Floral Arranging & Counter Herbs

With four children at home I spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. So I like to make it an enjoyable space to be. One way to make the space warm and inviting is adding living accessories like flowers. They are fairly inexpensive at the market but my hope is to one day have a cut garden for half the year where I can grow, clip, and bring into our home.

Arranging can be very simple. Simply fill a vessel with clean water and add the plant food if provided. Then trim the floral stems. I like to stick the stems one by one into the vase or pitcher to gauge the height before cutting. Also, cut extra leaves that are too low on the stem and will submerge in the water once the vessel is full. Getting rid of the excess of leaves keeps water fresher longer and prevents mold.

Sometimes I like a nice rounded bouquet with roses and trim all the stems about the same length. Other times I’ll go tappered with taller stems in the middle of the vessel and shorter around the rim. It’s totally a preference and dependent on how I feel. Play around with it. Try a variety of flowers or just one. The main thing is to bring home or grow what you like and collect receptacles you find beautiful to display them in.

When cut flowers aren’t an option, in the winter months I often plop the basil, cilantro, or parsley into mason jars to give a fragrant and green touch to the kitchen. Herbs tend to stay fresh in water instead of the crisper anyway.