Fresh flowers can brighten your home. If you have your own flower garden, you have a sure way to bring your rooms to life. Even if you don't have your own garden, there are flowers and plants that you can find in their natural habitat.
Here are some things to think about when decorating your home with flowers:
1. Pick a vase or container that matches your table shape. Whatever the flower arrangement, it will look more harmonious if you match a round vase to a round table, square to square or oval to oval.
2. Add to the beauty of your cut flower arrangements by using branches from a blooming azalea shrub, dried twigs, bamboo or reeds. If you use bamboo or reeds (or other similar plants with hollow stems), be sure you cut a notch in the upper part of each joint that will be under water so that the stem becomes filled. The flowers of shrubs, such as azaleas, should have the stems slit or the bark peeled up so that it will expose as large a surface as possible of woody fiber to soak up the water. Leave the cut parts on the plant so that it looks like ribbons. This will absorb the most water and make the flowers last longer.
3. When using flowers such as poppy or hollyhock, cut the stems and put the blooms into water immediately. If you wait, they produce a milky sap that will dry and seal up the end of the stalk so that it can't absorb the water. Using warm (not hot) water will help even more. Don't forget to wash your hands after handling sappy stems; the sap can cause skin rashes.
4. Don't over-crowd your flowers. Leave room around the stems so that each flower can get the moisture it needs.
Container Tips:
1. As a rule, you should choose containers with little or no pattern. Patterns in the container will take the focus away from your beautiful flowers.
2. Be careful with trumpet shaped vases. They are not a good choice because they are prone to tipping, especially when used with heavier flowers.
3. Heavy-headed flowers, such as peonies or irises, do well in pewter mugs or beer steins. The mugs are heavier and, again, prevent tipping.
4. Use small glass bowls for smaller flowers such as violets. They are also good for flowers and buds that have been broken off their stems.
Use freshly cut flowers to give your rooms a quick 'makeover.' Even if you don't have your own flower garden, you can get flowers from your local supermarket. Flowers can make the dreariest rooms sparkle.
