In addition to pink, red and white, it is also available in yellow, lavender, mauve, orange and gold. This flower with its wiry stem and delicate bloom adapt perfectly to any arrangement. It is most popular for bridal bouquets and wedding centerpieces and is perfect for nosegays.

Freesa grow in a pattern similar to gladiolus, with a tuft of long narrow leaves and a branched stem. The leaves are light green in color and can grow to be nearly a foot in length.

Although the white or golden yellow Freesa is the one most commonly used, it is also available in orange, red, pink, mauve, lavender and purple as well as bi colors. Their long slender stems make them perfect for accenting a bridal bouquet as well as dressing up arrangements in tall graceful vases. The Freesa’s intoxicating fragrance can fill a room with its light delicate scent.

Technically, there are 33 species of peony, but only two are commonly grown for cut flowers. They are also grown in a variety of colors including various shades of pink, purple, red, salmon, apricot, white, ivory/cream, yellow and bi-colors. The most common colors available are the various shades of pink and white. I have NEVER seen a purple peony. The flower forms include single, double, semidouble, Japanese (single with large yellow centers) and anemone (single with powder-puff centers). The double flower variety is the most common as cut flowers in the United States.

Peony are grown around the world and are typically available from April through August, with peak season hitting around April, May and June. Most white varieties bloom early in the season.

Peony require the typical processing, meaning when they arrive, give them a fresh cut, dip in hydrating solution and allow to sit for at least two hours before arranging with them. It is best to buy peony when they are puffy, not open yet. Watch out for overly tight buds, they probably won’t open for you.

Let every day household bleach come to your rescue. That’s right, just a little bit of bleach in each vase, anywhere from 3 drops to a 1/4 of a teaspoon depending on the size of the vase and you’re good to go. Your flowers will stay fresh longer than they would in just regular water. This is because bleach minimizes or kills the bacteria in the water.

Bacteria is the number one reason that flowers fade too quickly. Even if your vase is squeaky clean, the bacteria that may be in your tap water can cause stems to rot and flowers to fade much more quickly.

Using different types of containers can add a very special touch to any arrangement that you create. A recipe box, or pretty tea pot for example can be the basis to create a lovely arrangement for somebody’s kitchen. Craft stores are great places to find something unique to use for flower arranging. Metal tins have become very popular as well as collectable. They are also great for creating small arrangements that would be perfect on a desk top, a breakfast bar, even in a hospital room.

Candy jars, apothecary jars, even long fluted champagne glasses can be used to create something totally unique.   So the next time you’re thinking about creating a floral arrangement, wander through your local craft store and let your imagination help you find something wonderful to create it in.

Color-Just because it’s called greenery does not mean that it is always green. Dusty Miller is a lovely silver grey color. Eucalyptus leaves are available in orange and red as well as a silvery green. Canna leaves are a lovely chocolate brown with a hint of green. A number of fillers can be purchased dyed. And the greens can range from yellow-green all the way to extremely dark green, depending on the type of greenery selected.

Shape and Size-This is very important to make sure that you have the correct balance between blossoms and greenery. You would not want to put large leaves with dainty flowers, such as daisies.

Vase Life – Greenery,unfortunately does not have the longest shelf life. If you are using leaves from your own garden, the best thing to do run a test by placing the cut greenery in a vase by itself to see how long it lasts. Greenery purchased from your local florist has already been chosen for a longer vase life so it can be a better choice.

Seasonal – Most greenery is available year round and will look work with any arrangement. You will, however want to avoid using evergreens, holly or autumn leaves except during the fall and winter season.

Anemones are on the fragile since and do require some additional steps when preparing them for use in an arrangement. When purchasing them, make sure to get Anemones that are just starting to bloom with sturdy stems. Make sure to wear gloves when working with Anemones as they secrete an oil that may cause some skin irritation. Because they wilt easily, you will need to dip them in a hydration solution once you’ve recut the ends and then place them in water that has already been treated with flower food. It’s best to let them rest in that water in a cool place for about two hours before arranging them.

Carnations and Chrysanthemums have a vase life of between one and 2 weeks. Lisianthus also have a good vase life, between 7 and 10 days. One of the greens that you could couple these with would be Bells of Ireland which also last between 7-10 days.

Iris however tend to be short lived, only 3-5 days of vase life. They usually arrive in tight buds and quickly open. Combining them with lilies or tulips will give you a good balanced arrangement. Make sure that the vase stays full and bacteria free. Amemone is another short vase life flower, generally lasting vrom 3-5 days. These lovely delicate flowers should be handled very carefully when being recut.

Some flowers, such as Callas, Alstroemeria and Dasies are particularly thirsty flowers so the you will need to make sure to keep the water levels in these vases high at all times.

And all cut flowers will do well with floral food which maintains the beauty of the arrangements and can sometimes help add an extra day or so to some of the more short vase life flowers.

Naturally, always make sure that you get your flowers on the first possible day after they have been cut. Flowers start to age the moment the stems are cut. Depending on the flowers you are using in your arrangements, some of them may have come a long way to your local market. One of the best things you can do is find out when your favorite places to buy flowers gets their deliveries and then shop for what you want on that day. Most supermarkets, and floral vendors will mark flowers down as they are getting near the end of their vase life. That is a good fact to keep in mind if you are looking for flowers for a long lasting arrangement.

Adding a floral preservative and changing the water frequently in your vases will also improve vase life. One of the best things you can do is make sure to re-cut your blooms once you get them home with a good pair of floral shears, like those found in our FA101 Starter Kit. This will insure that the stems can easily take up water.

Next time I’ll be sharing with you some tips on which flowers last the longest.

I only learned about Dogwood in the past 20 years. It wasn’t until I became a florist that I became aware of Dogwood. I LOVE this blooming branch more than any other. This is such a beautiful thing to look at. It is still a little early for Dogwood around here and probably in most parts of the country. I do see it available to ship from Oregon right now.

Sometime towards the end of this month I will start seeing it around here. When it is in bloom, I will often take a drive to where I know I can find these beauties on display. Everytime, I am just in AWE at their unbelievable beauty.