How to easily upgrade your flower designs at home, according to the experts
A masterfully created flower arrangement can lift any space, whether it’s by imbuing your home with an array of fragrant blooms or elevating a special occasion with an artful tablescape. But how do you take an amateur composition to the next level? We asked three of our favorite florists to share their insider secrets
Pick your flowers based on the season
“Seasonal flowers are always the most beautiful – we only sell flowers in their prime season,” says Whitney Bromberg Hawkings, founder of fashion-favorite brand Flowerbx. “Fragrant bouquets work well in a work or living space, promoting both beauty and wellbeing. Right now in May, flowers like peonies, sweet peas, hyacinth and lily of the valley are intoxicating, with their delicate petals and heady scent. While I used to love white flowers and more muted tones, over the past year, brightly colored flowers have done wonders to lift my spirits and provide a burst of optimism and joy.”
Prioritize flowers that make you feel good
“Choose the flowers that make you smile. It doesn’t matter whether you like a particular color, shape, texture or the flower’s heady fragrance – if you love it, it’s perfect,” says florist to the stars Philippa Craddock. “And don’t worry about longevity, either. So many people are obsessed with the longevity of cut flowers – assuming those that last the longest are the best – yet the most beautiful flowers are often the most fleeting. Embrace their shorter lifespans – you will appreciate each breathtaking stem even more.”
Bring the outside in
“Flowers in your home [that reflect] what’s happening outside always look and feel the best, helping you to be more in harmony with nature,” says Craddock. “At the moment, I have a few stems of large blossom branches in a sturdy vase. In summer, I love small compote bowls filled with soft, billowy garden roses. Come fall, [I love to display] bronzed bracken, and saucer plates of dahlias and hydrangeas; followed by the intricacy of hellebores in winter. Then, just as everything is slowly coming back to life in spring, [I like to showcase] fragrant potted narcissus and vases of blousy ranunculus en masse.”
Mix it up
Keep your at-home floral displays personal and interesting by choosing blooms that speak to how you’re feeling. “Finding the right flowers for you depends on your personality,” says Romy St Clair, co-founder of cult contemporary London floristry studio Sage Flowers. “I like to switch between a delightful fragrance (I’m thinking lilacs or sweet peas) and something really vibrant but simple, like a vase of graffiti anthuriums.”
Source beautiful vessels
“The easiest way [to create an arrangement] is to start with a thin-necked vase, or a cluster of vases,” says St Clair. “Most people go wrong by using a vase with too wide a neck, and the flowers just fall forward in a totally unstructured way.”
Create an elevated tablescape with vases and candles
To take your everyday arrangement to another level for a special occasion, select some beautiful vessels. “Then, you simply need a few seasonal stems to bring them to life,” explains Craddock. “[For instance, group] elegant Delft bud vases, handblown miniature glass-footed vases and handmade ceramics, [with] plenty of candlelight, including a mixture of tapered dining candles, larger pillar candles and smaller votives.”
Stock up on chicken wire
For a professional hack, use chicken wire to hold your arrangements in place, says Craddock, who regularly shares step-by-step design guides on her digital platforms and hosts seasonal mini courses. “It’s a brilliantly simple yet genius sustainable [tool], which, when placed into a vessel, will help to hold your stems in a perfect, natural shape. Fold the chicken wire into gentle, layered domes to create delicate, intricate table-top displays and wonderfully huge, show-stopping statement designs again and again.”
Remember that less is often more
“It is literally impossible to go wrong with single-stem bunches, which can be impactful on their own or in a series of tonal arrangements,” says Bromberg Hawkins. “I think a lot of people complicate floral arrangements when, to me, the most beautiful and effortlessly chic way to display flowers is loosely, in an elegant vase. Our Bailey bud vases can elevate any arrangement and make it feel instantly special – [just select] 10 stems of any flower and display them at different heights along a table or mantelpiece for instant elegance.”