Liven Up Winter with a Vibrant Bouquet

This beautiful mixed hand-tied bouquet uses species such as berried ivy as a feature rather than as a backdrop to give structure, definition and interest. This bouquet is ideal as a centerpiece in a clear glass vase at a dinner party. It will last up to ten days in water if you refresh the water and re-cut the stems.

Materials

Flowers and Foliage
5 ruby red single roses
7 'Red Lion' amaryllis
5 'Tamango' spray roses
7 'Dolly Parton' St. John's wort (hypericum) stems
10 berried ivy stems

Other Materials
florist's scissors
raffia or garden string

Possible Substitutions
Lilies (for amaryllis); eryngium (for spray roses); trachelium (for St. John's wort); gerberas (for single roses)

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Fresh Flower Arranging © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited

How to Arrange

1. Sort the different ingredients into separate piles. Hold one amaryllis stem gently upright in one hand and encircle it with two or three stems of berried ivy.

2. Add a rose and twist the bunched blooms around slightly in your hand, then add a stem of St. John's wort. Keep the stems spiraled by adding them all at the same angle and turning the arrangement in the same direction as you work.

3. When you have added one of each of all the different ingredients, check to make sure that you are happy with the arrangement of stems by tilting it toward you, or checking it in a mirror. If the bouquet becomes unwieldy in your hand, trim the stems. Add another amaryllis stem at an angle and continue to add the rest of the flowers and foliage.

4. Tie the arrangement securely with a length of raffia or garden string. Treat the amaryllis stems with care; they may split under too much pressure or if held too tightly.

5. Cut the stems at an angle so they are roughly the same length and will all be able to sit in water. If the arrangement is well balanced, it should be able to stand unaided. If the bouquet is a gift to someone, stand it in water until you present it.

Insider Tip
- Buy amaryllis stems that are as fresh as possible with the buds just opening so the flower heads don't splay out in the arrangement.

- For more details on making a hand-tied bouquet, see our step-by-step instructions.