November 10, 2024
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Getting mom flowers for Mother’s Day? Experts offer fresh take on traditional arrangements

By Shaw Local News Network
Illinois Extension speaks out on the benefits of using herbs in floral arrangements and provides tips on how they can best be used.

Illinois Extension speaks out on the benefits of using herbs in floral arrangements and provides tips on how they can best be used. (Christina Lueking, Illinois Extension)

Adding herbs to a cut-flower garden and bouquets can create a unique, personal touch to designs. Fresh herbs look and smell amazing and will be long-lasting in designs, according to a news release from University of Illinois Extension.

Using herbs to signify meaning can add an uplifting touch to every flower bouquet, according to the release.

Illinois Extension’s tips on arranging cut flowers and herbs:

  • Cut the stem with sharp clippers. The ideal time for harvest is in the morning once the dew has evaporated and before the sun dissipates its oils, according to the release.
  • Strip any leaves that are near the bottom of the stem. Excessive leaves must be stripped away so they are not in the water. Have a bucket of water ready to plunge the stems of flowers or herbs at harvest. This is especially important in the heat of the summer months, as blooms and greens can wilt quickly, according to the release.
  • Allow flowers and herbs to hydrate before arranging. Pick out a vessel to arrange the bouquet in during this time, according to the release.
  • Snip the ends at a 45-degree angle to give them a fresh cut. Now, to make an arrangement, set clippers, the bucket of herbs and flowers and the vessel with water and preservative solution one inch from the top on a kitchen counter or table. Create a ring of herbs or greens angled out from the container edge. The herbs will act as a foundation for the rest of the elements. Add flowers to that outer ring and continue working inward until the center is filled. Lastly, begin with the focal flower or the thickest stem, add filler flowers that give texture and fullness and add any small wispy herbs or airy flowers, according to the release.
  • Recut ends and change the water. Extend the life of the flowers and herbs to make the arrangement last longer by recutting and changing the water after a few days, according to the release.

Illinois Extension’s suggested herbs to spice up a floral arrangement:

  • Basil – cinnamon, lemon, cardinal and purple.
  • Dill – fernleaf and bouquet.
  • Rosemary.
  • Lavender.
  • Mint – chocolate, apple.
  • Sage – green or variegated.
  • Artemisia.

For more on flower varieties and characteristics, visit extension.illinois.edu/flowers. For questions, connect with a location Extension office at go.illinois.edu/ExtensionOffice.

For direct access to timely gardening tips, the Gardeners Corner is a quarterly newsletter from gardening experts around the state. Join the Gardener’s Corner email list at go.illinois.edu/GCsubscribe.