Ha Le (real name Le Lam Ha) has become well-known on social media for her stunning and vibrant floral arrangements. With Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, approaching, she has shared her expertise on selecting and arranging a simple yet elegant peony bouquet.
Tips for choosing and preparing the flowers before arranging
Peonies have fleshy stems and leaves. To ensure longevity, choose freshly bloomed flowers with intact and evenly opened petals. The ideal peony stem should have a primary flower (the largest bloom), typically with one flower and a bud, mature and young leaves. The stem should be firm, long, and free from breakage, bruising, or an unpleasant odor.
Upon bringing the flowers home, remove most of the leaves and trim the buds to concentrate the nutrients on the primary flower, allowing it to bloom larger. Trimming the leaves also gives the arrangement a more elegant look and prevents leaf rot, which can occur if the leaves are submerged in water.
If the flowers appear wilted due to transportation, immerse the stems in a bucket of water for 30 to 45 minutes to revive them. Ensure that only the stems are submerged, keeping the blooms dry.
When arranging peonies in water, choose a vase with a slightly wider neck and adjust the number of flowers accordingly. Peony stems are thick and inflexible, so a narrow vase may damage the stems and make it challenging to create a fanning effect.
Add flower food (available at flower shops) to the water, or simply add a bit of sugar and a few drops of dish soap to the vase before arranging to prolong the life of the flowers. Avoid filling the vase with too much water; typically, a depth of 5 to 7 cm is sufficient to submerge the stems. Remember to change the water daily and trim the ends to remove any water-soaked portions, cleaning away any slime that may have formed.
If you prefer to use the “leaning stem” technique, you will need to fill the vase with more water, but the arrangement won’t last as long as a traditional vertical arrangement with less water. Peonies will last the longest when arranged in floral foam.
Arranging peonies in the shape of a peacock tail
Peonies come in a variety of vibrant colors, and each color is captivating. This year, a new variety of color-changing orange peonies has captivated many enthusiasts. Ha Le chose to use floral foam to prolong the freshness of the unusual orange peonies.
After trimming the flowers, Ha soaked the floral foam in water. From her experience, she advises against forcibly submerging the foam and then removing it, as this will only wet the outer layer without allowing the core to absorb water. Instead, she suggests gently placing the foam in a bucket or container of water; within a few minutes, it will absorb water thoroughly.
Next, she placed the soaked floral foam into a peacock-shaped vase. According to Ha Le, peonies are not too heavy, so there is no need to secure the foam. However, ensure that the side with writing faces upward to allow the flowers to absorb water effectively. “Remember to refill the water in the glass container daily,” Ha Le reminds us.
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Select three stems to create a scalene triangle, adjusting the height of the arrangement according to the number of flowers. Ha Le typically uses a 35 cm stem for the tallest flower, bending it to one side and placing it in the center. The blooms should face the same direction, creating a balanced arrangement.
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Once the framework is in place, arrange the remaining flowers in an arching pattern, gradually moving from a vertical to a diagonal position to add volume to the arrangement. Include some shorter stems pointing downward near the peacock’s head to create depth and conceal the floral foam.
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With these steps, Ha Le was able to create a stunning Tet floral arrangement consisting of 45 orange peony stems, complemented by green eucalyptus leaves.
“On the third day, the core petals of the orange flowers gradually changed to a yellow hue, transforming the peacock into a brilliant spectacle. On a cold winter day in the North, this peacock arrangement brings a touch of warmth. It would be wonderful to have this floral masterpiece to welcome the New Year,” Ha Le shared.
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