This centrepiece is really a collection of small containers that can be grouped together. The benefit of this method is that the containers can be placed in different arrangements. If you have a rectangular table then they can be dotted in a line or placed in small groups down the length of the table, if you have a round table they look great grouped altogether in the centre.
You will need a collection of small vessels, small bottles, cups, jam jars all work well, just make sure they are clean. Placing flowers in dirty vessels will shorten the vase life, I usually soak any containers in a weak solution of bleachy water before I use them, ensuring that I have thoroughly rinsed them afterwards. Fill your vessels about half full with fresh water.
The next thing you’ll need is some flowers, the varieties are completely up to you. You might have some that can be snipped form your garden or you could buy some from a supermarket. I have used a couple of varieties of Narcissi, Poppies, Fritillaries and Grape Hyacinths. Foliage would also look great, catkins, blossom or fresh spring leaves would look very seasonal. Ensure that the stems are clean and any leaves from the lower parts of the stems have been removed. If you have leaves submerged in the water it will encourage bacterial growth and will shorten the life of you blooms.
Now its time to add the flowers to you vessels. The general look I go for is organised chaos (in life not just in flowers) so you want the stems to be various lengths, some much taller than others. Don’t be tempted to cut everything too short, you can always remove more length but can’t add it back. I generally start by adding the tallest stems and then work down to the shortest. Cut your stems at an angle with sharp snips or even better, a sharp non-serrated knife. By cutting at an angle you are increasing the surface area of the stem so it has more contact with the water, this will help your flowers take up water more easily and therefore prolong their life. My other tip would be not to mix narcissi/daffodils with other flowers, they have a sticky, poisonous sap that can quickly kill other flowers sitting in the same water. The only flowers that can tolerate them are hyacinths or Grape Hyacinths so they are ok to mix.
When you place the your bottles/jars on your table, think about how they sit together. Again, organised chaos works well so make sure that you haven’t grouped all the same kind of flowers together, the general look is fairly informal but there needs to be a visual balance overall. Change the water every day or every other day and pull out any blooms that have faded.
Best of luck and do send me a photo so that I can see your creations.
Juliet xo