Flower Arranging Materials

A few months ago (in July, to be exact), I tried something new with this newsletter, providing step by step instructions for how to make a boutonnière using bulk flowers. I was pretty sure it was a good idea, and knew it was useful information, but your positive responses were overwhelming. So I’m going to do it again. Or at least something similar. This fall, expect more how-to messages, with information about different uses for your wedding flowers, specific types of arrangements, and how to make them.

Before I dive into all of that, I thought an overview of the materials involved might be useful. It’s certainly possible to arrange flowers using nothing but the flowers and a vase (and this is preferable for quite a few varieties!), but there are tools and materials available that can make it much easier to create professional-looking arrangements. Learning about them might seem intimidating, but it certainly doesn’t need to be.

Floral Foam. Floral foam is the glue that holds complex arrangements together, allows flower stems to balance at seemingly impossible angles, and maintains the shape of many bouquets. While not necessary for all flowers, it’s one of the basics of flower arranging, and makes things both easier and quicker. Essentially, you’ll be sticking each stem into the thoroughly-soaked foam, which will then hold the flowers in place. It works best with flowers that have relatively strong (or reinforced) stems.

Floral foam has become popular relatively recently, replacing the more traditional metal frog. Frogs are small metal discs, covered with spikes, which act similarly to hold the flowers in place. Though they may appear more elegant than the green foam, they’re heavier, slightly harder to work with, and much more expensive. It’s also pretty easy to hide the foam, either with an opaque vase, or with decorative pebbles in the vases.

Floral Tape. There are two kinds of tape that are used in flower arranging, waterproof tape and flower stem tape. Waterproof tape is used to secure the foam to the bottom of the vase, and is usually available in white, green, and clear. Flower stem tape is what you’ll use if you need to attach floral wire to the flowers themselves, secure flowers to each other, or wrap the ends of a bouquet, nosegay, or boutonnière. It is a strong, stretchable tape that becomes adhesive only when stretched, and won’t stick to your fingers.

Floral Wire. The name pretty much explains it all; floral wire is used to lengthen, repair, and support stems, and in the constructions of wreaths and garlands. It’s available in a wide range of gauge sizes and colors, including green and plain. I recommend buying a spool of green wire, as it will come in handy quite often when you’re preparing your arrangements.

These are just basic descriptions of the tools we find most useful in creating arrangements. If you want more information about any of these tools, there are many books about flower arranging that might be useful to you. I’d suggest spending an afternoon in your local library, reading up on different techniques. This can also be a great way to get ideas for flower combinations!

I hope this information is helpful in planning your arrangements, and please do contact me if you have any questions about the flowers in this newsletter. I’m always happy to answer questions, or hear about success with Flowerbud flowers, and I’m constantly on the lookout for new ideas. If you’re just starting to plan your wedding, take a look at our Newsletter Archive, where you’ll find lots of tips and information.

As always, thanks for your interest in Flowerbud, and have a wonderful autumn.

Best Wishes,
Erin Freed
Erin@flowerbud.com
Event Flower Specialist
Flowerbud.com