Valentine's Day Flowers

Trust me. You don't have to stick to traditional red roses for Valentine's Day. Pink works fine, too. And they don't have to all be roses. Or all pink. Although monochromatic groupings create that wow factor. But I love the mix of textures when various blooms come together.

I love natural, almost windblown arrangements - they're so romantic looking. I need just the right elements for those, like branches, or stems that do their own thing. I can gently bend some stems, like those of callas and somewhat of tulips (those are trickier and more fragile), but it's more fun to use nature's own bend. I was thrilled to find just that in the anemones and the delphinium.

 

The anemones are locally grown. I have to track down the grower! Anemones are quickly becoming one of my favorite blooms, not only for their naturally bent stems, but also for their indigo eyes and fun appeal. And tulips have long been a favorite. Altogether, these flowers made this a fun and rewarding arrangement to create.

To make this arrangement, you'll need two white hydrangea, 8 pink roses, 4 pink tulips, 2 white delphinium, 3 dark pink anemones, and a bunch or two of pink wax flowers. Try to find roses and tulips that have the same shade of pink in them to work that monochromatic effect. The darker anemones provide the contrast without deviating from the palette and causing confusion.You will also need a long, low vase. I tend to find really unique and pretty ones at Marshall's. I recommend an opaque vase for this to keep focus on the flowers, not on the stems, which can get messy. (You can also create this arrangement with oasis, but I am focusing here on a vase arrangement. If you want to use oasis, you will need a long, low dish filled with water and a low slice of oasis, plus extra wax flowers and greens to fill in any bare spots in the lower part of the oasis.) Fill the vase with water, about an inch and a half from the top, and add a dash of bleach or Sprite to preserve the flowers longer. Alternately, you can use the flower food packets that come with your flowers, if any came with them.

Start with the two hydrangea to anchor the arrangement. Cut the stems down, at an angle, until the flowers rest on the sides of the vase. Next add the horizontal lines of the arrangement: the delphiniums and the pink tulips at the ends. Tuck the stems between those of the hydrangea to hold them in place. You may need to gently rub the tulips stems, just under the bloom, to get them to curve the way you want them, but be careful! They break easily.

Next, fill in the base by tucking the roses in between the hydrangea and the delphinium, two on each side. Add a tulip in the center of each grouping of four to create texture. Choose the tallest anemone and place in the center of the arrangement, working it gently into an off-center position. This is helped greatly if it has that natural bend already! Push the smaller, remaining anemone in at either end of the grouping, allowing them to turn and twist as they want. Lastly, tuck pink wax flowers in wherever there is a space to create romantic softness.

Enjoy!
(Bonus Pic) As always, any "leftover" blossoms get put to good use!