Spring has sprung in South Africa and the best way to welcome this new season into your home is with flowers – lots of them.
Flower and events stylist Nazeema Noor of @theflowergirldecor on Instagram, shares her best tips and tricks to freshen up your decor with beautiful floral arrangements.
From beautiful blooming buds to leafy green foliage, flower arrangements liven up living spaces. But as much as we’d like for them to remain permanent fixtures in our home, they’ll eventually start to wilt and will soon need replacing.
As the days grow longer and start heating up, there are a few things Noor says you can do to make sure those blooms stay full and bright.
5 Tips for making your flowers last longer:
- Cut the stems at a 45º angle once you purchase them.
- If bought at the grocery store, make sure you remove all the leaves from the stems before placing in fresh water.
- Change your water every 3-5 days.
- Keep them away from direct sunlight.
- Plant food: make your own using equal parts dissolved sugar and vinegar to supply adequate levels of sucrose and acidify the water.
With so many colour combinations, textures and heights to play with, figuring out how to arrange your flowers can at first seem overwhelming. Fortunately the best source for inspiration is free and it’s on social media. From Instagram to Pinterest, you’ll have access to a range of visuals to easily hunt down trends and be guided on your decorative journey.
“Go with what catches your eye. Make your flower purchase a therapeutic one. At the moment, a mix of beautiful blooms in bright, happy shades that almost look foraged because of their varying heights and textures are quite popular,” Noor said.
With fresh flowers needing regular replacing, building a beautiful bouquet filled with roses, lilies and proteas can quickly become pricey. If you don’t have the budget for a huge statement arrangement, try sprucing things up with foliage, “Mix together a variety of foliage and flowers instead of only using one type – it makes the arrangement look more interesting.”
Last, when creating a bouquet make sure there’s balance. If you are not sure about colours use the colour wheel to help you decide. “With all that life has thrown at us recently, let flowers bloom and create a positive mood and energy in your home. Purchase flowers that bring your joy and allow nature to pamper you.”