COLUMNIST: OLIVIA THOMAS
Firstly, find your flowers. If you plan to use your own garden flowers, be sure to condition them in advance - this floristry term describes what you need to do after picking to make sure your flowers are in the best condition for arranging. Ideally, pick first thing in the morning, but if not, then in the evening. Never pick during the heat of the day if you can avoid it, as flowers will quickly wilt and be difficult to rehydrate. Pick the longest stems that you can and do not forget foliage - this should ideally make up at least a third of your arrangements and can look great just by itself.
When you have gathered the flowers, place them in a bucket of deep cold water and leave them somewhere dark and cool overnight. A few types have specific requirements for conditioning: for example, if you’re picking a plant with a woody stem, such as lilac, Syringa, split the stem a couple of inches at the bottom before plunging so that it can absorb more water.
If you are ordering flowers, make them as local as possible, British at the very least. Imported flowers come with a huge carbon footprint and are often less seasonal. You can find your local flower farmer or a grower who will send flowers over longer distances at www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk. Select delivery for at least a couple of days before your event and store flowers overnight in water in a cool dark place before arranging.
Next comes the fun part! If you are planning many arrangements, leave more time than you think you need and give yourself space to get a bit messy, you can even make it an enjoyable pre-party activity by getting friends or family over to help out. Go somewhere cool with access to water and away you go. Once arranged, leave your flowers in the coldest, darkest place you can find and leave them until you are ready to ‘floral up’ your party space.
The easiest way to make the most of whatever flowers you can get your hands on is to use multiple small containers which you can group together or scatter around. These make ideal going-home presents as well. Really anything can become a vase if you can figure out how to put something inside to hold water - flowerpots, books, picture frames, you name it.
Suggested containers include:
Small containers are low-stress, you just need to put a beautiful flower and a couple of stems in each to look good.
Alternatively, you can make small posies by filling containers with bunches of a single variety such as sweet peas, Lathyrus, or put a small ball of chicken wire in to allow you to arrange stems more artistically. Your flowers will go further with multiple small arrangements, letting you cover more of your party space. This is also a good option if you want to use your own garden flowers, as they do not need to have particularly long stems.
If you want bigger, statement arrangements, think about where they will be going. A big vase display will look great in a hallway or on a buffet table. Do not be tempted to put these between people on a dinner table or at a bar, where it will be difficult to talk around them. The advantage of larger displays is that you do not need to arrange as many of them and it offers a really fun creative challenge. If this is your plan, make sure to source flowers with the longest stems you can find.
Then get decorating! Spread flowers around the tables, bar, buffet, hallway, and toilets, but think outside the box too. Try hanging them from trees or over the back of chairs, in garlands over doorways, or in meadow arrangements on stairs. Have a look at high-end wedding florals for inspiration and consider having a unifying colour theme.
A floral station can be erected where children (and adults) can arrange a jar or a posy to add to the decor, then the arranger can take their creations away at the end of the event.
So, dust off your jam jars, grab your scissors and a willing helper, raid your garden, or make your local flower farmer’s day, and go for it!
If you are inspired by any of these ideas, I’d love to hear about how your party florals turn out, get in touch on Instagram.
Olivia Thomas grows flowers that are better for people and the environment. Her passion is for sustainable floristry, for growing local flowers that she sells to florists and other businesses including cafes, bars, and restaurants, and locally to the public whenever there are enough flowers available!
See more of Olivia's beautiful blooms on her website, Instagram, and Facebook pages, or catch up with all her news on her Substack.