Crafts From The Heart Create Your Own Holiday Flower Arrangement

Love is in the air. If you don’t believe me, ask some florists. They will tell you that next to Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day is their busiest holiday. Traditionally, millions of flowers, mostly roses, are wired, shipped and delivered to loved ones all over the world.

However, many other cheerful and exquisite flowers can fulfill our romantic inclinations just as completely as roses, says Janet Reed, owner of Flowers, Flowers, Flowers Inc. of Spokane. We can choose from daffodils, hyacinth, tulips, freesia, lilies, iris, daisies, micro-daisies, heather, alstromeria … the list goes on and on.

They can be given as bouquets wrapped in tissue or presented in arrangements. The arrangements can be as simple as a few daffodils in a decorative mug or as lavish as a designer’s masterpiece. If we wish to “say” a little more in our arrangements, we simply tuck a wee bit of something everlasting into the bouquet - a small candle, a sachet or a sampler box of chocolates.

If you wish to say “Be Mine” in a big way, all it takes is a little creativity and imagination, as Janet Reed demonstrates in the arrangement pictured. If you would like to try your hand at crafting this arrangement, you’ll need the following:

2 clay pots with matching saucers: One 8-inch, one 6-inch

2 blocks of florist foam oasis set into 2 4-inch drip trays

toothpicks or florists picks

3 potted flowering daffodils

1 potted flowering hyacinth clump of baby’s breath

2 small birds nests

4 small ornamental birds

sphagnum moss, clippers, hot glue gun and a pail of water

To make the arrangement:

1. Lay the six-inch pot on its side next to the upright eight-inch pot. Glue them together.

Set the eight-inch saucer under the eight-inch pot. Balance the six-inch saucer off the top right edge and toward the back of the eight-inch pot. Glue it in place.

2. Place the drip trays and oasis into the eight-inch pot and the sixinch saucer.

3. Remove three flowering daffodils from the soil they’re growing in. Gently remove the soil from the roots. Wash the remaining soil from the roots in a bucket of water.

4. Secure the daffodils to the oasis in the six-inch saucer by inserting the top half of a toothpick or florist’s pick into the bottom of the daffodils. Push the remaining visible part of the toothpick into the oasis. If the daffodils lean, set the arrangement under bright lights for a day. They will straighten as they reach for the light.

5. Tuck sprigs of baby’s breath into the oasis in the eight-inch pot.

6. Remove the hyacinth from its growing medium. Shake the soil from its roots and wash the bulb in the same manner as the daffodils.

7. Surround the hyacinth with sphagnum moss and stand it upright in the mouth of the six-inch pot, pushing the roots and some moss back into the pot. Since the hyacinth isn’t surrounded by water like the daffodils, we need to spritz the bulb and the moss regularly with water to keep it from drying.

At the same time, cover the daffodil bulbs with sphagnum moss.

8. Add a branch for height and artistry (push it into the oasis). Any branch will do - forsythia, ornamental crab, corkscrew willow or contorted filbert.

9. To complete the picture, glue a couple of bird nests to the inner corner of the six-inch pot and one to the top left lip of the eight-inch pot. Set a little bird in each nest. Glue small clumps of sphagnum moss here and there on the branch and glue the other birds atop the moss.

10. Wrap the arrangement in a big red bow.

In lieu of cut flowers, we can also choose from many interesting and delightful potted plants. This is always money well-spent.

Not only do they satisfy the desire to give flowers, but they can last for months, even years.

The following are just a few of the many we can choose from:

Fairy primrose (Primula malacoides): This is a delicate pastel flowering primrose. Its clusters of blossoms develop on stems that nestle above soft, cut green leaves. They enjoy bright light and a cool environment.

English primrose (primula vulgaris grandiflora): These compact little flowering plants are the characters we are most familiar with. They are the first sign of spring. They can be grouped together for a lively splash of color or used singly as a spot of color. Either way, they are difficult to resist. They prefer a cold room - 60 to 65 degrees - moist soil and bright light.

I water my primrose with very cold water from the tap. I have heard some primrose fanciers water their plants with ice cubes. Hey, if it works, go for it.

If the leaves on your primrose turn yellow and drop off, perhaps you are giving it too much water, not enough water and/or not enough light. If you can keep these little plants alive until April, they can be planted outside for years of spring delight.

Easter cactus, Sunset Safari (rhipsalidopsis gaertneri): This is destined to be a favorite of most everyone. Their blooms are hot pink or orange-coral, resembling multipetaled daisies.

Like the Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti, the Easter cactus needs to have bright light with some direct sunlight. The edges of the leaves of this variety should turn a reddish color. If they don’t, it’s a sign they’re not receiving enough light. Let it dry out between waterings and feed it after it has finished blooming with a standard houseplant fertilizer.

Cymbidium orchid (miniature): A super gift for anyone because they are exquisite, exotic and so easy to grow. During their flower cycle (spring and summer), keep them moist and feed them every other week.

Once flowering has stopped, reduce the water and stop feeding. During their winter rest period, water now and then and feed them with a low-nitrogen fertilizer. This will help stimulate flower bud formation.

Cyclamen: This popular Mediterranean beauty needs a cool location to do well. Too warm a room may brown the foliage and flowers.

It’s always best to water this plant from the bottom. If you need to water from the top, do so near the edge of the pot, keeping the water away from the crown of the plant. They do not like direct sunlight.

Ivy (hedera): Definitely one of the most versatile of the houseplants. It can be grown in the shady recesses of the house or in bright light. Keep it moist and feed once a month. You may need to prune often to maintain a topiary appearance.

If roses are still the number one choice for your valentine, but your budget doesn’t accommodate them, Janet suggests a rose corsage nestled into a handsome bouquet of spring flowers.

May your day be filled with flowers, candy and sentimental poetry.

ILLUSTRATION: Three Color Photos