The art of arranging fresh-picked flowers / Video

Providence Journal video by Sandor Bodo

It’s prime time for flower picking. Whether you do it in your own backyard or head to a pick-your-own farm, nature’s abundance makes it easy for anyone to create a beautiful arrangement.

Follow these tips from Middletown-based floral designer Lynne Merrill, who teaches classes on arranging and serves as a judge for the Newport Flower Show.

* If you pack your garden with perennials, as Merrill does, you can pick from them in different stages of growth almost year-round. You can’t go wrong with hydrangeas, she says. “They don’t get pests, they always look good and they don’t need a whole lot of care.”

* To avoid wilting, don’t cut flowers in the middle of the day. Instead, do it in the early morning or late evening.

* Come up with a loose plan before picking. “You should pick the container and then think of color, texture, and how big is this arrangement going to be,” she says.

* To give dimension and interest, play with texture, mixing different plants in one arrangement.

* Good color strategies include choosing contrasting shades, or go in the opposite direction and try a monochromatic design. “Everybody has a basic sense of what colors look good together because you get yourself dressed every day.”

* In lieu of Oasis floral foam, which Merrill says is not environmentally friendly, she likes to use natural materials such as coiled branches, available at crafts stores such as Michael’s, for structure. Another tip: To provide structure, use clear tape to create a grid at the mouth of the vase.

* As a general guideline, place larger flowers at the bottom and smaller ones at the top. “Isn’t that how they grow?” she says.

* Try to follow the natural lines and curves of the container you are working with. “We always look for a rhythm to an arrangement. It’s how your eye travels. You just know when it’s right,” she says.

* It often makes sense to group a few of the same cuttings together. If they aren’t staying in place, hold them together using an easy camouflaged small green twist tie.

* Consider all available materials, including houseplants. Merrill likes to wrap a large houseplant leaf inside the bottom of a clear vase to disguise stems.

* She generally adds water as a final step after the arrangement is completed. Add a few drops of household bleach or plant food to the vase to give the flowers more longevity.



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