Floral Arrangements - Choosing The Perfect One

Floral arrangements come in a wide variety of designs and sizes and can be created to suit many different situations. Whether it be party floral decorations, table centerpieces or funeral sprays, floral arrangements provide a fantastic means of enhancing the mood of an occasion and expressing your feelings. Floral arrangements are flexible enough to cater for all styles and budgets, anything from elegant single blooms to extravagant floral arches, each one beautifully displaying your own style and creativity.

Whatever the occasion, all floral arrangements need the same kind of care and consideration if they are to remain at their best. Fresh flowers of course, last for a shorter period of time than artificial flowers and may require a little kinder handling. Many varieties of flowers will not tolerate extremes of temperature and need to be kept well watered and away from direct sunlight and artificial sources of heat. Artificial floral arrangements can last a lifetime if looked after properly and kept away from strong sunlight. Silk floral arrangements in particular are becoming very popular, since they can provide a very beautiful, natural looking display.

If you decide to design your own floral arrangements, it can be helpful to follow a few simple guidelines. Floral foam is often useful in creating a display as it enables you to place the flowers with greater precision and will keep your arrangement in place once finished. In general brown foam is used for artificial flowers and green for fresh. Bear in mind that the bottom of cut flower stems always need to be in contact with water if they are to remain fresh and so the foam needs to be thoroughly soaked in water before you begin your arranging and regularly topped up thereafter. For this reason also, it is inadvisable to re-use foam, as it will have holes from previous displays which could mean that the fresh flowers would be in an air pocket and unable to get water.

Cut flowers placed in a vase or the like need similar care. The length of such a floral arrangement can be extended by using a clean container and adding flower food. Before placing flowers in the display, remove any leaves which would be covered in water, as these will rot if left. For floral arrangements which you want to keep for a long period of time, such as those used to decorate the home, it is better to choose blooms which are in bud or half open and that way you will be able to enjoy seeing them open. For floral arrangements that need to be immediate in their impact, such as wedding displays you will need to use flowers which are in or near to full bloom.

While artificial floral arrangements need a lot less attention than fresh, bear in mind that they will do better if placed away from direct sunlight; and a short blast of the hairdryer can easily remove dust. If you are designing your own artificial floral display, you may need to put heavy pebbles, sand or shells in the bottom to stop it from toppling over and these will also have the advantage of camouflaging the foam. To achieve a natural looking display, think of how a particular flower would move in the wild and mould each stem in that way before adding it to your arrangement.

For many people however the thought of creating their own floral arrangements is just too daunting, especially if it is for an important occasion such as a wedding or funeral, when time is at a premium and emotions are running high. The best option is to then employ a professional florist to design and create your special floral arrangement. Choosing the right florist can be a task in itself, but a little effort at this stage will ensure that your are much more satisfied with the results.

The choice of florist is as unique as the floral displays you want to create and choosing someone who’s style matches your own will mean that you are more likely to be satisfied with the result. So, if at all possible you should have a look at their previous work and check that they have designed displays similar to the one you have in mind. Equally important is communicating clearly your ideas to the florist and if you can show them pictures so much the better. Be specific on the colors and style of arrangement that you want, be it modern, elegant etc.