Growing up I wanted to open a small flower shop. I wanted it to be tiny and old. Maybe next to a bakery, where people would pick up a fresh baguette and then stop for a fresh bouquet. Instead, I have a tiny and old farm. I feel lucky that my family and I have found this small gem in the birthplace of Bergen County, NJ. Since I am a flower lover at heart and after all my job title is, “Flower Girl” you can imagine one of my favorite things to do is to create flower arrangements. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner we thought a few tips on how to create your own arrangements might come in handy.
1. Select a container. Be creative; don’t feel like you need a typical vase. Try an old milk bottle, a teacup or a mason jar (coffee cans will work too, put fresh flowers in a can of your valentine’s favorite coffee - hello romance).
2. Select flowers. You want to try and get flowers that are in season. Flower shop employees will help you with this. In season flowers, may not have traveled as far and tend to be less expensive (look for a peony in the dead of winter and you could be paying $10 a stem).
3. Design. Select a variety of textures and sizes. You want some individual stems (large & small) and some fillers (the greens and small bushy flowers). Pick flower colors that live well together. Avoid typical flowers (standard red roses for instance) - go wild.
4. Arrange. Always cut each flower stem on an angle (this helps them drink easier). Remove all the stems that will be submerged in the water (this keeps the water cleaner). Fill your container with clean room temperature water. Place the fillers in first, next the larger flowers, last place smaller more delicate flowers. Add more fillers in small pieces where needed.
5. Maintain. Empty your water and re-fill everyday or every other day. Your flowers will last longer.
I dropped some of these arrangements off at the local nail salon and gave a few to the guys helping us finish the barn. The result is always the same. SMILES.
If you want an arrangement specially made for Valentine’s Day or a random Tuesday, feel free to email us at the farm.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Peace & Love,
Fresh & Fancy
