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Are you wondering what to get your friend, family member, or sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? It can be challenging to find the perfect gift for such an occasion.
A flower bouquet is always an excellent choice. By making one yourself, you can tailor it to their personality. Here are some tips on putting together one they’ll love.
Choosing Flowers
With so many options of colorful blooms, how can you pick the right ones? Here are a few suggestions to help you along.
Roses
Roses are the traditional Valentine’s Day flower for expressing adoration. They’ve been popular since the 17th century, symbolizing love, romance, and beauty. If you’re in doubt, you can go with the classic rose.
Flowers can have many meanings. Roses of different colors carry distinct messages. Here are just a few examples of their symbolism:
- Red–love, passion, beauty
- White–purity and friendship
- Orange–enthusiasm and fascination
- Yellow–friendship
- Lavender–love at first sight
Do you want to show your gratefulness to someone? You can give appreciation flowers. Roses in shades of pink and peach express thankfulness.
Tulips
Tulips are also popular around Valentine’s Day. They are said to symbolize perfect love.
Many people enjoy them for their beautiful shape and striking hues. Others find them romantic because their name sounds like “two lips”, which are necessary to kiss someone.
These beautiful blooms have meanings according to their color, too. Here are a few examples:
- Red–everlasting love
- Yellow–cheer
- White–forgiveness
- Purple–royalty
- Pink–happiness and confidence
Flower Combinations
Specific color combinations have significance, too. Roses in these pairings convey particular messages:
- Red and white–unity
- Yellow and red–happiness or congratulations
- Orange and yellow–passion
A bouquet of long-lasting blooms can symbolize the endurance of a long-term relationship. Which cut flowers last the longest? Here are several that typically stay alive for two weeks or more:
- Chrysanthemums
- Zinnias
- Carnations
- Orchids
- Alstroemerias
- Lilies
- Freesias
- Delphiniums
If you have flowers in your backyard, you may enjoy putting together your own bouquets to bless others. However, you need to be aware that not all flowers mix well.
Sap from freshly cut daffodils contains a substance that harms other types of flowers. Thus, it’s best to keep these blooms separate from others. Avoid placing them in arrangements, especially right after harvesting.
Arranging Hacks
If you have a flower garden, chances are you’ve tried your hand at arranging. However, you likely encountered a few difficulties along the way. Here are some common household items that can make the process go more smoothly.
Elastic Bands
If your flowers spread out too much in the vase, you tend to lose the effect you were trying to create. To resolve this problem, you can bind the stems together using a hair elastic or rubber band.
Drinking Straw
Suppose you picked some beautiful flowers and later realized their stems are too short for your chosen vase. A clear plastic drinking straw can save the day.
Find one with the right diameter to fit snugly around the flower’s stem. If the stalk is too wide, you can pare it down so you can insert it in the straw.
Cut the straw to the desired length and slip it over the point of the flower stem. It’ll serve as a support so the stalk “touches” the bottom of the vase. As a result, the lovely bloom will stay at the height you want it in the arrangement.
Transparent Tape
You can use transparent adhesive tape to help flowers stand up better in the vase. Make a grid with the tape by stretching it across the mouth of the container. Insert the stems into the holes in the lattice, and you’ll see they stay more upright.
Mesh Basket
A berry basket can serve the same purpose as a tape grid. Place all or part of the container in the bottom of the vase. Then, stand the flower stems in the holes in the mesh to help them stay upright.
Raw Potato
How can a potato make a flower arrangement more beautiful? You’ll quickly see it’s an ingenious idea. First, cut the starchy vegetable in half and poke holes in it.
Place the potato inside your vase and stick the flower stems into the holes. In addition to helping your blooms stay put, the starch nourishes them.
Salt for Artificial Flowers
You may prefer to create a more durable piece using silk flowers. Start by filling your vase with salt and adding cold water until it’s wet but not covered. Next, create your arrangement by sticking flower stems into the salt.
The mixture of salt and water will harden and hold the stems in place. You can leave them as long as you wish. If you decide to take the flowers out, you can fill the vase with warm water and let the salt dissolve.
Edible Bouquets
Maybe your sweetheart or bestie isn’t so interested in flowers but loves to eat. An edible bouquet could be the perfect gift.
Chocolate may be your first thought on Valentine’s Day, and you can find it in the shape of flowers, complete with stems. You can also create an arrangement that includes bright blooms interspersed with sweet treats.
Maybe you’re in an adventurous mood and would like to craft an edible bouquet using fruit. You can cut flower and heart shapes from fruits like pineapple or watermelon and make an arrangement using skewers as stems.
Grapes are useful in such a project, representing smaller blooms in the arrangement. An edible flower bouquet can make an excellent centerpiece for a Valentine’s Day dinner.
Cutout cookies on a stick can also represent flowers, and cake pops add a decorative touch. If your love prefers savory foods, you might try your hand at making roses from bacon.
In a Nutshell
The perfect valentine flower bouquet can be challenging to create, but it’s not impossible. Roses and tulips are popular choices for this occasion, and each color has a meaning. Mixing different hues or types of flowers can also convey a specific message.
There are many household items that can help you create a beautiful flower arrangement. You may also want to try making an edible bouquet for a loved one who enjoys food. By putting these suggestions into practice, you can find the perfect combination for each person’s unique taste.