Almost invariably I take florists’ bouquets home, get out the scissors, and have an Edward Scissorhands afternoon. Yes, this is slightly ungrateful and infinitely prissy, but I promise that in the end, they actually do look better.

I have honorable motivation here: I want my flowers to look like they came from the garden, and nothing is less organic than a dozen long-stemmed roses spaced just so between mountains of baby’s breath.

Cut those roses short. Rose stems aren’t so pretty, and the blooms look best when they’re resting on the edge of an opaque vase. To arrange, layer them around the outside of the vase first, and then fill in the middle. Choose the smallest container that will fit the flowers. You want it to be full and tightly packed. Tuck a few leaves in for a spot of green.

Rearrange the grocery bouquet. You know that premixed jumble of flowers next to the checkout stand? Buy it.

It’s a bargain, and you can eke so much floral joy from that little bundle. Take it home, group the flowers by type — daisies together, roses together — cut them short, and make as many mini arrangements as you can.

Put them in teacups, votives, even water glasses and spread them around your house.

Waste nothing. Fill your teapot with daffodils for the kitchen counter. Make a tiny bouquet in the laundry room or a little something on the bathroom counter.

Simplest is best. For an elegant and sculptural look, place a small branch of flowering quinces into a champagne flute. You can find flowering branches like quince, almond and forsythia at better florists.

As the branch rests in the water, more blossoms appear, announcing spring in the simplest and most inspirational way.

source :www.thenorthwestern.com