(NAPSA)—You don’t have to be a “blooming” genius to create fabulous floral bouquets in your own home. All it takes is some fresh q 7 i flowers, a few basic tools and guidelines, and a sprinkling of creativity. First, start by picturing where you will display the flowers. Will it be a few elegant stems on the mantle, or a profusion of color for the kitchen? Let your own preferences guide you as you choose flowers and colors that will complement the setting. Your floral retailer can also make helpful suggestions. Next, when selecting a vase, look for a pleasing balanceof flowers and container. Onetraditional guideline is that the container should be about half the height of the total arrangement. However, arrangements that ignore this rule can have a charming, justpicked-in-the-garden appeal. In either case, vary the length of the stems so that a few are shorter, and a few taller to give height to the bouquet. The style of container you choose can be a great help in flower arranging. “V-shaped” vases, which are wide at the top and narrow at the base, easily support the stems so the flower heads can fan out gracefully. Cylinder containers and containers with narrow necks, such as bud vases, also keep flowers upright. For wide-mouthed containers, A few tricks of the trade can help you create your own decora- tive floral arrangements. you can use special tricks and tools to keep flowers in place. A few stems of foliage, crisscrossed in the vase, will form a structure for the flowers. Some flowers, such as statice, also provide support for other flowers. Waterproofflorist tape can also be useful. Place strips of tape vertically and horizontally across the container mouth. The resulting grid of small openings, a quarterinch in diameter, will hold flowers in position. Flowers can introduce an oasis of tranquility into a hectic day. The next time they beckon, just say yes! For more information, visit www.flowerpossibilities.com or order a free brochure called “It’s Easy to Decorate With Flowers” by sending a written request to: FPO, P.O. Box 16, Ovid, MI 48866.
