Kate of Floret Cadet did the incredible flowers for my recent bridal shower. Here she shares some fantastic floral tips for us amateurs.

What are some easy arrangements one could do for a dinner party? Use premium flowers in a mono-botanical arrangement (this just means stems of the same flower type in one vase with no filler or mix-ins) — anything from tulips to orchids to roses will look great like this. Look at flower shops or farmers markets for seasonal flowers that aren’t as common – anemones, poppies, ranunculus and dahlias are stunners that your guests don’t see every day.

If you want to try your hand at making a mixed arrangement, try choosing just one thing to mix in. Look for contrasting color or fun texture and try foliage or a botanical element that isn’t a flower. Your container doesn’t have to be a vase. I like carafes, bottles, boxes and bowls as flower containers (if you’re using something that isn’t water tight, like a wood box, just conceal a smaller vase within it.)

Are there any flowers that are easier to work with than others? I think this is twofold: voluminous flowers are always easy to arrange because the flowers support themselves and fill out a vase without guess work about how many stems you’ll need.  Hydrangea are widely available and do this trick nicely. Just one stem of hydrangea will fill out a small (3 – 4”) cube or cylinder, and three stems together will fill out a vase with a bigger opening.  They look beautiful all on their own!

Then there are flowers that are easy to deal with because they’re hardy and long lasting.  Carnations are probably the easiest flower under the sun – they last forever, don’t dehydrate easily, are inexpensive, come in a wide variety of colors and look awesome massed together. Look for them in sophisticated colors like deep fuchsia, white or mint green.

To make all flowers in your home last longer, remove any petals or foliage under the water line, change their water often and keep them away from direct sun or heat sources like vents. You can also give the stems a fresh cut every couple of days to give them a boost.

What is your design philosophy? Whenever I hear fashion stylists talk on the subject, they always say the key to personal style is in mixing it up – pairing high fashion pieces with mass market finds, vintage with modern, etc. I try to do the same thing with flowers – I love mixing really rare, fancy flowers with common ones and even mixing in stuff I’ve ‘liberated’ from around my neighborhood.

I try not to make my floral designs too pretty, or too perfect. If I’m using a lot of pastels or fluffy stuff, I try to mix in something a little bit funky, like a bright color, a rougher texture or an asymetrical element. I look for where I can add that tiny bit of wasabi to what would otherwise be a mild dish!

Thank you Kate!