Make Floral Table Arrangements That Are Easy on the Pocketbook!

A pot et fleur arrangement starts with a living potted plant to which cut flower stems are added. The live plant provides an armature for the cut flowers. I chose some clivia miniata plants I have growing indoors. They won’t send up shoots with flower buds until early next year, so they’re perfect for providing greenery around the cut flowers.  I went into our local grocery store and bought some cut flowers. I did not need to buy as many as I would if I were making a full arrangement with all cut flowers. Plus it’s more unique. You can pick out anything that looks pretty to you.

To learn more about creating pot et fleur arrangements read our article about my stepdaughter Eve’s wedding, where we made pot et fleur arrangements for the tables. Click here to read the article.

Conditioning extends the life of cut flowers. It’s especially important with ‘pot et fleur’ arrangements because the cut stem will eventually be put in the soil of the potted plant rather than be submerged in a vase filled with water. As soon as flowers are cut, place them in a bucket of lukewarm water, which is easier for the plant to take up than hot or cold water. Do not leave sitting in direct sun. Most flowers should be cut just before they are fully open. Tight buds may add interest to an arrangement, but they will usually not open after being cut. After bringing flowers indoors, recut the stems at an angle with a sharp knife and put them loosely back into a bucket of warm water submerging about three-fourths length of stem. Allow water to freely circulate around the stems. Cutting stems at an angle allows them to absorb water even when resting on the bottom of a vase. When recutting stems, do it underwater. For some plants this is important as it prevents air bubbles from forming in the stem and hampering water uptake. Strip off any foliage that will fall below the waterline in either the conditioning container or in the vase. Leaves decay rapidly in water, creating a haven for bacteria. Let flowers stand in the water as it cools, preferably in a dark, cool place.