Wed, Jan 06, 21

Welcome to your Box of Blooms

January 6, 2021

Happy 2021 flower lovers!! You've just received your Belle Fleur Box of Blooms and it's time to start channeling your inner floral designer. In this segment, noted floral designer Meredith Waga Perez, owner and Creative Director of acclaimed floral & event design boutique, Belle Fleur, will walk you through a step-by-step process on how to clean and condition the stunning flowers that have landed on your doorstep. These flowers have been exclusively sourced from some of the finest farms across the world, just for you. She'll also guide you and offer tips on how to design and create beautiful arrangements with these blossoms, ensuring your home will look and feel amazing.

Anemones: Conditioning & Design

Video loading

Working with Anemones

Anemones are very easy to condition - there simply isn't much too it at all. You'll need clippers, scissors or a sharp knife, vase or vases of your choice and a lot of cold water (they drink so much)!

Anemones are delicate, so be careful when handling the heads. It's up to you whether you want to strip the fuzzy greens away. For a modern look, we suggest taking the greens off, but be gentle!

Once they are in a vase, they'll begin to open up. We encourage you to keep an eye on the water levels and refill daily with fresh water. We also suggest trimming the stems by 1/4" daily too, to keep them at their best.

Anemones are delicate and won't last long, but that's the price of being beautiful. Follow the steps we've outlined and you will get the most out of them. We used multiple bud vases for our design.

Daffodils: The "Happy" flower

Video loading

Working with Daffodils

Daffodils, especially these yellow ones, are synonymous with happiness. The color is bright and reminiscent of Spring. They are very easy to work with and all you'll need is some cold water and clippers or a knife.

Hold a bunch up and remove the band around the stems. When you do that, you'll see that many of the leaves will drop off. You can choose to remove them all or leave a few for a more natural effect.

Each flower has few "guard petals" around the head. These protect the flower in nature, but they should be removed by gently stripping them off by hand. Once done, snip the stems and drop into cool water.

Daffodils will brighten up any space. We've used a low vase with a tight opening to ensure that the stems stay bunched together. Be sure to exchange the water daily and if you can re-trim the stems slightly.

Tulips: Conditioning & Design

Video loading

Working with Tulips (hint: it's the same for all varieties)

Nothing is easier than conditioning tulips. These Antarctica Whites are stunningly modern and robust and will perk up any space. This particular variety comes from Holland.

As with most other tulip varieties, these are very easy to condition. A shark knife or scissors will do the trick. Keep in mind that no matter the color or varietal, all tulips are handled the same way.

We like to sttrip some of the long leaves off the tulips to make the primary focus the beautiful flower head. Once you trim the stems, many of the leaves will drop off. Feel free to leave a few for a natural look.

Light matters with tulips. Be sure the environment is well light (no direct sunlight), because tulips follow light - if your light source is to the left, they'll lean left. We like to place then directly under lights so they stand upright.

Amaryllis: Conditioning & Design

Video loading

Working with Amaryllis

All Amaryllis are treated the same, irrespective of color. You'll find these White Mont Blanc Amaryllis to be stunning and they'll open big. They have long hollow stems that are easy to slice, so a sharp knife will do best.

Amaryllis have guard petals to protect the flower in nature so these will need to be peeled off. We also recommend gently removing the pollen pistils, so they don't leave pollen dust on your furniture.

Once you've trimmed the stem, our secret is to insert bamboo sticks (provided) through the hollow stem. Slip them in up to the head but be super careful not to go too far. These will help the heavy flower stand tall.

When they arrive, the flower heads will look very tight, but never fear, with cold water, the bamboo stems added for support and a little love, these flowers will bloom to the size of small plates and look gorgeous.

Want to share your beautiful designs?

Send an image of your arrangement to meredith@bellefleurny.com so we can feature it here!