I love having fresh flowers around my home and definitely when I’m entertaining or throwing a party. There is just such a wonderful feeling that fresh flowers give to any room or party decor and I believe that we should always try and have them for ourselves, anytime, and for no reason whatsoever.

But, I get it. It’s time consuming to pull everything together and costly if you don’t have time to cost compare. Plus, we do get stuck in the same-old, same-old routine of simply sticking them in a vase and being done with it .

Well, I actually think that that’s just fine. Some of the best arrangements of flowers are ones that are casual and simple without a lot of fuss. In fact, if I have an arrangement given or sent to me with a lot of flowers and greens, I edit a bunch of that stuff out to have a very clean, very simple arrangement.

Many times we think we should mix a bunch of different flowers in varying colours and textures. That the more full of stuff it is, the better the result.

And really, well, that just isn’t the case. I am all for a fantastic, large, multi-dimensional arrangement, but those are best left to the professionals.

We can bring the prettiness, the calmness, the delightfulness of flowers into our home in simple and creative ways that don’t break the budget and don’t take all day to pull together.

Here are a few tips for buying and displaying flowers in your home:

1. When buying for yourself, experiment a bit. When you let go with what you think you like and want and try something new, a whole new world opens up.  
2. Try using different vessels to display your flowers. A mason jar, a cool pitcher, a candle lantern; popping a single bud into an unusual container makes and instant arrangement that’s cool and different (and took nothing to put together).
3. Buy a lot of one type of flower. I love hydrangeas and I tend to do arrangements with only hydrangeas.  I can pack in a lot of them and the multi-layered effect of the same bloom makes it easier to style . Similarly with roses. I pack a bunch in, nice and neat and I didn’t have to think to much about how it would work or go together.
4. Work in odd numbers. Like 3’s, 5’s, 9’s etc. Odd numbers just work better.
5. Create interest by having multiple “mini” arrangements. Okay, so this one does require a few vases to pull off, but the effect is really cool.  I use clear glass (most are Dollar Store purchases) in all different sizes and just lay flowers in each.
6. Know when you are getting a deal and pounce! I happened upon a dozen roses for $10, a real deal, so I got two bunches and was able to make a great arrangement for only $20! I know that they may not last for weeks, but it gives me an opportunity to try a new colour and have some fun with it.
7. Look to your own garden. Don’t be afraid to cut some flowers from your own plants outside.  Some of the best arrangements can be made from your own flowers; you can choose only the best blooms from the bunch and every flower can be stellar.
8. Cut the stems of flowers on a diagonal, remove all leaves below water level and change the water at least once. This helps to prolong the life of the flowers and ensure that you get the most from them.

simple, beautiful hydrangeas, cut from my own garden, freshen up any room and work for any party. Use odd numbers to create a great arrangement.

Create more interest by using a different vessel to display. Here, I used a hurricane style lantern meant for candles and packed in a bunch of roses. Easy and simple.

By using multiple vases, you can extend the look of your arrangement. I used only hydrangeas and freesia in the same colour palette to create a soft and subtle look.

Whatever you choose, whatever colour, type or style, have fun and just do it! We don’t often think of having flowers “just because”, but we should.

And it’s easy and simple to do.