Florists' Review Magazine® :: Your monthly magazine for operating a successful floral business

bulb beauty

Ten clever ways to design with bulb flowers.

Designs by James Miller, AIFD

From amaryllises and Narcissi to Nerines and tulips, bulb flowers are a popular bunch for virtually all spring occasions. These innovative yet easy-to-master designs provide a variety of perspectives on these flowers and more.

graceful curves
A simple, natural presentation of tulips, placed at an angle inside a glass urn, artfully conveys a gardenlike style. This angled treatment, created by placing a damp towel over the stems to hold them in place, would be especially beautiful set on a glass table, with the sumptuous blooms reflected in it.

MATERIALS: Ayre Urn from Accent Décor; tulips from the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center.

HOW TO: Remove tulips from water until the stems soften, then recut the stems, and place them into a fresh flower food solution. Place a damp towel over the curved tulip stems to hold the tulips in place while they hydrate.

bulb bases
Fresh cut tulips revert to their original, uncut state in this design. A natural, rooted look is achieved by inserting tulip stems directly through holes bored into bulbs. A layer of gravel, with water skimming the top of the pebbles, provides stability for the bulbs and adds texture to the design.

MATERIALS: Rectangular Votive container from Syndicate Sales; tulips from the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center.

HOW TO: Drill a hole through each bulb, and place a tulip stem through the hole, with about 1/2 inch of the stem protruding from the bottom of the bulb.

sunny composition

Arranging the flowers at different heights creates depth in this casually hand-gathered bouquet, which is placed into a glass container. Interesting combinations of yellow and orange appear not only on the striking tulips but also on the patterned ribbon that binds and accents them. The orange-yellow stars-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum) coordinate perfectly with the tulips’ edges.

MATERIALS: Tower Vase from BX Glass; tulips and stars-of-Bethlehem from the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center; ribbon (43441) from Morex Corp.

HOW TO: Gather stems of tulips and stars-of-Bethlehem, arranging them at different heights, and bind the stems together with ribbon.