Flower Arranging 101

I had the pleasure of attending a flower arranging workshop at William Ashley’s new flagship on bloor the other weekend with my sister Ariel and am happy to share some tips with you so you can make the same insta-worthy bouquets at home.

I have been making my own arrangements for years for photo shoots and my own entertainments at home but confess that 99% of the time I stick to groupings of single types of blooms in one vase. I still love this look, but it was nice to be pushed out of my comfort zone and learn from an actual pro how to make a professional-looking multi bloom arrangement. Alice from Alice’s Table (of Shark Tank fame) did a great job walking us through the basic steps and it was a treat to be able to use the beautiful Kastehelmi vase from Finnish brand IItala.

Here are the basics:

1. Start by creating a basic lattice across the mouth of your vase with floral tape (clear scotch tape will work in a pinch). This provides a grid to hold your flowers in place.

2. Add room temperature water with floral food dissolved in it to help preserve the blooms.

3. Add your greens first around the edges of the grid to create a structure.

4. One you start adding in blooms, work with your largest flowers first spacing them evenly.

5. Always cut the flower stems on an angle and put them right into the water to promote longevity. Make sure to remove any leaves or greenery that would fall under the water line to keep the water from going murky (and dare I say smelly!)

6. Once you’re done placing the bigger blooms, add in lateral blooms (flowers with multi-stems) which add a fresh organic feel, for example, we used spray roses.

7. Enjoy your beautiful arrangement! Be prepared to switch out the water after a couple of days to keep your flowers looking fresh.

Thanks to William Ashley for having us and to Alice for the fab lesson. If you love tabletop or are looking for a gift, make sure to check out the new store. At the very least have a cappuccino in one of the gorgeous Jonathan Adler chairs. Swoon!