The Secrets Behind That Perfect Oversize Flower Arrangement
You can never go wrong with flowers. On Easter Sunday, ELLE Decor editor in chief Whitney Robinson went live on Instagram with event designer and flower master Lewis Miller. You may have seen Miller’s stunning floral arrangements in Manhattan, either in person or in photos—these massive “flower flash” bouquets are strategically placed in garbage cans, construction areas, subway stations, fences, and a variety of other public places. Miller’s goal is simple: to use the beautiful flowers left over from large events to brighten the days of passersby. This in turn inspired Miller’s Flower Flash Boxes, in which you can purchase a collection of flowers for your own DIY arrangement; the next Flower Flash Box goes on sale Wednesday, April 15. And in these challenging times, Lewis Miller Design will be donating a portion of the proceeds to the United Way of New York City. But hurry—they sell out fast!
A post shared by Lewis Miller Design (@lewismillerdesign) on Feb 14, 2020 at 6:07am PST
If you missed the interview with Miller, never fear—below, he shares his secrets for the perfect floral arrangement and his tips on how to keep flowers alive for as long as possible.
Miller’s Pro Tips
When choosing your flowers, be sure to touch and feel them. If the stems feel slimy, that means they’ve been sitting there a while and will not last. You also want to look for the ones that are tighter rather than already fully bloomed.
Strip the leaves and cut the stems—leaves are what breed bacteria, so it’s good to remove them and then trim the stems and branches, which helps the flowers absorb water more easily. You can use your hands or any kitchen shears.
Photo credit: Lewis Miller Design After filling your vase with water, add a couple drops of bleach—or vodka. Yes, you read that right! This will help your flowers last longer, as it decreases the growth of bacteria.
When adding your flowers, start on the outer rim of the vase and work your way into the center. Or you can try what Miller calls the “chop ’n plop”: Take a handful of flowers of your choice—Miller used cherry blossoms, anemones, tulips, and hyacinths—cut them, and “plop ’em” into the vase. Once it starts look like a bouquet, you can move them around to give the arrangement a little structure and volume. (If you do use hyacinths, Miller recommends putting them toward the center, as they grow over time and will give good height.)
Photo credit: Lewis Miller Design “Get up in it and tickle,” Miller says. Stems tend to get tangled up, so use your fingers to gently untangle the flowers that are twisted together—just lightly go through and space them out. Miller likes to loosely pack his arrangements for that relaxed, natural look.
Lastly, “don’t take it too seriously!” Whether it’s a vase full of vegetables from your fridge or just a bunch of your kitchen tools that you place into an elegant jar, it’s about bringing a little joy into your day. No matter what your arrangement is made of, Miller says to keep on adding more—you can never have too many flowers!
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