Few things brighten a home as vividly as fresh flowers. Find out how the flower decoration bug might bite you with these fresh-cut flower tips for your apartment.
Flower power
Flowers don’t just look pretty; they can actually heighten your mood. Is it any surprise that we give flowers when people are sick, or display them at our weddings and funerals? Flowers are tributes of our feelings, declarations of hope, and gifts of color and fragrance. And placing fresh flowers in your home instantly invites the outdoors inside.
The fragrance of flowers can actually calm us, too. Aromatherapy is based on the premise that the fragrance and oils of particular plants and flowers can alter our bodies, curing certain ailments and raising our spirits. Take a good whiff of your next bouquet and you’re sure to feel the benefits instantly.
Know your flowers
Sure, you can just walk into the grocery store or a florist shop and grab a gorgeous bouquet, but wouldn’t it be nice to know more about your options when buying fresh flowers for yourself and others? You may even want to learn about which ones you’d like to plant, so that you can grow your own fresh flowers to cut and arrange.
Choose your colors
Any flower arrangement will brighten your apartment, but if you want to go for full effect, choose colors that complement those used in your home. A boldly-colored room demands the same from the flowers in it. Reds, oranges and bright pinks blend well together, with vivid greenery as an arrangement accent. Lightly-colored walls can use echoing soft colors, with greenery and baby’s breath. Have fun experimenting by bringing home different varieties and colors to see which ones pop best in your room.
What’s your style?
Your choices of flower arrangements should follow your personal taste. Certain types of flowers, usually the large-petalled variety, are romantic and homey; think roses, chrysanthemums, gardenias and peonies. Stand-alone blooms can make a more modern statement, such as birds of paradise, calla lilies or orchids.
Choose the right vase
The way you display your flowers makes a statement, as well. For a country-living look, arrange flowers in a watering can or teapot. For a bold bloom, like an orchid, a simple vase works best, perhaps of a clear glass or muted color. Play with your possible flower vessels and see which combinations look best in your apartment.
How to care for fresh-cut flowers
Make sure the bouquet you select has healthy, young blooms, and that some of the blooms have not yet opened.
The first caretaking step to follow when you bring your flowers home or receive them by mail is to prepare the stems. Cut an inch or two off at a 45-degree angle to increase water absorption. You’ll also want to trim away any greenery on the stem that could compete for water. Hollow-stem flowers need the stem itself to stay full of water. To do this, fill the stem up and plug it with cotton. Then place it in a water-filled vase.
Refresh the water of any vase containing cut flowers every two days. There are a variety of ingredients believed to prolong the life of flowers. See which one works for you.
You can make your own flower arrangements and display them in creative ways in your apartment. Share nature’s excellent taste: make a habit of bringing flowers into your apartment to brighten your home and your day.
