Floral Arranging Using Traditional Flowers
By Cathy Sheehan

Alstromeria (Peruvian Lily)

Form: Spray
Length of Stem: Long
Color: Every color except blue
Special Features: Easy to grow in the garden, and long lasting
Buying: look for green foliage with 6 to 8 blooms per stem. Do not buy if  flowers are still buds, they will not open.
​Arranging: Use in mixed flower arrangements or by itself in a mass grouping. Remove all the lower leaves when arranging alstro as they will yellow.

Dianthus - Standard Carnation

Form: Round
Length of Stem: Medium and long
Color: Every color except blue
Special Feature: Long lasting
Buying: Buy with petals that post slightly up rather than down. There should be no white stamens visible in the center of the bloom. Check that the calyx is green and not brown or cracked.
​Arranging:  If your carnation is small and tight, blow on it gently and squeeze the calyx to tease out the petals. It can double the size of your carnation. Cut stems between the nodes so that the stem can drink. For a contemporary look position the blooms together fro a wonderful mass of color, form, and texture.

Lilium Asiatic Hybrids
​(Asiatic Lily)

Form: Round, spray
Length of Stem: Medium and long
Colors: Cream, dark burgundy, orange, pink, red, white, yellow, bi-colors
Special Feature: Easy to grow in the garden. Long lasting
Buying: These inexpensive lilies do not have fragrance. Look for stems that are strong and vertical. But with some buds to watch them open.
​Arranging: As with all lilies you will need to remove the stamens because the pollen will stain. Use gloves or a tissue to pull the stamens gently out. Do not cut as it gives them an ugly sharp line.

Rosa (Rose)

Form: Round
Length of Stem: Short, medium, and long
​Color: Every color except blue (unless dyed), bi-color and multi-colored
Special Feature: Dries well, easy to grow in the garden, some varieties are fragrant.
Buying: Gently squeeze the widest part of the head to make sure it is firm. Do not buy if there are brown marks on the petals or if the stems are bent. Check that the petal tips are not bruised or dry. The number of thorns on a rose varies and does not indicate quality.
Arranging: The rose is the most popular flower in the world and can be arranged on its own or with just about any other flower. Roses need a generous water supply, but will last out of water for several days who used as Flower-to-Wear.

Antirrhinum (Snap Dragon)

Form: Linear
Length of Stem: Medium and long
Color: Every color except blue
Special Feature: Easy to grow in the garden
Buying: Look for straight tips as bent ones will not straighten. Check that the stems are strong.
Arranging: Can be used in tall linear contemporary designs or in mixed flower arrangements as the informal linear flower.

Gerbera (South African Daisy)

Form: Round
Length of Stem: Medium and long
Color: Every color except blue
Buying: The center of a Gerber can be either black or greenish-yellow. Gerberas are sensitive to bacteria so buy from clean buckets with clean water. Buy Gerber’s that are not crammed together as they are easily damaged. Do not buy if petals are missing or pollen is present in the center.
​Arranging:  Condition gerberas by cutting the stem with a sharp knife and placing the stem in a gerber straw to keep the stem straight. Gerberas are versatile flowers that work in most floral designs. The stems are quite soft, so handle Gerber’s with care.

Lilium Oriental Hybrids
​(Oriental Lily)

Form: Round, spray
Length of Stem: Medium and long
Color: Pink (Stargazer Lily), White (White Oriental Lily)
Special Feature: Easy to grow in the garden, fragrant, and long lasting. Can be fatal to cats if eaten.
Buying: Oriental lilies have beautiful, large heads and powerful fragrance. They are available with from two to ten heads on a stem. Purchase with buds to watch the open.
​Arranging: Pull the stamens to prevent the pollen from staining. These large impressive blooms work well in all designs calling for magnificent blooms.

Zantedeschia (Calla Lily)

Form: Linear
Length of Stem: Medium
Color: Every color except blue
Special Feature: Long Lasting
Buying: Check that the flower does not have brown marks as this indicates damage. Stems should be smooth and not slimy. Pollen indicates an old flower.
​Arranging: Calla’s soft stems are prone to bacteria, so place in a vase of shallow water and change the water daily. Due their soft stems avoid placing callas in floral foam. If you wish to have curved stems, leave the callas out of water for three or more hours. Recut the stems before arranging. Callas make quite a statement on their own but can be used with other blooms

Chrysanthemum - Single headed bloom (Mum)

Form: Spray (multiple blossoms on a single stem)
Length of Stem: Medium
Color: Every color except blue (dyed blue is available)
Special Feature: Long lasting
Buying:  If you wish to use the blooms individually choose sprays with long secondary stems. Check to see that the center of the bloom is hard and tight.
​Arranging:  Spray mums are attractive and great in vase arrangements where the stems are hidden. Wonderful in pomanders and floral spheres to give a mass of color.

Helianthus (Sunflower)

Form: Round
Length of Stem: Medium and long
Color: Yellow
Special Feature: Easy to grow in the garden
Buying: Do not buy if the stems are bent and the blooms face downward. Avoid blooms with excessive pollen or missing petals. However sunflower centers minus the petals are often used. 
​Arranging: Sunflowers come in a wide range of sizes. Large heads will be heavy and require a strong vase with a wide base. Arrange with other robust flowers. When the petals fade, remove them and use the centers.

Matthiola (Stock)

Form: Linear
Length of Stem: Medium
Color: Cream, lavender, pink, purple, red, and white
Special Feature: Fragrant, easy to grow in the garden
Buying: Do not buy if the flowers are shriveled or brown
​Arranging:Remove most of the leaves as they are fleshy and will take water intended for  the flower. Change the water daily as the stems create a huge amount of bacteria which causes the water to smell and become cloudy. Stock looks lovely on its own or mixed with other flowers.