Flowers brighten up the home any time of the year but are extra special in spring!  I use flowers to brighten up my apartment and it also can add color to a room.

Here are some quick tips on how to arrange your flowers:

1) Make sure the vase you use has been thoroughly cleaned and any residue has been rinsed off.  If you are using a regular glass vase it can be nice to add sand, pebbles or glass beads to the bottom. Not only will this help to support the stems, but will also give any arrangement an attractive finish.

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2)  Prepare your flowers by always cutting at least 1″ from the bottom of each stem and remove any leaves that will lie below the level of the water in the vase as this will help to keep the flowers fresh.

3) Use room temperature water to partially fill the vase and add any flower food that you have. If you buy very fresh flowers and want the buds to open quickly you could try placing them in slightly warm water to encourage them to open.

4) Smaller flowers tend to look best in shorter, stouter vases, whereas longer flowers tend to look more elegant in taller vases. However, you can always cut your flowers to the required length to fit the shape of your vase before you start arranging them.

5) Place flowers in your chosen vase and place the larger, more dominant flowers in first so as to create the focus of the arrangement. Try to place these flowers at different angles to make the most of their individual shapes and to give the arrangement a balanced feel.

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