Making Fancy-Ass Flower Arrangements
sharing some secrets, y'all.
There’s nothing that looks more put-together than fresh flowers on a table. At this very minute, I have a beautiful arrangement of yellow marigolds in one room while just a few feet away, hellish piles of laundry wait to be folded.
For at least a second, I actually feel like I have it under control, even- dare I say - I feel detail oriented?
I’ve loved fresh flowers since forever. In high school (back in the 1900’s as my kids say), I remember going to Fannin Street just outside downtown Houston, block after block filled with flower vendors. (IYKYK) Flower Row, as it was called, had around a dozen shops, most open 24 hours. They weren’t fancy at all and were often wet and cold from endless rows of refrigerators. The variety could be overwhelming; it was like a rainbow exploded.
My mother is from El Salvador and has always been attracted to more tropical arrangements: bird of paradise, heliconia, hibiscus. Our backyard transported you Latin America, palm tree included and we often had gorgeous blooms inside, too. So when moving to New England I had to seriously adjust; hydrangeas would replace heliconia and somehow it would all be ok.
I’m not saying I buy fresh flowers all the time but I am trying to do it more often because…small joys. And because I’m a giver, I’m sharing my latest secret.
Your Flower Game Needs Some Love
Full disclosure: I am that person and actually bought this life-changing thing as a gift for someone else. It arrived way after the holidays and I just thought….eh, let me give it a test drive.
And no, I wasn’t paid by this brand—I just legitimately love it.
Hanataba, a Swedish company founded by a florist husband and wife, sells a few different tools that seriously level up your flower arranging game.
Here is the “flower frog,” a spiky pancake that perfectly maintains your arrangement’s desired shape. Just place it in a shallow bowl, stick in your stems, and you are good to go.
No more flopping or separating, this gives just a few stems the ability to stand tall. It can also help budget wise. If you can’t spring for a dozen of one flower, this tool allows you to keep your more modest bouquet from looking like a sad sandwich. It’s honestly stunning…and so easy.
Even Amazon sells the Japanese “kenzan” or flower frog but the bouquet twister, seems to be exclusive to Hanataba. I mean, they created it so let’s hope the copycats stay away for at least a bit. You basically plug your stems into two sets of holes and once everything is placed, you twist. It really looks profesh and keeps everything together for as long as you need it to be. As things start to fade, I pull out individual stems and give them their own spotlight in a bud vase or tall glass.
BTW, Hanataba means “bouquet” in Japanese which the couple says “reflects their dedication to blending traditional artistry with contemporary Scandinavian design.”
Also, did you know flower therapy is a thing?
Take care of your hearts.