How to Arrange A Playful Flower Bouquet
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
Unless you are arranging in a narrow vessel, you need a way to keep blooms in place.
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The Base
Wildflower shop owner Maya Boettcher likes to nestle in some chicken wire. (It's more eco-friendly than floral foam.)
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The Materials
Boettcher'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
In addition to summer cutting flowers, such as peonies or zinnias, snip anything unique, shapely or textural, like boxwoods, hosta leaves or lamb's ears.
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The Arrangement
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, fluffy 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
Keep in mind that droopier stems and trailers are OK—they add horizontal shape.