HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-04-06, Page 48Page 20B ,
Times -Advocate, April 6, 1988
Optim WOW rMrirden Show this weekend
Flower arrangements can change the look of a room
There's no better way to bring
the feeling of springtime indoors
than with a beautiful arrange-
ment of fresh cut flowers. Flow-
ers can change the mood and
look of a room, and are appropri-
ate with any style decor.
And now, thanks to recent im-
provements in the transportation
and storage of blooms, more and
more varieties of flowers are
available to mix and match for
the exact look you want.
"How you select a floral ar-
rangement for a room depends a
lot on your own personality and
individual style, says Robert
McNamara, president of Florists'
Transworld Delivery Association
(FTD), the nation's largest flow-
ers -by -wire organization. Last
year, FTD members transmitted
over 22 million wire orders for
flowers and plants.
According to McNamara, him-
self a florist for over 30 years,
the first step is to consider care-
fully the room setting you wish
to enhance. And, he adds, there's
no reason to restrict floral ar-
rangements to dining rooms or
living rooms.
After all, just as much time is
spent in kitchens, bathrooms and
bedrooms; these settings can be
just as appropriate for the "added
touch" that flowers provide.
Begin by asking yourself, does
the room have one dominant col-
or? How large is the room and
how much space is available to
work with?
What type of vase or container
will be used to arrange the flow-
ers? Will the arrangement be
viewed from one side or more
angles?
"Flowers should complement a
room's color scheme but they
don't have to match it exactly,"
says McNamara.
"It's more important to make
sure your flowers and container
work together - a vase should
suit the flowers and the environ-
ment."
With regard to containers, a
narrow neck vase allows a few
long stcms to support one an-
other. Wide neck containers, on
Summer means gardening,
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' Try a product like Elmer's In-
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Because the product is non -
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the other hand, cause stems to
fall freely away from one another
and a greater number of flowers
or additional foliage becomes ne-
cessary for a full look.
A good starting point, if
you're interested in purchasing or
sending an arrangement, is a vis-
it to your local FTD florist
where you can consult the FTD
Deluxe Selection Guide.
This guidebook pictures vari-
ous arrangements in all styles,
color combinations and price
ranges. Your florist will be able
to advise you as to which ar-
rangement will be most appro-
priate for your needs.
Remember, though, that the
beauty of decorating with flow-
ers is that there is no one "right"
look - there are many.
Whatever arrangement you
choose, you'll want your flowers
to last. If flowers are arranged in
floral foam, they will draw
moisture naturally, as they
would from the earth or a
branch. Just check the moisture
revel daily and add water as need-
ed
If some flowers wilt before
othzrs, remove them so they
don't spoil the appearance of the
bouquet or adversely affect the
other blooms.
You can also try reviving a
drooping flower by cutting the
stem at an angle which opens
the passage for water; then, rein-
sert it in the foam.
An arrangement in a vase of
water, however, is presented
with an unnatural environment.
In order to keep these flowers
looking their best, FTD sug-
gests the following:
* Always recut the stems un-
d:n. warm water and on an angl,
so a:. wit to restrict water up-
trke. When cut. in the air, stems
may suck up a small amount of
air, causing the base of the stein
to be blocked, and restrictin¢ wa-
ter flow.
* Remove all foliage that rests
below the water line. Foliage
left under water tends to rot, re-
leasing harmful bacteria and eth-
ylene gas, which can cause flow-
ers to die prematurely.
* Ideally, vase water should be
changed every two or three days,
at which time the flower stems
should be recut.
"Although principles are im-
portant, there are really no hard
and fast rules when it comes to
arranging flowers," adds McNa-
mara. "Just experiment, using
your eye as a guide
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