The Maximum Living May Day Bouquet

April showers bring May flowers, but they don't always have to come in the form of a traditional bouquet. From a flower wreath or tabletop décor, to a flower bouquet you can hang on a door, it's all about celebrating with flowers and being creative with the blooms of the season. Here are my Maximum Living ideas for celebrating the season:

 

Maximum Living Flower Wreath:

 

Supplies:
One standard grapevine wreath
One strand of silk flower garland
One strand of silk ivy garland
One spool of green floral wire
8 water tubes (or as many as you like for your wreath)
1 bag of moss
2 yards of your favorite ribbon to make a bow

Directions:
Take your wreath and lightly wrap it with the sphagnum moss, securing it with the green floral wire. Do not completely cover the wreath; cover it lightly to give the effect that it is growing on the wreath. Now take your silk garlands and securely wrap them around the wreath starting at the top, looping it back through from front to back until it is completely attached to the wreath.

Fill your water tubes with water and insert the stems of your favorite seasonal flowers, from rhododendrons and azaleas, to pink magnolias and lilacs. Now stick the ends of the tubes into the wreath securely while covering the tubes with the moss. Make sure you are creating a sense of balance so that no part of the wreath is more heavily weighted than another. Next, you can take your ribbon and make your bow, securing it to the top of your wreath. If you want to use your wreath as a tabletop flower ring, don't put a bow on it. Put it in the center of your table. To really kick it up, put a beautiful clear apothecary jar in the middle of the ring without the lid, adding a pillar candle down inside. Add about 3 inches of water and float some flowers in the water around the candle. It will look like a masterpiece!

By using the silk garlands, it always insures color on your wreath and keeps the real flowers looking alive and full. Keep the living flowers changed out with the season and you will have a wonderful new way to enjoy the flowers of your region every day!

Keep living the Maximum Living way and remember … YOU CAN DO IT!

Randy