurs or garden scissors to the length required for the container.
8. Put the posy in a vase or container that has had flower food added to the water. As there are a number of brands available, ask your local florist. I firmly believe that flower food and fresh water help roses last longer.
9. Put the vase in position out of direct sunlight and drafts.
10. Remember to change the water daily. Enjoy!
