Kelly
With valentine’s day right around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to give some alternative flower ideas to the tried and true (and super boring) red roses. Personally, I hate red roses (especially when paired with baby’s breathe, barf!) and of course all colors of roses get stupid expensive this time year.
So what are your alternatives? First up, one of my all time favorite flowers, hellebore. Its delicate and feminine and its totally in season. When you get them, put on a pot of water and bring to just under a boil. Snip your hellebore to the desired length and then dip into the hot water. This will give them a much longer vase life. And you can see how to recreate this arrangement right here.
Flowering branches are super pretty, their height is dramatic and they last a long time. If you go this route, find a pretty tall glass vase to display them in. Pull out a hammer (yes, a hammer) and smash the bottom of the stems. This allows for more water uptake. And, it takes a little while to get these guys to open, so plan on picking them up a week in advance.
Lilac with its multiple tiny blooms and fragance is a lovely alternative to red roses. Like with flower branches, lilacs have a woody stem and do well when their stems are smashed with a hammer. More tips for working with lilac can be found right here.
Of course, if you abhor the idea of the waste that is the very nature of cut flowers, how about a succulent in a pretty pot? They’re readily available at your local hardware store or nursery. Tuck in a little note in and wrap with rustic burlap for an easy DIY touch.
And if you’re special someone is a foodie/all natural type, how about a window box planted with their favorite herbs? It would certainly be a pretty (and tasty) present. You can see the full how to here.
