How-To Tuesday: Flower care, keeping cut flowers fresh

before i began working with flowers i was just as confused as anyone on how to make my flowers last the longest and how i could possibly avoid that stinky smell that often comes with emptying a week (or two) old vase of flowers...there is nothing quite like it. well there are a few things that come close but i'm won't go there.

you've probably heard of all of the "tricks", an aspirin, a penny, vinegar and of course the packet of white powder that comes with some fresh cut flowers. ever wonder why these work? the goal of all of these things is to reduce the bacteria growth in the water, here's how:

• copper is a natural fungicide and therefore helps prevent the growth of too many yeasts or funghi.
• aspirin is also an acid which will kill bacteria overgrowth.
• lemon juice or vinegar also work as a natural bacteria killer (you only need one or two tablespoons).

the truth is while all of these things work, the best thing to do is completely change the water and give the stems a fresh cut. even better you would wash the vase too. sometimes it can be difficult to change the water in a more complicated arrangement so in this case simply let the water overflow and flush out the old water, this is still better than not changing the water at all.

a note on water temperature, keep it lukewarm to cool. this is best for most stem types but i will get more specific about this soon.

if you do any one or a combination of this tricks you will be able to enjoy your flowers for a few more "stink-free" days.

Brooklyn Bride: Modern Tablescape Challenge

i knew i wanted to enter the tablescape challenge over at brooklyn bride the minute i saw the post. i worked with sara wasilausky who photographed the table and helped me with the design. we had a great time since there were no requirements other than it needed to be modern. it's such a great feeling to have the freedom to design something with only one prerequisite. of course we kept it within reason in terms of budget and realistic so that someone else could actually recreate something similar themselves. in the end we tried a few different ideas and this was the one that worked for submission.





i'll share some of our other ideas in the coming days along with a behind the scenes look at the process.

Spring Wedding Flowers

having a spring wedding? most likely you've already chosen the flowers you will be using but if not here are some great options.

• tulips - there are endless varieties of tulips and sometimes i feel like they are constantly growing new ones. don't think about your average single tulips (meaning single layer of petals) that you find at the grocery store or deli. consider special varieties of fringe, pencil, double or parrot varieties.

• hyacinth - they are known for the fragrance and often considered an Easter flower but can be so beautiful when using one type of flower in an arrangement.

• cherry blossom branches - oh, how everyone loves cherry blossom!!! it's a crushing blow to brides when i have to tell them that the only time that they can get cherry is for a few weeks every spring. the white cherry starts and ends earlier than the pink which is usually available from late March until early to mid-May. The timing can fluctuate a bit based on weather and market region.

• peonies - another all time favorite of brides everywhere! the timing of peonies is greatly dependent on season but you will find that if budget is not a concern the season for peonies is greatly increased. with importing from all of over the world commonplace in larger markets you will be able to have peonies in January from places like New Zealand since our seasons are opposite. locally peonies start slowly in mid to late March and last well into June (sometimes July depending on the weather).

any of these options are the perfect addition to a Spring wedding but keep in mind there are many more options to choose from and to combine these flowers with...lilacs, viburnum and hydrangea are just a few. here are some great examples of designs using a mix of spring flowers.

purple hyacinth with calethea leaves

white peonies, blue hydrangea and lemon lime cymbidium orchids

purple lilac, sarah bernard peonies and amnesia roses

My toolbox: Tools for creating a flower arrangement

Whenever I teach a floral design class one of the first questions I'm asked is what tools to use for designing flowers at home and where to get them.
Let's start with the what. Truth be told a paring knife you would find in most kitchens is perfect for cutting flowers...the trick is learning how to cut them (we'll talk more about that in the coming weeks.) Scissors can sometimes be okay and I stress sometimes. They can do more harm then good in lengthening the life span of your flowers. There are plenty other great uses for them that's why I've still included them here.

Here's a glimpse what I use everyday...and if you could see them a little closer up you would see all the wear and tear on those clippers!!! One thick branch or occasional snip of wire (not a good idea) and they are never quite the same. Anyway, the clippers or pruners are the best, easy to use and totally functional. They can be used on any stem type and the learning curve to create a good cut is small. This particular brand, ARS can be a little hard to find but I get mine here. There are other great options by Felco.
The orange handled scissors are Fiskars and are mostly used for ribbons and fabric. (I refer to them solely as my orange handled scissors because that is what my mother would call them when she was yelling after her 5 children wondering who was using them on something other than fabric!!! She was a passionate woman...especially when it came to her sewing.)
The knives are key to any great floral designers toolbox and I would say are the most often used tool by professionals. I still remember learning to use a knife properly...it does take some getting used to but the cut of a knife is superior to any other cut and will definitely work on soft delicate stems but is key to cutting hard woody stems to make sure that the flowers get enough to drink. More to come on this...
The final tool in the box are the Claus scissors. These are a super multi-purpose tool and they have an endless amount of uses and the great news is that unlike the "orange handled scissors" they won't damage easily. While I bought my in the flower market I did a quick search online and found them on ShopScissors.com and they actually have some great options for everything I've talked about.
Those are the basics. I'll talk more about the uses of everything in the weeks to come but in the meantime you can build the perfect toolbox and start creating.

This Little Piggy Goes to the Market

after more than 10 years of visiting the flower market (often at the wee hours of the morning) you begin to look at some of the people there as a second family. an interesting, eclectic mix of people who begin their day at an hour when most people are either still sleeping or finishing up the night before.
so as my family grew to include this little guy we often make the early morning trip together. he loves it even though he is shying away from the camera here he spends most of his time flirting with anyone who will have him.
it makes those early mornings surrounded by beautiful flowers just a little more beautiful.

Spring has sprung?!?!!?

it's hard to believe that it's officially spring with this weather we are having in nyc, but the spring blooms are abundant in the flower market and i just thought i would share a few that i saw and thought were stunners.

these ranunculus are the softest, most subtle shade of pink they almost look like they have been dusted with powder. the petals go on forever and are perfect alone or mixed with something equally as beautiful and sweet.

i never tire of seeing poppies...mainly because they have a limited season and working with them can be a challenge. there is a trick to getting them to open and show their true brilliance and it takes some patience to allow it to happen naturally...once they are open there is a limited time to enjoy.

ah tulips, there are so many amazing and unique varieties that it's hard to choose a favorite. and while typically i go for double or fringe tulips as my favorites i do love the simplicity of these ronaldo tulips...the deep purple color of these makes them a winner!

Brides New York

i've already told you how much i loved working with Nyssa and Chris and how beautiful their wedding turned out to be - in every way, not just the flowers. i wasn't the only one who thought so..Bride's New York featured their wedding in their Spring/Summer issue on newsstands now.

the wedding was truly beautiful and the photos by Carlos Andres Varela are breathtaking. the day went off without a hitch, due in large part to the seamless coordination provided by Roey Mizrahi...she makes it look effortless. i was thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful day that celebrated such a wonderful couple.