Simple Arrangements

Can one bunch of store-bought flowers be used throughout your home? Absolutely! Just follow these so-easy tricks.

Packaged bouquets at your favorite grocery store are as tempting as those yummy chocolate bars on the check-out aisle. Instead of breaking your diet, opt for the blooms. They last a lot longer than the candy, and your house will glow with the additional burst of color.

Don't place them in a single vase and let one room have all the fun; separate the stems, and create multiple arrangements. Here are three ideas to get you started. JULIE FEAGIN SANDNER

Fruit and Flowers

Place a single lily in each of several glass vases; pair the blooms with a platter of brightly colored fruit. Group the containers together. Leave one or two vases empty for an unexpected look.

MORE BLOOM FOR YOUR BUCK

Have you heard all the tricks-from dropping a penny in the bottom of the vase to adding a few drops of bleach to the water-to extend the life of your cut flowers? Well, here's the real secret: Just change the water daily to keep bacteria from growing.Trim the stems at an angle so they can soak up as much H2O as possible. Also, snip off leaves that fall below the waterline; they increase bacteria growth.

If you use flower food, pick one with a biocide to kill bacteria, an acidifier to help stems drink water, and sugar to nourish the blooms.

Artistic Approach

One rosebud is simply gorgeous, but add two more for a stunning display. Strip the roses of thorns and leaves, and then cut the stems so that each fits completely inside a narrow cylinder vase; the glass magnifies the flowers. Other full-bloom flowers, such as tulips, work well too.

Complementary Colors

Purple and green naturally go together as their position across from each other on the color wheel verifies. Try pairing purple chrysanthemums with lime green 'Kermit' mums in a white pitcher. Give an asymmetrical look by placing the lime green flowers on one side.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2005
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