HOW TO:Arrange a Dozen Red Roses

By Marie KroheSPD 110

Introduction

• After listening to this presentation, you will be able to arrange a dozen red roses into a vase for use as a gift, or for your own personal enjoyment.

• According to FlowerMeaning.org, a red rose is the eternal symbol of love. They are traditionally given at Valentine’s Day but can be given all year long to convey love and devotion.

First off you want to assemble your supplies. Get a bunch of greens such as baker’s fern, a vase,

waterproof florists’ tape, scissors, a package of a dozen red roses, and a package of gypsophilia

(“babies’ breath”).

Fill a vase about 2/3 full of water.

Using floral tape, make a grid of three lines across and three lines down. This will help secure the greens and roses.

Clean any dirt or spores off your greens with a paper towel. This is especially important with baker’s fern, as it often comes from the growers covered with dirt, and this can cloud up your vase water.

Spray your greens with a polishing solution such as Green Glo. This makes the greens look shinier and fresher.

Cut the greens, at an angle, to fit your vase. You want them to be shorter than the roses.

Arrange about 9 pieces of greens around the vase, and 2 or 3 pieces in the center of the vase. You want enough greens to fill out the arrangement, but

not too many or you will overwhelm the roses.

Next, start with the roses. The first thing you want to do is remove the outer, “guard” petals of the rose, or any petals that

have been bruised or damaged.

Cut the roses to fit the vase, again remembering to cut at an angle. This is important because cutting at an angle will allow the rose to continue to

“drink” water better, and thus remain fresh longer.

Next, start arranging your roses by placing them around the vase.

Place 7 roses around the perimeter of the vase.

Next place 4 roses inside the 7 you have already placed inside the vase.

Then place the last rose, the straightest one in the dozen, right in the center of the arrangement.

Intersperse your babies’ breath, the filler flower, between the greens and roses.

Step back from the arrangement, and make adjustments or rearrange as needed.

The final step is adding a large, fancy bow made of red ribbon.

Here is the final product: a dozen red roses arranged in a vase, ready to tell that special someone you love them, or for any

occasion you wish.

Now that you can arrange a dozen red roses, you can move on to other flower arrangements!