April Showers Bring May Flowers

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May is here and it is the perfect time to plant a perfect a Flower Garden to enjoy all Summer long!

Don't have room for a full garden at home?  This is some great advice for making your own window box garden!  

While Fall is a good time to plant longer growing plants like trees, small bushes, bulbs and some perennials, Spring is a perfect time to get started on a flower garden!

Here are a few steps to get you started:

1. Pick a Spot

Most flowers need about 6 hours a day of sunlight, so first you need to find a spot with plenty of room for them to grow.  You also want to make sure it is not a spot with lots of water run off (that is to say, at the top of a hill with nothing holding the soil) so that the seeds or soil do not wash away when it rains!  If you only have spots that are in direct sunlight all day, some of these flowering plants might do well!

If you only have land on a hill, a ledge or garden edging can be helpful to plan while you are designing the spot.

Large gardens are beautiful, but if you are starting off for the first time, pick a smaller spot so that you don't overwhelm yourself.  They are easy to do, but take some work.  So a spot about 25 - 30 square feet is good for a beginner! 

Make sure you are at least 3' from a house or fence, 20' from a large tree or 5' from a sizable bush, so you don't risk digging into any vital roots, and so your flowers have room to grow.

2. Clear The Ground

This is where you roll your sleeves up and get your hands dirty!  If the area is already cleared of grass and weeds, you can skip this step.  If not, you need to get digging - pull up the weeds and any plants growing that you did not want as part of your garden.  This includes grass.  Make sure to wear gloves if you are doing it by hand and watch out for ants getting on you. 

Remove all pieces of grass or weeds or anything that might start to grow again.  Using a spade or small gardening fork, turn the dirt at least eight inches deep, up to a foot if you can.  Remove any rocks or small items you dig up.

3. Prepare To Plant

Check with your local Department of Agriculture and treat your soil as needed.  You might need to add compost or packaged soil to fill in the ground as needed.  Some soils need to be pH balanced.  Find out what is best for the soil where you live.

4. Plant Your Flowers

If you are starting from seeds, be sure to water regularly.  If you are planting grown plants or seedlings, be sure to leave enough room to fill in some dirt on top of the roots once planted.  Follow instructions carefully on seed and plant packaging and be sure to space your plants with enough room for them all to get sunshine and to have room to grow.

5. Enjoy Your Flower Garden!

Watch your lovely flowers grow!  Be sure to cut them back or support them as needed as they get bigger.  Remember that many flowering plants will re-flower if the finished blooms are cut off.  Trim them back for several set of flowers per plant.  Make sure they get plenty of water and enjoy!

<3 

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!

How To Make A Flower Basket!

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Last week, I gave all the items you need to get started on a flower DIY project.

The thing was, when I looked up making a DIY Flower Basket, I was really surprised at how many times I ended up getting articles on making a "Flower Girl Basket" (not the same thing!).

So this week I am laying out how to make an arrangement of flowers in a basket - a Flower Basket!

These are fantastic to make for the Holidays, but also great for the Springtime as well!

First - make sure you have all of your supplies!  You will need:

- time (set aside at least an hour for set up and clean up as well)

- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers don't wilt)

- flowers

- greenery

- a design

- a basket

- a bucket or sink to hold the flowers in water while you make the bouquet (also out of the sun and cool, so the flowers don't wilt)

- oasis (floral foam) and/or a plastic lining to line the basket as needed

- water

- scissors or gardening shears

- floral tape (green or clear, depending on the color of your basket and if it will be visible per your design)

- floral wire

- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)

- trash bin or trash bags

- ribbon (as needed for your design)

- hot glue and/or straight pins (for securing the ribbon to the basket as needed for your design)

For a design, you can refer back to here and here for the basics on how to arrange the flowers but the most basic points are to make sure to spread out the colors and ensure that the "face" of the flower is facing outwards.

The biggest things to keep in mind when making a Flower Basket are:

- Make sure to line the basket with a plastic or a bowl of some kind to hold the water

- If you are going to put a bow around the basket or the handle, so that it sits under the flowers, you might want to put it on first!  Also if you are going to weave ribbon through the basket at all, do this before putting anything inside, and be sure to hot glue or pin down any edges!

- Use a floral foam cut smaller than the inside of the basket so you have room to put pieces coming out of the sides

- Use lots of greenery or larger flowers (like hydrangea) along the edges to fill up where the floral foam is so that you can not see it when you are done

- If the basket has a handle, remember to fill flowers into the middle anyway so they go up to and around the handle, and don't dip under it (unless your design has them dip!)

