Flower Arranging Basics: A Virtual Event Highlight

A popular and fun, live virtual event we’ve held for our communities is a Virtual Floral Arrangement Workshop to help residents and tenants style and craft arrangements that will last and can be used in a variety of settings and for every season. In this post, we’re recapping everything you need to enjoy this fun and interactive event from home, including steps for how you can create your very own floral arrangement customized with your favorite selections.

Focal Flower

Select two varieties from focal flowers with 3 stems each.

Great options for focal flowers can include:

• Tulips
• Roses
• Peonies
• Lillies
• Dahlias
• Gerberas
• Sunflowers

Filler Flower

Select two varieties from filler flowers with 3 stems each.

Great options for filler flowers can include:

• Hydrangeas
• Carnation
• Spray Rose
• Rhododendron
• Chrysanthemum
• Iris
• Freesia

Accents

Select your choice of 1 – 2 accents of 5 stems each.

Great options for accents can include:

• Billy Button
• Baby’s Breath
• Aster
• Thistle
• Snapdragon
• Spray Rose
• Queen Anne’s Lace
• Berries

Greenery

Select 1 greenery, 3 to 5 stems.

Greenery options can include:

• Ferns
• Ruscus
• Dusty Miller
• Eucalyptus
• Grasses
• Branches

Additional materials for assembly:

In addition to your floral selections and fillers, there are a few other materials you may need.

• 6″ Vase
• flower sheers or regular scissors
• scotch tape or wire
• tepid water

Instructions

Step 1: Fill your vase with at least 4 inches of tepid water to begin. Start with your most bulky, heaviest greenery or branches to help set a “frame” for your arrangement. To create a natural look, your frame shouldn’t be perfectly symmetrical and should include a mix of heights, with your tallest branches and greens stretching 2-3 times the height of the vase.

*Key Tip: Before placing any of your greenery, branches, and especially stems, you’ll want to trim every stem to a 45 degree angle. For stems you want to keep close to original height, just a tiny snip at the end will still be effective and help in the longevity of your arrangement.

Some branches will lay against the base and others may not. You can use scotch tape or wire to help secure or position base pieces where you’d like them. Look for negative spaces to carefully insert your base greenery pieces. If you’re arrangement base is too low for your preference in the vase you want, you can fill the bottom of the vase with some wire, rocks or seashells to help boost things up a couple inches.

Step 2: Start adding in your accent pieces, followed by your foundation flowers, following the same technique of dispersing stems across missing gaps of varied heights. It can help to shift your angle to other sides of the arrangement as you go to view the arrangement from different perspectives.

Step 3: Add your “filler flowers” towards the bottom of the arrangement, placing them in any final missing spots and creating a base foundation of broad-faced flowers.

Step 4: Finally add your focal flowers, which should stick out above the rest and have taller stems. A great tip for a natural organic look, is to have a couple close to the lip of the vase to create a “spilling out” effect.

Step 5: Top off your vase with a little extra water if needed, so that all the stems are well covered. If you have a tighter vase around your arrangement, you may want to allow room for a little extra water, but overall you want everything to be able to have breathing room. Place your arrangement in a cool, sunny spot and enjoy!

For more detailed article with greater instructions, you can check out Gardenista’s Flower Arrangements 101: A Crash Course for Easy and Elegant Florals.

Are you looking for resident event ideas and interested in having fun, unique events to keep your residents and tenants engaged? Reach out to us today for a quote to enroll your community in virtual amenities including virtual events, virtual and and/or on-site group fitness!