Great flower advice

Create a Greetings Card Design

Gather together the card and all other materials. Prepare the mechanics by soaking the foam cylinder and putting it into the container. The card has a back section to hold the container and to allow customers to water their design, but for added security, attach the foam and container to the card with pot tape. Alternatively, the container can be fixed to the card with a glue gun or pot.


The flowers and foliage can now be added to the container by the florist Tweed Heads. For height, a dainty spray of carnations is inserted so that it reaches above the top level of the card. More materials are added at the sides of the card, the openings being used to extend the design beyond the card.

The roses — the focal flowers — are taken down the centre of the card, the finest rose being used for the focal point. Freesias and other materials are added so that they all appear to flow from behind the focal point. There is little filling-in to do, as the card itself hides the mechanics.

Using boiling water on flowers

This is a good method to encourage difficult plants to take up water. First remove the lower foliage; protect the flower heads with cellophane or paper and cut the stem ends, making a slanted cut using a sharp knife.

Immediately plunge the stem ends into boiling water, 2.5cm deep. Keep them there for one minute, and then top up the water with tepid water to which a flower food has been added. The boiling water should remove any air in the stem, making it easier for water to be taken up. This technique also has the advantage that only a minimal amount of bacteria will be left alive to grow on the stem ends.

This is a useful method for hard, woody stems, such as lilac, prunus, and other tree and shrub materials. It can also be used for wilted flowers Palmerston — roses, for example — and for those stems of the Euphorbia family that contain a milky sap called latex.

Minimalist magic

Many people equate celebration with the opportunity to pull out all the stops in terms of decoration; others, by contrast, are masters of the minimal, relying on a few carefully selected objects to make a statement. Just florist The Narrows mumbo jumbo, or plain common sense - well you decide.

In this scenario, the tabletop can be transformed into an avant-garde stage for a meticulous presentation of food and drink. A monochromatic palette provides a clean backdrop for the bold, understated floral flourishes, which rely on unconventional flowers and foliage to create visual impact. Colour — metaphorically speaking — arises out of the food and conversation, which is precisely what makes a meal special!

Ribbed unit construction

First prepare single flowers, leaves or ribbons. Small clusters of materials, such as berries or hydrangea florets, can also be wired together. Materials are then closely taped on a support wire, leaving no stems visible.

A ribbed unit can either be formed with materials of the same type and colour, or with a combination of flowers, foliage, berries and ribbons.

Materials can be graded in size, as for a branching unit. This ribbed construction is used in novelty designs, such as fans. It can, however, be made with materials of a similar size. Use this method for the garland or circlet headdress that is now fashionable for brides and bridesmaids.

Natural unit construction

Here, the materials — convallaria, muscari or ixia, for example — are left on the natural stem, and the stems are grouped and mounted for use in various types of wedding design. This type of unit is often used by florists New Zealand favouring European-style designs.

Garland Headdress

The bride’s headdress completes her whole outfit, and should therefore complement the bouquet. Many brides are concerned that the flowers will not last, and they therefore steer away from fresh flowers; this is such a pity, as fresh flowers always look wonderful, and if suitable flowers are chosen they will have the advantage of matching the bouquet and will certainly look much lovelier than artificial ones.

Flowers Papanui such as stephanotis, Singapore orchids, cymbidium orchids, gypsophila, spray carnations and even many varieties of rose would be appropriate, as would foliage such as hedera or eucalyptus.

Quick Tips to keep your cut flowers longer

• Use plain, lukewarm water for most cut flowers, but use cold water for bulb flowers, such as daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips.


• Change the water every 2 days — don’t just top it off. This is the single most effective thing you can do to keep your flowers looking fresh.



• Keep flowers out of direct sunlight, and move them to a cool place at night.


• Give daffodils their own vase — daffodil stems give off a compound that is toxic to other flowers.


• Keep cut flowers away from fruit, which releases a gas that causes flowers to age faster.

Purchase your fresh flowers online through a reputable florist, or take some extra time and source your lovely blooms with someone who specialises in delivering fresh flowers Greenwich. There are many, many places available these days were you can purchase those blooms online and get them delivered the same day.