So you have just received some beautiful flowers.......but the way are presented is a little bit uninspiring! What can you do to make 'nice' into 'wow'? Here are some top tips on how to arrange your flowers into a simple but stunning arrangement....Any questions welcome so get arranging and drop me an email if you have any burning questions about your blooms and how to arrange them. I would love to see your before and after pictures.....

Step 1

Take a clean vase and fill it with water. If you have been provided flower food add this to the water but the key to long lasting flowers is to change the water regularly, no flower food required! Start to build a framework for the style of arrangement you want - here we are going slightly asymetrical. We have created our framework with Molucella, Verbena and Cerinthe...

Step 2

Start building your arrangement by adding your filler flowers - so things like Ammi, Solidago are great fillers. Here we are using Ammi and some Nigella....

Step3

Now for the fun bit. Once you have your framework made up of secondary/filler flowers and foliage (if you don't have any foliage go cut some from the garden!) start to add you focal flowers. These are your bigger 'wow' flowers. Here we are using Rudbeckia and Dahlias...try to work with odd numbers so 3's or 5's as it will be more pleasing to the eye.

Step 4

Once you have added all of your key flowers step back! Take a good look at what you have. Walk around your flowers if they are going to be viewed from all sides. If it is a front facing arrangement does it look balanced? Is it pleasing to the eye? Does it flow? Now is the time to tweak.

Step 5

Any leftovers why not make up a jam jar of flowers....I always have a small jar of flowers in my downstairs loo....it is a great way of using broken stems, the little offcuts you just can't use anywhere else...

So you have just arranged your flowers....you may want to add a few extras to the mix either by cutting from the garden or buying a few extras. I can't stress how much just one stem of a different foliage will enhance your flowers...just one stem of a flower (if thats all you have to cut) can take 'nice' to 'wow' - trust me I know.....just look at the gorgeous orange dahlia. I only had one to cut but it looks fab and pulls it all together.

Other things to consider...

Your surroundings - a wild arrangement in a contemporary surrounding may not be best - work with your surroundings and be sympathetic to them.

Consider Colour and texture - we have gone for lots of colour but if you are struggling with too many colours just stick to two or three colours or even go all foliage....green is still really hot in the world of flower fashion.

Balance - your display should be balanced - it doesn't have to be symmetrical but it should feel like it flows and leads the eye around the arrangement....

The most important thing when arranging flowers is to have a super clean vase and change your water regularly (every two days at least if you can). Remember in this hot weather bacteria will multiply quicker so make sure you keep on top of it. It can add days to the life of your flowers....

Most importantly have fun and enjoy....or you could always join a flower workshop to brush up on your skills....its good fun and you will learn the basics that you can apply to any flowers you receive.

Don't forget to leave your comments and questions below or you can send pictures to hello@urbanflowerfarmer.com and we will share on our facebook page.

Urban Flower farmer is a member of Flowers From The Farm who are a network of growers all around the UK who are passionate about British Flowers.

Top image by Emma Davies

How to make a beautiful, seasonal vase arrangement....Top Tips