Save money and treat yourself by arranging a flower bouquet at home!
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Many people - men and women alike - love flowers. A bunch of blooms can brighten up anybody’s day, regardless if they’re for gifting or one’s home.
But have you ever thought of arranging flowers yourself? Many of us are used to buying ready-made bouquets, but putting together lovely blooms can even be more therapeutic.
The activity is more accessible now to Aussies. Outside of the various classes for flower arranging held throughout the country, affordable yet florist-quality blooms are now available at stores like ALDI. A few smaller bunches arranged together can make a real impact. This is significantly cheaper than ordering an arrangement from a florist.
Of course, you can always pick dried or home-grown flowers such as waratahs, banksias, and wattles for a truly Australian arrangement.
Flower arranging requires a bit of planning and creativity, as well as some know-how in preserving fresh blossoms. It’s worth trying, though, especially for its benefits.
Flowers are proven to uplift moods: a behavioural study from Rutgers University that explored the link between life satisfaction and flowers found that receiving flowers profoundly impacted happiness. Besides physical indicators such as the Duchenne smile - a ‘genuine’ smile involving the mouth, cheeks, and eyes - participants also reported having a higher sense of enjoyment and less depression and anxiety.
Picking and arranging blooms also encourage socialisation. You can strengthen social connections through flower arranging classes or afternoons spent learning the craft with your life partner, a dear friend, or a grandchild.
Loneliness among seniors is not to be taken lightly - the University of California San Francisco previously found that social isolation can lead to a 45% increase in the risk of death and a 59% increase in the risk of mental and physical decline.
In Australia, about 13% of older adults aged 65-69 report feelings of loneliness. Those over 75 are more likely to feel isolated than any other age group.
Flower arranging can also give your hands and fingers much-needed exercise. Besides improving manual dexterity, the activity can boost muscle memory to make you feel more connected with your body.
We love our sunflowers, chrysanthemums, and baby’s breaths here at SDC. Credit: April
Want to try it out? Have your chosen flowers, vase, trimmers (or scissors), plant food (or sugar), and floral tape (optional) ready. And then, here are general, beginner-friendly steps to follow so you can create your bouquet:
These are not hard rules, of course. You are encouraged to be as creative with it as you can.
Go and arrange your own bouquet; you deserve it! And don’t forget to take pictures - we’d love to see what you come up with!
But have you ever thought of arranging flowers yourself? Many of us are used to buying ready-made bouquets, but putting together lovely blooms can even be more therapeutic.
The activity is more accessible now to Aussies. Outside of the various classes for flower arranging held throughout the country, affordable yet florist-quality blooms are now available at stores like ALDI. A few smaller bunches arranged together can make a real impact. This is significantly cheaper than ordering an arrangement from a florist.
Of course, you can always pick dried or home-grown flowers such as waratahs, banksias, and wattles for a truly Australian arrangement.
Flower arranging requires a bit of planning and creativity, as well as some know-how in preserving fresh blossoms. It’s worth trying, though, especially for its benefits.
Flowers are proven to uplift moods: a behavioural study from Rutgers University that explored the link between life satisfaction and flowers found that receiving flowers profoundly impacted happiness. Besides physical indicators such as the Duchenne smile - a ‘genuine’ smile involving the mouth, cheeks, and eyes - participants also reported having a higher sense of enjoyment and less depression and anxiety.
Picking and arranging blooms also encourage socialisation. You can strengthen social connections through flower arranging classes or afternoons spent learning the craft with your life partner, a dear friend, or a grandchild.
Loneliness among seniors is not to be taken lightly - the University of California San Francisco previously found that social isolation can lead to a 45% increase in the risk of death and a 59% increase in the risk of mental and physical decline.
In Australia, about 13% of older adults aged 65-69 report feelings of loneliness. Those over 75 are more likely to feel isolated than any other age group.
Flower arranging can also give your hands and fingers much-needed exercise. Besides improving manual dexterity, the activity can boost muscle memory to make you feel more connected with your body.
We love our sunflowers, chrysanthemums, and baby’s breaths here at SDC. Credit: April
Want to try it out? Have your chosen flowers, vase, trimmers (or scissors), plant food (or sugar), and floral tape (optional) ready. And then, here are general, beginner-friendly steps to follow so you can create your bouquet:
- Envision the design you want. Do you want to stick to a colour scheme? Decide on the primary flowers you want to include, but also be open to others you might see at the florist or find blooming near you.
- Clean up the flowers. Take your scissors out - remove extra leaves and petals. You don’t want any leaves sitting below the water line.
- Weigh your options for a vase. The vessels come in different shapes and sizes. You can also opt for woven baskets for dried flowers or repurposed jars and bottles.
- Fill your vessel with water and plant food.
- Use tape on the mouth of the vase to give your arrangement a sturdy foundation.
- Add your focal flowers, which are the blooms you want to highlight. These are usually the largest blossoms with more striking colours.
- Add your filler flowers that will round out your bouquet. You can take smaller blooms in groups to prop up against the focal flowers. Rearrange your bouquet as necessary.
- Give the arrangement a spritz of water every now and then so it’s hydrated.
These are not hard rules, of course. You are encouraged to be as creative with it as you can.
Go and arrange your own bouquet; you deserve it! And don’t forget to take pictures - we’d love to see what you come up with!
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