A Great Gift: A Fragrant Summer Bouquet

This large, lush bouquet recreates the feel, variety, beauty and scent of a full summer garden. It makes a wonderful thank-you gift or birthday present.

Excerpted from Fresh Flower Arranging
Filed under: Flowers, Summer, How To

Summer Bouquet Captures Lush Fragrant Garden

Materials

Flowers and Foliage
5 spearmint stems with flowers
10 lady's mantle
8 single salmon pink roses
8-9 loosestrife
5 pale pink peonies
5 salal stems
5 senecio stems
10 mixed sweet peas

Possible Substitutions
small-headed hydrangeas (for peonies)
veronica (for loosestrife)
Eucalyptus (for salal)
summer herbs (for senecio)

Other Materials
twine or garden string
florist's scissors

Flowers and Foliage Needed for Summer Bouquet

How to Arrange

Sort the different flowers and foliage into separate piles. Choose a dominant flower, such as a rose or peony, and hold its stem in one hand. Add another variety of flower to it, twisting the bunch around slightly in your hand.

Add one of each of the different flowers and foliage at the same angle to create a spiral stem effect and keep turning the bunch around in the same direction as you work. Allow the spiked tip of the lysimachia to extend beyond the curved contour of the arrangement to break it up a little. Check the flowers to make sure they are spread out equally around the arrangement.

Continue adding the different stems in turn at the same angle. Arrange the last stems at a lower angle to create a domed effect.

Tie the arrangement at the binding point with twine and secure it in a knot.

Trim the ends of the stems at an angle so they are roughly the same length and will all be able to sit in water. Leave the bouquet in fresh water until you give it away.

This bouquet should last about seven days if you keep the flowers in good condition.

Summer Garden Blooms

The appealing fragility of the summer sweet pea and peony petals is accentuated by furry silver-green senecio, spearmint and lime-green lady's mantle.