5 ways to turn a boring bouquet into a personalized masterpiece
For Mother's Day or any day, here are easy tips to turn a ho-hum bouquet into something special
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}With Mother's Day nearly here, many people are hoping to get flowers for their moms, wives, grandmothers and more — but inflation, supply issues and other factors have caused the price of a bouquet or arrangement to skyrocket.
What to do?
Fear not, as there are some relatively simple ways to turn even an inexpensive supermarket bouquet into something that looks like it was professionally arranged.
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Here are five smart tips to try from experts.
1. Go for classic, fragrant florals
To maximize the impact of a flower arrangement for a minimal cost, opt for flowers that have a classic, memorable scent.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lilies are excellent choices as they are extremely fragrant. (iStock)
Jennifer Murphy, owner of Forget Me Knots Custom Events and Floral Design in Floral Park, New York, told the Associated Press that using fragrant flowers like roses and lilies are "classic choices that will fill the room with their sweet aroma and make your bouquet even more memorable."
2. Add personality with a unique container
"A cute pitcher or a vintage Mason jar can add personality to your arrangement," Murphy told the AP.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Other fun, memorable alternatives to vases for flowers include wine bottles, teapots, watering cans and even wellington boots, said the website "Blossoming Gifts."
Watering cans provide a "rustic and bohemian look," said the site, and wine bottles can be a chic alternative to a vase for longer stemmed flowers.
When transforming supermarket flowers, Jennifer Murphy of Forget Me Knots Custom Events and Floral Design recommended cutting the stems at an angle and removing any leaves that are below the water line. (Jessica Damiano via AP)
3. Be smart about arrangement and care
Flowers purchased at the supermarket will need to be treated with care to ensure they last through Mother's Day, Murphy said, as the AP noted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trim the stems at an angle, remove any leaves that are below the water line of the container and put them in a vase to hydrate.
This will help lengthen the life of the flowers, she said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When buying flowers, look for varieties with "heartier" stems that are not mushy, said the website Food52, as that could be a sign that the flowers are at the end of their lives.
Additionally, be sure to use room-temperature water.
When it comes to assembling the bouquet into an elevated arrangement, placement of the flowers is important, she said. The tallest flowers should go in the back, Murphy told the AP, and shorter ones in the front.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}4. Add greenery and ‘filler’ flowers to plus-up a cheap bouquet into an expensive-looking arrangement
"Filler flowers," Murphy also said, are a "secret weapon" for florists.
Fillers such as baby's breath and wax flowers add depth and fill gaps in arrangements when they're incorporated among the larger blooms.
These flowers may look expensive, yet they're from a supermarket. The bouquet has been embellished with greenery and "filler" flowers, and placed in a decorative pitcher. (Jessica Damiano via AP)
These make the arrangements look fuller and more lush, and the flowers themselves are on trend these days.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Baby's breath is reclaiming its spotlight, particularly in bridal bouquets and wedding arrangements," Jennifer Allen told Fox News Digital in an email.
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Allen is CEO, wedding specialist, floral arrangement specialist and officiant at Just Elope LLC, a Texas-based wedding planning business that specializes in elopements or small wedding ceremonies.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Baby's breath flowers are "not just filler" anymore, said Jennifer Allen of Texas, but are very useful for making a floral arrangement look lusher and fuller. The flowers have grown increasingly popular recently. (iStock)
The plant is "not just a filler anymore," according to Allen.
"Couples are making it a focal point," she said.
5. Go green, literally and figuratively
Extra green plants make a bouquet "pop," Murphy told the AP.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And many of these plants can be found in a standard garden or even a kitchen herb garden.
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Examples of these plants include ivy, myrtle, viburnum – even basil, mint and sage.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Greenery serves to "add texture and make your arrangement look fuller," Murphy told AP.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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