As previously seen on Wit & Delight
Editor’s Note: There’s a freshness to the air in Minneapolis this weekend; the crisp quality of newness that tends to blow along with the breeze in the spring and fall. A new season is just around the corner, and tangibly so. This season of spring is especially brief (quite noticeably here in the North) so while it’s here, we like to take advantage of it. One way to do just that is by bringing all our favorite spring floral varieties into our homes. This post, originally penned by Kate in 2017, will show you how to do just that. We hope you’ll use it as inspiration for your next floral arrangement, whether you’re designing it with a whole host of flower varieties or mixing and matching a couple from the bunch below.
In another life, I would have been a florist. Imagine a career where you’re surrounded by beautiful, fragrant flowers, and you put together things that instantly make someone feel better. I’m sure there have been studies done about why flowers are instant mood boosters. Being well aware that I am no expert on this topic, my personal experience shows that bringing florals into the home has improved my mood, helped me keep the house a little tidier (i.e., respect the space around me), and, literally, acted as a physical reminder to stop and smell the roses.
The problem I have with putting together arrangements that involve more than one flower is, I never know where to begin. Like an artist uses different brushes to achieve their desired result, a florist must know their tools—flowers, greenery, and vessels, to name a few—to allow creativity to flow.
My friend Chelsey recommended we tap Spruce to help us take a step back and learn about the floral varieties available this season, so we could get better at making our own floral arrangements. Thankfully, Kyle and Amy at Spruce welcomed my questions and helped curate an arrangement of flowers that provided great color, texture, design, and fragrance. In selecting the florals, I wanted to make sure we chose flowers that not only worked well together but were reminiscent of spring because this beautiful time of year only lasts so long. We gotta enjoy it before the humidity and mosquitos get here, you know?
Ok! Let’s get started with our little floral lesson.
No. 1: Viburnum
A hearty plant that will act as a lovely filler and add a lot of unique texture to your vase.
No. 2: French Tulip
When I think of spring, I visualize tulips. This French tulip had lovely cream and peach tones which helped to balance the purple florals we selected.
No. 3: Lilac
Another spring staple. Growing up, our home was surrounded by mature lilac bushes that emulated the most lovely, fresh scents. Kyle from Spruce suggested adding this to our arrangement for its full, textured body and subtle fragrance.
No. 4: Hyacinth
A thick, hearty plant that gets better as it blooms open and fills out, it too has a lovely scent that works well with the lilac, without being intrusive.
No. 5: Ranunculus
This flower has a large, lovely bloom that rivals the tulip as the arrangement favorite. With almost rose-like features and a vibrant depth of pink color, this ranunculus added the “wow” factor to our arrangement.
No. 6: Helleborus
This flower added a darker pop of deep, rich color to complement our pastel palette. Its delicate petals clustered together and filled any empty spaces next to vibrant blooms.
No. 7: Astilbe
With its fern-like features, we adored the astilbe’s light pink tones and how it added just the right amount of whimsy to our arrangement.
No. 8: Allium
A flowering plant from the onion family that’s still delicate and lovely enough to hold, the allium is alongside the more sought after blooms, like the ranunculus.
No. 9: Sweet Pea
The flower that lives up to its name. We chose the sweet pea for its violet color, delicate features, and light scent.
Whether you’re designing an arrangement yourself or ordering one over the phone, it can be hard to know where to start. We hope this post helps narrow down this process for you! We certainly loved working with the Spruce team, and I can’t wait to brighten up our table even if the ground outside isn’t quite green yet.
Kate is currently learning to play the Ukulele, much to the despair of her husband, kids, and dogs. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.
