There is no way around it – flowers designed by a florist are expensive and often cost prohibitive. There are many reasons for this (staff, insurance, supplies, delivery vehicles, rent, to name a few) but one of the main reasons is simply the time spent on the job by an experienced floral designer.

A certified florist is always the best choice for an event or special occasion because s/he is trained to design in a variety of styles and usually has access to the best product available. The good news is fine floral design can be made accessible and affordable for everyday living for those willing to learn!

In this blog and accompanying demo, I will tell you how to select the perfect flowers from your local grocery store or farmers market, show you how to create your design, and answer a few common flower related questions. I love sharing my tips and hope you will find them useful when designing everyday flowers for your home, family and friends.

What are the most common types of flowers you’ll find in the grocery store in May?

• Familiar flowers such as Roses, Hydrangea, Lilies, and Orchids are grown all over the world in different seasons to make them available to us 365 days a year. As a result, you’ll almost always find these varieties at any grocery store floral department. It is now more common for grocery stores to source things locally, so in May you might be lucky enough to find some Peonies, Lilac, and Ranunculus as well.

What are your favorite mass grocery stores to purchase flowers?

• My absolute is Trader Joe's. They do an excellent job of providing a variety of locally and ethically sourced product. And because so many people shop for flowers there, the flowers are usually very fresh. Whole Foods is another favorite and I hear amazing things about the Wegmans floral department. Safeway, Publix, Harris Teeter, Costco, or Giant will do in a pinch and depending on where you live, they may have excellent floral departments. The quality and freshness of any mass store’s floral department is dictated by what the customers want. So even if your local store doesn’t typically carry a particular item that you’re interested in, you can make a request and they may be able to order it for you.

What types of flowers are you working with today?

• Today I am working with all of my favorites – Hydrangea, Roses, Ranunculus, Peonies, Orchids and I have some Cala Lilys, Clematis, Veronica, and Bupleurum to add in as well.  90% of my designs begin with a base of Hydrangea and Roses.

And what supplies do you need?

• There are a few things that I can’t work without: clippers, Joyce Chen scissors, a Victorinox knife, oasis, 1/2 inch clear floral tape, oasis bind wire, and a vase.  If you only had scissors and some kind of twine that would be enough.

Do you prefer to buy mixed bouquets or ones with a singular flower, or both?

• Usually I buy the single flower and then mix them myself.  Occasionally, I will buy a mixed bouquet and deconstruct it, but there are often blooms in the mixed bouquet that I don’t want and they end up not getting used.  Generally, I stay away from the mixed bouquets because I don’t like all the colors. They look cheerful but cheap.

• And assume to make an impressive bouquet, you’ll want to buy at least two?

• To make what I would consider an impressive bouquet you need a minimum of three different floral varieties (for example, Hydrangea, Roses, Ranunculus). To make something really elevated, I would suggest between five and ten different types of flowers.  The trick is to keep them all in the same color story.  You want monochromatic, analogous or complimentary.  You can mix more colors together, but I only recommend this if you have a lot of practice or really really know how color works.

When I go to the store, I notice different stamps on packing – what do those mean?

• Yes, we are seeing more and more stamps on the plastic sleeves. These give us more information about where and how the flowers have been grown. The most common stamps you’ll see are the Rainforest Alliance and American Grown stamps.  CA Grown is a big one too.

For more information about Certified Rainforest Alliance, click here.

For more information about American Grown Flowers, click here.

What are your tips for ensuring the flowers you buy are fresh?

This is always the trickiest part of buying grocery store flowers and they often get a bad name. When you order flowers from a florist, the florist is accountable for the freshness and ensuring your bouquet lasts. Unfortunately, grocery store flowers may have already been sitting in a bucket for several days before you walk in the store to buy them. Here are a few of my best practices for getting the most out of your grocery store flowers:

1. Get to know the head of the floral department at your grocery store. Establish a relationship and ask them when they receive their shipments or how long a particular product has been on the shelf.

2. Turn a bouquet upside down and give it a gentle shake.  If petals and leaves start falling off, your bouquet is old.

3. Peel back the plastic and inspect the stems, especially near the area where they are bundled together.  If the stems look slimy or brown, walk away!

4. When purchasing Roses, give their heads a little pinch at the base of the bloom. If the “heart” of the Rose is hard, you’ll know it’s fresh.

5. When purchasing Hydrangea, look for a little bounce - kind of like the way the tip of your nose feels.  If you press down on the Hydrangea and it flops to the side, it’s probably on the older end.

What are your tips for making sure the bouquet you make doesn’t wilt before you get it to Mom? 

• Temperature is the number one factor in flower freshness. Avoid extreme temperatures – never place your flowers on or next to a heater or near a draft. And always keep your flowers watered and in a cool place. Flowers typically last between three and five days, sometimes longer. So start with fresh product and then control the temperature!

Do you have to recut flowers every day?

• Once a bouquet has been arranged, I almost never recut the stems. Most likely, it won’t hurt but it won’t help either. I do recommend adding and changing the water often. If you only have one type of flower in a vase go ahead and recut as often as you change the water. Every three days is typically enough.

For a quick YouTube video on how I change the water for my designs, click here.

What’s that stuff in the packet? Do you really need to use it, and if so, how much?

• It’s called floral food. Mostly it provides an anti-bacterial for the water (bacteria kills flowers) although some contains a little sugar. The best thing you can do to keep bacteria at bay is to keep all foliage out of the water and start with a clean vase.  If you do use the floral food, be sure to follow the directions or you may end up doing more harm than good.

In addition to trimming every day – how often should you change the water? 

• I often tell my clients to add a little water every day or every other day. I also recommend doing a full water change, if they can, every three days. I put a lot of flowers in my designs and they are very thirsty!

AND, when you change the water, what should the temperature be? Does it matter? Should I prep water and let it sit until it reaches room temperature/the same temp of the water already in the vase? (I do this – is it dumb???)

• Different people have different theories and thoughts about water temperature. I have gone through several phases. As a general rule, you want your temperature to be slightly warmer than or at room temperature.  This will help with water absorption.  If the water is colder than your flower it will be harder for the flower to take it in.  In some cases, very hot water can be used to help shock hydrangea or other blooms back to life.

How much should you/should you not remove leaves on stems that will be submerged in the water? Does that make a difference for the frequency with which you’ll need to change the water?  

• Leaves should never sit below water level. Allowing the leaves to sit in the water creates bacteria and bacteria zaps the life out of your flowers. In addition to creating harmful bacteria, the leaves compete with the bloom for energy and resources, especially in the case of Hydrangea. While my arrangements are full of greenery, they are always on their own separate stem.

Are there certain varieties that are ideal for cutting into short stems for a shorter vase, and some that are better with longer stems?

• Not necessarily, but stems that are very heavy such as sunflowers might topple without a strong vase. Something else to think about is that the shorter the stem, the shorter distance the water has to travel, and the more easily the flower can stay hydrated.

• I do not sell cut flowers without a vase.  There are too many issues with processing them and recutting the stems.  Also, you never want to bring a bouquet to an event without a vase, because it only creates more work for your host. The best thing to do when sending flowers for a birthday or dinner is to send them the day before. That way your host will have time to display them and integrate them into the decor and you may even save them one extra step.

Tips for pressing dry flowers? When is the right moment?

• This is such a great question and one that is very popular at the moment. I would redirect you to Modern Pressed Flowers – what I learned from her is that the best time to press flowers is when they are completely free from moisture.  Any moisture on the flower will lead to browning, and color change. I do have some other fun floral crafts if you want to give them a try, click here.