How to: Process flowers
Before turning flowers into beautiful bouquets, it is important to prepare them correctly. This blog is a How to: prepare flowers in the first few stages after receiving them from the store or the farm. This came as a lesson to me, as I thought flowers were ready to go as soon as you got them from the store to start creating bouquets and other arrangements.
Step 1: Get all the supplies
1. Flowers and greenery of your choosing from a store or a local flower farm
2. Vases for the flowers and greenery (make sure to get the correct sizes (i.e. taller ones for taller flowers and shorter, wider ones for short but full flowers)
3. Floral stem/wire cutters
4. Water
5. Floralife (flower food)
6. If you are doing roses, a rose stripper and gloves
Step 2: Take the vases and add water and Floralife to them
This step is very specific. I was told by one of my co-workers that if you do not put the correct amount of Floralife (flower food) in a vase with water, you might as well not put it at all. The amount of Floralife to put in water depends on the amount of water in the vase. For example, one gallon of water requires only one squirt of Floralife. I am attaching a photo of the process written out that one of my co-workers made to help depending on the water added.
Step 3: Take your first set of flowers or greenery and cut the end of the stem with floral stem cutters at an angle
After setting aside your first set of flowers or greenery, cut the stem at the very bottom at an angle so the flower or greenery has a new source of a way to drink water. If you are cutting greenery with a wooded stem you have another step besides cutting the stem at an angle, you will then need to cut a straight line through the angled cut. Just a small cut, not a large one, just big enough to cut a the tip of the angle. For some flowers, the leafs on the stem take their water and the flower will droop because of it. In that case you will put the flower horizontally and gently, but quickly rip the leafs near the bottom off leaving only the leafs close to the flower. For a rose, you will use rose strippers and gloves to do this so you don't poke yourself!
Step 4: After cutting the stems at an angle, put all the flowers or greenery in the vase(s)
After cutting the stems at an angle, put all the flowers or greenery in the vase(s) and then start creating your beautiful creations!