Floral Quick Tips
Trendy Twist Technique: Make your flowers beautiful from top to bottom
A clear glass vase filled with one variety of flower is elegant and stylish. Make the bouquet even more trendy by twisting the flower stems inside the vase.
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Arrange the flowers in your hand so that all the blooms are the same height.
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Rubberband the flowers just under the blooms.
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Hold the heads of the flowers in one hand and the stems in the other. Now twist the rubber-banded stems as a group in the same direction, while keeping the hand holding the flower blooms still.
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Cut flowers to desired length and insert them into a clear glass vase.
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Cut off the rubberband.
Gerbera Ingenuity: Gently support their vibrant blooms with a subtle wire
California grows over 200 varieties of gerbera daisies. Keep the daisy's heavy head from drooping by utilizing a straight, narrow wire.
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Insert a 26-gauge wire under the bloom of the gerbera daisy.
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Wrap the wire down the length of the stem. Do not coil the wire around the stem, 2 to 3 turns down the stem is sufficient. Cut off excess wire if necessary.
Rose Remedy: How to dethorn a rose without saying, "Ouch"
California grows almost 22 percent of the nation's roses. Many grow without thorns, but for those that do it can be a touchy situation for both you and the rose. Not only can you get hurt by dethorning a rose, but you can actually damage the rose too. Rose thorns and leaves actually help the flower drink water, so it is important to dethorn roses properly. This is a simple way to remove the thorns and leaves without injuring you or the flower.
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Using a sharp floral or 4-inch pairing knife, gently scrape the stem of the rose.
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Only remove thorns and foliage that will be placed under water in the vase.
Training Flowers: An Ikebana technique to bend and shape flowers
The "twisting" method works well flowers that have very fibrous stems, such as cala lilies. The stem is gently twisted to actually break down the fibrous tissues so that the desired curve can be achieved.
"Stroking" is used with leaf material. Leaves can be gently twisted around your fingers and rubbed lightly with your thumb, thus training the foliage to go the direction needed.
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