Carlos Mota's trademark bouquet is tight, with little space between the blooms, and low with the stems cut short.
In his new book, Flowers Chic & Cheap, he uses peonies to illustrate his technique of assembling the bouquet, but it works well with roses, carnations or chrysanthemums -- any flower with some fullness.
Clean the stems first of leaves or thorns, then start the bunch by holding one stem and adding two stems to make a pyramid shape, with one of the two a bit higher than the other: The tops of the two flowers should touch the base of the first bloom, so no stem is visible.
Add three more stems around the base of the two flowers, again making sure no stem shows. Below the three, add five or six more in the same way.
Tie the flowers with floral tape or a rubber band and clip the stems about two inches shorter than the container you're using -- a square vase is nice, or a teapot -- so the flowers cover the edge of the container. Then add flowers randomly in groups of two or three to give the bouquet depth.
Flower tips
Some tips from stylist Carlos Mota on incorporating flowers into your life:
-- Don't be afraid to play with scale: Big flowers and big vases all look great in a small environment.
-- Put something small next to something big -- and vice versa. It gives you a good sense of proportion.
-- Try flowers in unusual places, even if it's just a single rose in a small bottle.
-- Consider single flowers in clear glass vases: They look nice in a group on a coffee table or in a row down a long dining-room table. Varying the stem lengths gives the arrangement movement and whimsy.
-- Use favourite ornaments and knick-knacks among flowers to create a scene. In his book, Mota illustrated with a white ceramic rabbit that appeared to be watching a row of peonies in slender-necked glass bottles and vases.
-- Use a pile of good-sized hardcover books to elevate a flower arrangement: It works well on a coffee table or an end table or in the middle of a book case. Mota used a few red books with two dozen rusty-red carnations and a short, wide vase. Once he'd cut the stems and placed the carnations, he added several mint sprigs randomly through the bouquet.
-- If you're using more than one container, try varying the number of flowers -- and their colours.
-- Mota likes to mix high and low: The book's cover illustration shows two pink peonies in a whimsical polka-dotted coffee pot, one cut shorter than the other. He likes to mix heirloom pieces with inexpensive new containers: a new teapot with an old silver one, say, or a tall vase of flowers and foliage paired with a smaller container of flowers cut short. Like your big brother walking with your little sister, I like to put something really tall and big beside something simpler and smaller.
-- A bowl of lemons can dress the dining-room table or a coffee table or an occasional table: Use different sizes of bowls -- a small bowl with small green limes, a medium bowl with lemons and a large bowl with a combination of both. Add greenery between the pieces of fruit.
-- Make it easy for the flowers to drink: Cut soft stems at an angle and smash the woody ones with a hammer. Use room-temperature water: throw a drop of bleach or a few pennies into the water to inhibit bacteria and remove leaves or thorns from the part of the stem in the water. Change the water every other day.
-- Postmedia News
