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HOW TO CREATE A FLOWER ARRANGEMENT WITH CUT POINSETTIAS

Have you ever thought of using poinsettias as cut flowers?  Many of you know that I love keeping fresh flowers in our home, it adds a sparkle to your home like nothing else can.  I enjoy trying different types of flowers, so I decided to experiment with poinsettias.  I’ve always loved the vibrant red color of the flowers but I’ve never been a fan of those cheesy foil wrapped pots.  To be honest they horrify me but I ended up buying a large one to use for cutting flowers.

I experimented with some cut poinsettias and used them in my Christmas home tour, I was really pleased with how well they held up.  This single flower in my office has especially lasted a long time.  So I decided to make a larger arrangement for some Christmas cheer, I’ll tell you what flowers I used and some tips along the way.

First off I’m still using the same plant!  Each time I’m ready for more flowers I take a pair of scissors and snip it off right at the dirt.  Poinsettias will ooze a milky substance after being cut, this isn’t a big deal but it can cloud your water if you’re using a clear vase.  I recommend soaking for 10-15 minutes and then adding it to the arrangement for nice clear water.

Depending on how you want your arrangement to look you’ll need to snip off some of the large green leaves.  Take a paper towel and blot off any milky residue.

For this arrangement I used white roses, elegance ranunculus to compliment the red, and bells of Ireland for a gorgeous pop of green and some fun height and texture.

I not a fan of using the flower food package that comes with flowers, it’s more of a hassle for it to dissolve and depending on the brand they have different dilution ratios.  I’ve love this liquid flower food from Amazon, a bottle lasted me a year and I just ordered my second.  It really helps preserve the life of your flowers.

Did you know that poinsettias are not actually poisonous?  I’d always heard that growing up, but I watched a man eat one on YouTube haha, he said it tasted bad though and may give you an upset stomach.  I wonder how that myth got started?

Poinsettias last quite well being cut, be sure to check your flower arrangement every few days, add additional water if necessary and pull out any decaying flowers, one bad flower can spread bacteria cutting the life of your pretty flowers!

I absolutely love how vibrant and colorful this arrangement turned out.  Why not grab a poinsettia plant and play around with some ways to use them as fresh cut flowers?  It’s a way to give this Christmas flower a fresh new modern look.  I still have enough plant left over for another arrangement too.  I think next time I’ll try ivory poinsettias.  The possibilities are endless!

 

Laura

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