The rest is just make the piece as you would any piece!

Comment with any questions or any tips I might have missed!  And feel free to tag @flowersbybridgt on any twitter posts or Flower Design By Bridget on any FB posts so I can see your handy work!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!

DIY Flower Supply Checklist

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There are tons of great DIY Flower Tips out there!  But not all of them lay out the tools clearly!  This week's blog is to help you with the supplies you need to get start on your own DIY project!

Remember, for all of these, you need to make sure you have set aside some time!  One of the things you are paying for when you hire someone is their time in doing the work - so before you get started on a DIY project, make sure you have carved out enough time to complete it!

That said, here are some basic items you will need for various DIY flower projects (along with some links to get you started)!  Much of these are very similar, but each item is listed for the various projects as needed so you can skip to the checklist that applies to you!

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1. A Centerpiece 

You will need:
- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers don't wilt)
- flowers
- greenery
- a design
- a bucket or sink to hold the flowers in water while you make the bouquet (also out of the sun and cool, so the flowers don't wilt)
- oasis (floral foam) and/or a plastic lining to line the container if it is not waterproof
- water
- scissors or gardening shears
- floral tape (green or clear, depending on if your final container is glass or not)
- floral wire
- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)
- trash bin or trash bags

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2.  A Bouquet 
You will need:
- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers don't wilt)
- flowers
- greenery
- a design
- a bucket or sink to hold the flowers in water while you make the bouquet (also out of the sun and cool, so the flowers don't wilt)
- (note: a friend to hold the bouquet while you make it is very helpful!  If you are working alone, you can always set it in a clear glass vase to get an idea as to how it looks from all sides)
- scissors or gardening shears
- water
- floral tape
- floral wire
- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)
- trash bin or trash bags
- ribbon
- hot glue and/or straight pins (for securing the ribbon around the bouquet)

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3. A Flower Basket

You will need:
- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers don't wilt)
- flowers
- greenery
- a design
- a basket
- a bucket or sink to hold the flowers in water while you make the bouquet (also out of the sun and cool, so the flowers don't wilt)
- oasis (floral foam) and/or a plastic lining to line the basket as needed
- water
- scissors or gardening shears
- floral tape (green or clear, depending on the color of your basket and if it will be visible per your design)
- floral wire
- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)
- trash bin or trash bags
- ribbon (as needed for your design)
- hot glue and/or straight pins (for securing the ribbon to the basket as needed for your design)

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4. A Potted Dish Garden 
You will need:
- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers and plants don't wilt)
- potted flowers
- potted plants
- potting soil
- a design
- stones or other decorative items as per your design
- a basket or dish to use as the potted garden
- a plastic lining to line the basket or dish as needed
- water
- scissors or gardening shears
- floral tape
- floral wire
- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)
- trash bin or trash bags
- ribbon (as needed for your design)
- hot glue and/or straight pins (for securing the ribbon to the basket or dish as needed for your design)

Before starting a DIY project, make sure to check these lists so you can be sure to enjoy creating a beautiful floral piece without being caught up to your elbows in flowers only to find you are missing something!  Don't forget to follow here for more DIY tips as well!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!

DIY Flower Design

While it is always nice to have a professionally done arrangement of flowers, sometimes it is fun to do it yourself!

Follow these five tips for fantastic flowers made by you:

1. Pick your colors 

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When picking colors for a centerpiece, follow these tips.  It is really nice to pick complementary colors within the design, with a few pops of an accent color.

2. Pick your flowers

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You can always get plain flowers from a florist by the stem, or at your local grocery store.  

Find ones that fit within the color spectrum you selected in Step 1.

3. Find the flower's "face"

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Each flower has a direction it grew in, usually where the sun was the most during it's growth.  That is the "face" of the flower.

If your design is going to face a specific direction, you want to make sure the faces of the flowers are facing in the direction of your design.  If this is a circle, you would ensure they all face outward.  If this is a piece that will go against a wall or perhaps sit on the corner of a desk, you want to make sure the flowers all face towards the person that will be looking at them.

4. Spread out the colors  

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Make sure the colors you select are spread out throughout the design, with carefully clustered similar flowers that still spread out the colors throughout the arrangement.  You want to make sure it doesn't look polka-dotted, and yet at the same time, there is a nice variety of flowers throughout your piece.

Give your design one final look-over, filling in any holes as needed with leaves or additional blooms.

5. Finishing touches  

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For a final touch, add a small bow or piece of ribbon around the bottom of your design, either in a complementary color, or as an accent piece. 

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions, or want to share any additional tips for DIY floral design!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!