We spoke to Sylvia Abraham, owner and Creative Director of Bella Botanica to get her top tips for designing at home with supermarket/farm or garden flowers.
Choose the freshest blooms. Do not choose flowers that have brownish marks or look bruised. Tulips and daffodils will open more in a warm room.
Choose different size and shape blooms. Try choosing a scented variety if available.
Use different height glass bottles or glass jars and wash these out with a small drop of bleach in water. Then fill a quarter of the way with water.
Cut the end of the flower stem diagonally with a secateurs or sharp scissors. I usually put three flowers, cut at different heights in one bottle. It adds dimension to the flowers when all the florals are at different levels. Ideally choose three different height glass bottles/jars, I like them in trios.
I would stagger these trios along the table in 3’s or 5’s.
This is all dependent on the length of your table and how full you would like it.
Sit at the table you are placing your flowers on and ensure the flowers are short enough so guests can see over them.
Place daffodils in bottles/jars on their own as the sap from the stem can shorten the vase life of other flowers.
Tulips will continue to grow in the bottles and towards the light, best trimming the stem after a couple of days.
To keep the flowers looking the best over a few days, change the water every two days to prolong the vase life.
With thanks to our contributors
- Maria Reidy Events - Event Management Agency
- Brownes Restaurant - Beverages
- Niall Hill - Recipe
- Sharon Hearne Smith - Dessert
- Brandlab - Menu and place cards
Photo Credits
- The wedding sparrow
- Peter Carvill Photography
- Etsy
- Molly Carr Photography
- Solebich
- Ramona Farrelly
