flower arranging monmouth

1. Select a collection of flowers and berries in different sizes, textures, color shades, and shapes. Remove all of the foliage from the stems, and wrap each stem with floral tape. Begin arranging the flowers and berry stems in your hand to create a tight, compact ball of flowers. Wrap the stems together with floral tape just below the flower blossoms.

2. Cut the stems from seven large grape leaves, and make stems using 22-gauge wire. Arrange the leaves around the flowers to form a collar, and join all stems into one main stem cluster with floral tape.

3. Using 2-1/2-inch coordinating ribbon, begin wrapping the handle at the top of the stem cluster by holding the bouquet in your hand so that the flowers are facing away from you. Leave a tail of ribbon about 2 feet long on the left side. With one hand, pinch and hold the ribbon together at the stem top. With your other hand, tightly wrap the ribbon down the stem, covering the pinch with the first wrap. As you wrap, make sure that the ribbon remains flat.

4. When you have reached the bottom of the stem handle, fold the ribbon over the bottom end of the handle so that the back of the ribbon is facing up, and begin wrapping back up the handle. When you are finished there will be ribbon tails on both sides of the bouquet. Tie a large, full bow at this point. Secure the ribbon in place with 2-inch pearl-headed corsage pins. Trim the tails of the ribbon to the length desired.

Tip: Complete collections of classic bridal flowers are available, or you can choose nontraditional blossoms for one-of-a-kind bouquets.

1. Place container on table. If using a basket, create a watertight seal by using a formed plastic liner. (Or, place one sheet of foil lengthwise across the top of basket, then place the second sheet crosswise on top of first. Press foil down into basket and fold down sides into the inside of the basket. Next, press a large piece of heavy plastic down into the basket over the foil.)

2. Cut oasis to the correct size, then saturate oasis with water and place in the container. Make sure oasis sticks out of the container one or two inches. Finally, shave off the edges of the oasis, creating a slightly rounded edge.

3. Place several large flowers into the oasis, creating a large rounded dome at the center-back of the arrangement.

4. Add smaller flowers: Create a lower area of flowers near the front of the container. Here we've uses pink roses, but carnations, would work as well. Grouping colorful blooms like these together has more impact than scattering individual flowers throughout.

5. Add longer-stemmed flowers off to the side, placing them so they cascade over the edge of the container.

Tip: Don't throw out any unopened buds -- you can use these in the arrangement to add more color and a natural appearance.

6. Fill in with leaves and filler flowers. Don't be afraid to rearrange items to fill gaps and cover oasis. Turn the container to view from all sides.

7. Add water to the container to within 3 inches of the top. Tip: Check water levels daily and refill as needed.