The art of spreading floral cheer The art of spreading floral cheer (May 20, 2005)

By Mari Sapina-Kerkhove

When Barbara Gordon gets her hands on a pair of clippers, chances are she's about to concoct a colorful floral arrangement.

Passionate since girlhood about assembling and arranging flowers, the Mountain View resident is now an expert when it comes to the art of creatively displaying a piece of garden inside the home.

Over the years she has taught many classes on the craft that, as any other art form, comes with its own set of tricks, rules and principles.

But it doesn't take a class or much expertise to enjoy a self-made bouquet of fresh flowers in the home, Gordon said.

"A bud vase is always very easy to make," she said while placing a rose into a small vase.

While buds or bouquets are considered the simplest form of flower arranging, Gordon said there's no need for fancy crystal or glass vases to make an arrangement shine.

Often ordinary kitchen items, such as ceramic bowls, shallow dishes or even oversized coffee mugs make for practical containers with a creative spin, she said.

Another trick of the trade is inserting a few branches of green, which can add texture and dimension to a flower arrangement.

"Mostly a simple flower in a vase looks kind of bare," Gordon said. "If you add some greenery, it looks much better."

The range of shrubbery that can be used in flower arrangements is almost limitless, she said, and includes everything from bush and tree branches to nandina (also known as heavenly bamboo), euonymus, myrtle, and citrus and camellia foliage.

As for the choice of flowers, this time of the year allows for abundance in color and style.

To Mountain View floral designer Carol Ralles, roses are the big flowers of the season.

"They are everywhere right now," she said. "They are gorgeous, just cut them and bring them in."

But hydrangeas and agapanthus, which are also in bloom throughout summer, look just as great in floral arrangements, Ralles said.

When assembling flowers from the yard, Gordon said, it's best to cut them before they are fully open because that's when they are freshest. Also, one should only cut flowers that look healthy.

"If it doesn't look good in the garden, it won't look good in the house," Gordon said.

Flower lovers who don't have a big yard can also buy fresh flowers at the farmers market or buy potted flowers, such as chrysanthemums, cut off some of the blooms and place the plant in the ground, she said.

After the flowers are cut, it's important for the stems to soak in water for at least two hours -- a step that ensures longevity. It's equally important to re-cut the stems in standing water just before the flowers are arranged, Gordon said, to make sure no air bubbles get into the stems.

How long cut flowers survive partly depends on their type, she said. Chrysanthemum and carnations, for example, tend to last longest and they don't drop petals. Roses, on the other hand, last about four to five days.

To extend the life of flower bouquets, Gordon recommended adding a few drops of bleach (to reduce bacteria growth) and some sugar (for nutrients) to the water, with the general guideline of one quarter cup of bleach and one tablespoon of sugar per gallon. She also advised people to cut off all the leaves on the lower parts of the stems before placing them in water.

"The less organic material in the water, the less bacteria growth," Gordon said.

While buds and bouquets are a simple cheer-up to any coffee table, windowsill or bathroom, flower arranging can be taken several steps further to more complicated designs frequently seen at formal functions or flower shows.

Instead of being loosely displayed in vases, such arrangements are often secured with floral foam or "pin frogs," small spiky devices resembling plastic brushes. Regularly used in Japanese flower arranging (Ikebana), such devices ("kensan" in Japanese) are suctioned or glued to containers. Because flowers are secured between the spikes, very shallow containers can be used in this type of floral arrangement.

While anyone can experiment with such designs at home, they are the specialty of floral designers and serious hobbyists such as Gordon, who is currently also the president of Floraphiles, a Bay Area-wide club for flower arrangers.

Bobbie Olsen has been a member of the club since 1975.

"I was interested in design (and) it was a way of expressing myself," the Los Altos resident said about her decision to join.

Being part of the group for so many years has not only allowed her to make many like-minded friends, Olsen said, but the regular assignments and critiquing sessions have also helped her improve her skills.

While Floraphiles aren't as strict in following certain artistic guidelines as some other flower arranging clubs, the group's 13 members generally adhere to the main design principles -- related to color, texture, scale, etc. -- of flower arranging.

"It's sort of an art with a science," Gordon said, explaining that the three main styles of floral arrangements include historic (such as Victorian or early 19th century arrangements), oriental and modern designs.

Ralles, who in her 15 years of business has seen trends come and go, said the latest styles of floral arrangements are all about simplicity. Compared to 10 years ago, current arrangements tend to be cleaner in that they stick to one or two types of flowers rather than containing many different varieties, she said. Also, greenery is used sparingly.

"I stay away from fillers," Ralles said. "It gets too fussy."

But regardless of current trends, when it comes to arranging flowers for your own home the only limitation as to what does or doesn't go is personal taste. It's always good for people to experiment and observe how bringing nature into the home influences mood and the living environment, Ralles said.

And once you're inspired to seriously design with flowers, it's their transient nature that will keep you creative, Olsen said. Which to her is the best thing about her hobby.

"(The floral arrangement) wilts and it goes out of the house and then you make a new one," she said.

Los Altos-Mountain View Adult Education will offer summer courses in Japanese flower arranging starting June 14. For more information call (650) 940-1333 or visit www.mvlaae.net. For more information about Floraphiles, call Barbara Gordon at (650) 969-3261

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