One Way to Arrange a Dozen Stems in a Vase...

Flowers  in lobby.

Today, as part of my Basic Floral Class, we covered arranging a dozen stems in a vase. So let's say someone brought you a bouquet of roses or carnations and now you need to put them in a vase. Don't just unwrap them and plunk them in some water. Arrange them.

Select a vessel to hold the water and the flowers with at least a 3" opening and about one third the height of the flowers.So lets say your flowers are 24 inches tall. Your vase should be about 8 inches in height. Fill it half to two-third's full with water. If the flowers came with or you have floral preservative, add it to the water. If not, non-softened water and a sparkling clean vase will do. A home remedy would be to use half water and half sugar sweetened lemon-lime soda. No diet please.

Divide the flowers into three groups of four flowers each - try to group the fully open ones, the partially open ones and and tighter ones together. Most likely they are all fully opened - no worries. The flowers will be placed in the container in these groups beginning with the most open ones which will also be the shortest, the partially open being the medium height and the tightest ones the tallest. Each flower in a group can be cut the same length. Working with the dimensions I have listed the heights should be: short 10-12", medium 14'-16" and tall 18-22" - give or take an inch. Always give a  fresh diagonal cut to a stem before placing it in the water. You have 8 seconds from the time you make the cut to get it in the water.

Flower groups cut with 2-4" height difference between the groups.

The placement of the floral stems in the vase are worked in an alternating pattern. One a stem is placed another should be placed directly opposite of it. Thinking of the opening of the vase as a clock, place the first stem of the shortest, most fully open group, in at an angle so it is touching the lip of the vase at 12 o'clock. The next and second stem of the same group will be placed so it touches the rim at 6 o'clock. Repeat the process at 3 and 9 o'clock completing the placement of the first group. Done properly,  the crossing of the stems causes the flowers to hold apart with the cut ends steadying themselves against the bottom and wall of the vase. The stems form an hourglass shape.

Begin at 12 and 6 o'clock

From the side

Stems cross in vase

First layer complete!

Now, move to the middle grouping, again working opposite, insert a flower in the space between the flowers at 12 and 9 o'clock, following with the second in the space between 3 and 6. These will not rest on the rim but  float a little above supported by their stem resting against the stems of the shorter group..Place the other two in their respective places between 9 and 6 o'clock and 12 and 3.

Two layers

Finish the dozen off by inserting the tallest stemmed group individually in an upright fashion locking their stems in place by interlacing them with the others. This should give you a rounded look both around the vase and over the vase.

All 12 flowers

Fill in the dozen with some fern or salal foliage around the edge of the vase for unity. Five to seven pieces should be enough. For a fuller look, add some tree fern to fluff it out.

 Finish with some babies breath, wax flower or statice for added color.

Step back and enjoy!