Simple Tulip Arrangements

Now that you know how to process and condition your just purchased tulips you will want to place them in an arrangement.  However, they can be frustrating to keep in line.  Tulips are very temperamental--like teenagers; they like to do what they want, when they want! 

Because tulips continue to grow (as much as 3-4 inches after being cut) and bend toward the light they can be difficult to arrange.  Here are a few simple arrangements to make them behave.  

This is super easy, just place three tulips at varying heights inside two different size glass cylinders.  You could do this with two, three, four or more vases of different sizes or all the same size.  Just make sure you check the water level every day as tulips are thirsty flowers. 

Gather tulips (here I used five each since the vase is small) keeping flower heads level and use a rubber band to hold stems in place.  Wrap the bottom of the stems with a tulip leaf and secure with decorative pin.  Cut stems straight across below the leaf.

Arrange tulips and grass in your hand (here I used bare grass but lily grass would work, too) and secure with rubber band.  Cover band with decorative ribbon or rafia.  Cut stems to correct length for your vase and angle over side of vase.  

Tulip Time

It's peak season for tulips.  Although tulips are available year round--thank you hot houses and overnight shipping--now is the best time to find quality flowers in a variety of colors and at the 

lowest prices.

Generally, tulips are kept in cold storage and out of water when shipped and at flower markets.  To make sure your tulips last as long as possible you will need to process and condition them correctly.

Once home, remove the tulips from their plastic wrap.  Fill a bucket with cool water but not too deep.  Tulips prefer shallow water.  Like most spring bulbs they like their feet cool and their heads warm.

Take newspaper and loosely wrap the bunch.  This will help keep the stems straight and strong as they absorb water.  Remove any lower leaves that would fall below the water line.  Cut the stems above the white parts at an angle and place in the water bucket.

Leave in the bucket for a few hours or overnight.  Tulips are heavy drinkers so make sure you check the water level in your bucket and add more cool water as needed. 

Tulips can "blow" open quickly if they have been stored in a cool location (such as the flower shop cooler) and then exposed to heat too quickly.  Be careful to move them to a cool location out of direct sun light so they don't open all the way on the first day home.  

Lily Pollen

Lilies are a "diva" flower, very showy and they want all the attention in an arrangement! They also require extra care so they continue looking beautiful as their blooms open. Make sure you remove the anther, which contains the pollen. Pollen can get on your furniture, clothing or table cloths and can be difficult to clean. Anthers are easily removed by gently pulling them away from the filament. If pollen is already being released use a tissue to keep your fingers clean. Don't use scissors or clippers to cut the anther since this will leave a short, stubby filament!

When pollen is released it can be a mess if not removed correctly.  Oils from your skin will just make it worse so don't brush it away with your fingers.  You can blow the pollen away but who knows where it will end up!  The easiest and best way to remove pollen from a flower petal (or clothing item) is to use a pipe cleaner.  Fold the pipe cleaner in half and gently brush the pollen with the cleaner.  The soft bristles of the pipe cleaner grabs all the pollen.  So simple!

Spring Floral Arrangement

I had a wonderful group of women attend a floral workshop last weekend and we made lovely spring- time bouquets. They went home with gorgeous arrangements filled with tulips, scabiosa, veronica, roses, sweet peas and dogwood branches.   As always, I had extra flowers (I find it very difficult to not over buy when I'm at the SF Flower Mart--like a kid in a candy shop!) so here's my spring, dutch inspired arrangement. 

Started with coated chicken wire inside a sage green urn.

Added the dogwood branches first which provides an "outline" for the arrangement

Next came camellia leaf--so pretty with buds!

...then dusty miller and ceanothus...

and finally tulips, scabiosa, roses and purple sweet peas.

Narcissus

Spring comes early in California.  About two months early if you are used to Midwest weather.  Magnolias are starting to bloom, crab apples are flowering and the little sunny heads of narcissus are  poking through the ground. 

This week at the Moraga Farmer's Market a new vendor appeared selling a variety of Narcissus (or more commonly known as daffodils).  I couldn't resist and picked up a small bouquet to enjoy at home.

Moraga Farmers Market

Narcissus 'Erlicheer'

Narcissus are tricky to use in an arrangement since they can be toxic to other flowers.  White sap is released from the stem of narcissus when cut which can clog the stems of other flowers and block water intake.

It is possible to use narcissus in a mixed bouquet if you are careful and process your flowers separately.  First, rehydrate the narcissus in a their own bucket by cutting the stems on an angle and placing in very cold and shallow water.  Narcissus like cold feet--not legs!  (The verdict is out on whether a preservative is beneficial to narcissus.)  Then leave the flowers for at least 6 hours or better, overnight.  This will allow all the toxic white sap to be released.  To use with other flowers, remove from the processing bucket and place in your vase with fresh water.  Do NOT recut the stems.  If you recut the stem additional sap will be released and contaminate the water.

Narcissus 'Erlicheer', Hellebore, Pieris 'Purity' arranged in a simple pitcher vase from IKEA

Narcissus and Ranunculus in my favorite new orange vase from Crate-n-Barrel