Flowers and plants are a great addition to any room in the household.
They add an instant injection of life and colour to our homes, which not only elevates tired décor; it makes us feel more upbeat.
Whether you opt for simple green foliage or an over-the-top floral centrepiece, both (when used in the right way) can create a striking effect and neither need cost the earth。
Less is more
Instead of filling an oversized vase with towering blooms, separate your bouquet into an abundance of containers. Groupings of flowers often create more impact than one large vase of flowers. They allow you to add colour and fragrance to each and every corner of the household, brightening multiple rooms as opposed to just the one space. This is a great way to keep costs down, as it will allow you to make one bouquet last that little bit longer.
When choosing flowers, opt for everlasting blooms, such as yarrow (Achillea), globe amaranth (Gomplhrena), blue salvia and cockscomb (Celosia) – all of these species last for a long time when placed in a vase of water, especially when stems are cut at a 45 degree angle to promote water absorption. Lilies are another budget-friendly flower as one single stem can provide up to four or five blooms.
Monochromatic
If you live in a modern residence, keeping things simple is a good way to stay in tune with your current style. A mixture of voluminous white roses and peonies, set off with lush green foliage, makes for a great centrepiece. If you wish to inject colour into your floral arrangement, pick just the one shade.
Adding more foliage is a good way to keep costs down if you’re looking to stick to a budget – as it often lasts longer than the flowers, meaning you’ll get more for your money.
Choosing the right fragrance
Asides from their aesthetic appeal, flowers are renowned for their scents. If you’re partial to a certain fragrance, be sure to keep this in mind when choosing flowers for the home environment. Certain flowers emit a stronger scent, whilst others are quite subtle. It’s important to remember that it’s not always the most costly blooms that have the sweetest scent.
Lilies, jasmine, gardenia and roses are just a few of the most popular flower species chosen for their fragrance. All are guaranteed to add an uplifting scent to your home.
Choose your vessel wisely
From watering cans and jam jars, to milk bottles and milk jugs – choosing a vessel for your bouquet is no longer limited to a standard vase alone.
Which you choose depends on the effect you wish to create. For a more contemporary look, opt for clean lines and clear glass. For something a little quirkier in style, choose the likes of a weather beaten pitcher or old farmhouse sink. Other options include gilded vases, mini bouquets, colanders (converted into hanging planters), mason jars, vintage milk bottles, wine bottles, teacups, paper bags and crates.
You can even go all out and use an old pair of wellington boots! Next time you receive a bouquet of flowers, there is no need to spend unnecessary funds on a vase – not when it’s likely you already have a perfectly suitable vessel at home.
For a more unique floral display, place your chosen bouquet onto a shallow water-filled saucer and cover with an overturned vase. This arty creation, although easy to create, looks extremely on trend.
Ombre
Using a variety of blooms in similar shades creates an interesting, high-impact ombre effect.
One colour flower arrangement only works when using an array of interesting shapes. Sweet Peas and Sweet William, with their purple, violet and pink hues work well together, whilst blush pink and white peonies offer an equally desirable effect. Other must-try arrangements include cheery orange and deep yellow sunflowers.
For a more statement style, opt for fuzzy bachelor’s buttons with bell-shape blooms, teamed with clusters of pale pink Phlomis tuberosa ‘amazone’, finished with a handful of Siberian iris.
Eclectic styling and bold decorating decisions
If you’re looking to create a high-impact display with lots of colour and vibrancy, opt for an assortment of hot-hued flowers, displayed in a vessel sporting bold patterns.
Whether you’re decorating an overly busy house or a contemporary apartment, this will add life and colour to both environments. When selecting flowers, be sure to keep your budget in mind.
This will allow you to create a picture-perfect display that doesn’t break the bank. Although not for the shy, a floral frenzy (when done well) can be a fun look. If you’d prefer to create a subtler look, pair bold prints with neutral hues.
Rainbow vases
Instead of opting for colourful blooms, choose coloured water instead.
Collect an array of clear vases, fill with water, add a few drops of dye to the liquid and place a crisp white daisy (or similar flower) in each. This contemporary style idea works to create a unique window display or tabletop piece, and adds an instant injection of fashionable colour to a desk or bedside table. It also looks a lot more costly than it is!
Single stems in separate containers create an understated, contemporary look. Good vessels to use include oil and vinegar bottles – both of which you should already have at home. If you wish to jazz these bottles up, drape ribbons, bracelets or charms around the neck of the bottles.
Create your own floral wall hanging
Asides from using freshly picked flowers, there are a number of other ways to inject a little floral inspiration into your home. One idea includes popping to your local haberdashery store. Here you will find an array of fabrics embellished with botanical designs.
A small cutting of your favourite fabric can be used to create the likes of cushion covers, hanging wall art, bunting, upholstered headboards and fabric wreaths. Teamed with vases of flowers dotted around your home, this is a great way to add life to an otherwise low-key space.
The best of both worlds
If you wish to create the illusion of vases brimming with an abundance of floral creations yet don’t quite have the budget to buy an array of bouquets – simply combine cut flowers with silk flowers. The majority of today’s silk flowers look extremely realistic, and when mixed in with the real thing, no one will notice the difference. Alternatively, buy flowers online and add cut foliage from your garden. Adding a little greenery to the vase is a great way to bulk out the display. If you can, opt for shiny, leather-looking leaves, as these tend to last longer.
Adding decorative pearls, beads, ribbons and other embellishments is another fun way to add volume to a vase of flowers.
Regardless of your taste and budget, when you follow a few handy tips, there is a bouquet to suit every home. If you think outside the box when considering ways to display your blooms, you might even find that the centrepiece is not the flowers themselves, but what you are keeping them in.
If you have any weird and wonderful ways of displaying your flowers we’d love to hear from you – that way we can help to create and inspire beautiful floral arrangements that can transform any room or outdoor space.