Make Mom a Bouquet

What you need:

• 2 large fushia hybrid tea rose blooms - “Grand Dame” (cut 13-14 inches)

• 1 large hybrid pink rose bloom - “New Zealand” (cut 14.5 inches)

• 3 small light pink hybrid tea rose blooms - “Earth Angel” (cut 10 inches)

• 15 Iceberg rose blooms (cut 12-15 inches)

• 3 Large Leaf Dusty Miller stems (cut 13 inches)

• 2 Jasmine Vine (cut 17 inches)

• 3 Boston Fern leaves (cut 18-22 inches)

• 3 Camellia leaves (cut 13 inches)

• a blue and white vase 9.75 inches high with a 1.75 inch opening

• A 10" blue & white dinner plate Here's a similar one: (Blue Italian Spode 10 inch dinner plate)

  Supplies Used:

• rose gloves (99 cent store)

• pruning shears (purchase here)

• packet of floral food (purchase here)

• 18 gauge floral wire cut into thirds

• sharp pruning shears (found here) or produce knife to cut thorns off small roses

Steps: 8

Flower Cost:   Zero dollars

Rated: Easy Arrangement

You can make a beautiful arrangement for Mom right from your garden. Gifts that you make are gifts from the heart. You don’t need roses. There are lots of flowers and plants in the garden that look pretty. I had roses in bloom so that’s what I used. The large fuchsia hybrid teas are fragrant and called “Grand Dame.” The small light pink hybrid teas called “Earth Angel.” The large pink tea, a “New Zealand” is extremely fragrant. And Icebergs are always in bloom.

If the roses have thorns, you must remove them before making the arrangement. The tool that is usually used to remove thorns is a rose stripper. Most commercial varieties are sturdy and bred for travel and their thorns can be removed with a rose stripper without harming the bloom. I find that garden roses are generally more delicate and you should remove the thorns by hand or with a pruning sheer made for intricate work.

Because the fuchsia “Grand Dame” blooms are huge and the stem is thin, you must remove the large thorns by hand with a glove on, by bending them to the side until they snap off. If you used a rose stripper, you might pop the head off! Roses are beautiful but should be handled carefully. (Remember to wear rose gloves with a tough rubber covering that protect your hands from painful punctures.) Also, the thorns on the small “Earth Angel” roses are sharp and tiny. They must be removed with a very small pair of Clauss pruning sheers (found here). If you don’t have sheers made for fine work you could try using a produce knife to remove them. You will need to wire the large roses and the small roses to “hold their heads up in the bouquet.” You don’t need to wire the Icebergs. For wiring instructions see: https://www.floristinyou.com/prep

The greens are from the yard. Jasmine grows along our fence. I received the Boston Fern as a gift for helping with a wedding. It now takes up a swath about 4’ by 6’ right by the water spigot and underneath the filtered shade of the Japanese Black Pine. It loves it there! The camellias hide under the eaves of the house where they get shade.

You might be surprised what pretty things are right in your own yard that you don’t even notice. Don’t hesitate to explore and try to see things through new eyes. Look for flowers and plants and a matching vase. I used a blue and white vase. Use the arrangement below as a guide and do your own thing. It will be beautiful. If you’re ready let’s begin. Happy Mother’s Day.