YOUR BOUQUET OF ROSES

A VERY SPECIAL BLOOM

The yellow rose in this bouquet is called ‘Mother and Daughter’. Its long-flowering blooms have rose, citrus and fruit fragrances, and the bush flowers from late October to late May. It was bred by Melissa King and rose grower Brad Alden-brown of Rankins Roses (rankinsroses. com.au) in Victoria to help Motor Neurone Disease. A portion of the sale price of the bush goes to support MND research.

Gather your supplies

• Your favourite roses (or other blooms)

• Stems of foliage

• Vase or jug

• Floral food

You’ll also need

Secateurs; string or twine; scissors

For you to note

To help your arrangement last longer, recut the stems and also change the water every 2-3 days.

Here’s how

STEP 1 Lay out the flowers and foliage on table.

STEP 2 Cut stems of blooms and foliage at an angle so they absorb more water and don’t sit flat on the bottom of the vase.

STEP 3 Gently remove leaves from blooms and foliage stems that will sit in water.

STEP 4 Select the bloom that will be central to your arrangement.

STEP 5 Add other blooms and foliage around central bloom, adjusting heights and twisting and tweaking arrangement into a tight, compact bunch, where every bloom is in sight.

STEP 6 Tie stems with a piece of string or twine.

STEP 7 Recut stems so all meet at the same level at the base.

STEP 8 Fill vase with water to about two-thirds, then add floral food.

STEP 9 Place your arrangement in vase.

(Phytolacca americana).