How to Arrange A Playful Flower Bouquet

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated May 11, 2020
Credit: Austin Day

Des Moines flower shop owner Maya Boettcher shows how to build a bouquet that is loose and improvisational. Just play!

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Getting Started

Credit: Austin Day

Unless you are arranging in a narrow vessel, you need a way to keep blooms in place.

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The Base

Credit: Austin Day

Wildflower shop owner Maya Boettcher likes to nestle in some chicken wire. (Itā€™s more eco-friendly than floral foam.)

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The Materials

Credit: Austin Day

Boettcherā€™s most important tip is this: Anything goes! Floral materials get pricey; consider buying special stems at a florist, then raiding your backyard.

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Add Your Favorites

Credit: Austin Day

In addition to summer cutting flowers, such as peonies or zinnias, snip anything unique, shapely or textural, like boxwoods, hosta leaves or lambā€™s ears.

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The Arrangement

Credit: Austin Day

Remove leaves for clean stems. Place a few bits of greenery at angles to start building a supportive network of stems. Follow with focal flowers, smaller blooms, more greens, ļ¬‚uļ¬€y filler, and (if you like) spiky accents. Pause to look at the arrangement at eye level as you go.

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Finishing Touches

Credit: Austin Day

Keep in mind that droopier stems and trailers are OKā€”they add horizontal shape.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com