middletownjournal.com

10 ways to bring spring colors, scents inside

By Lindsey Hilty

With spring in the air, people all over the area are out working in gardens, growing their own palettes of color to decorate and beautify their home. And whether you are growing your own or want to buy from a local florist, flowers and plants can also bring that sense of spring indoors ? give your home a new look and a fresh scent with these tips.

1. Choose containers
Place your flowers in clear glass square containers or glass cylinders, said Roger William Conner of Flowers By Roger in Middletown. Group flowers in a tight fitting ball and place them alone or in clusters of other vase arrangements. By varying the shapes and colors, you can make them blend in with the food table or stand out to make a statement.

2. Coordinate
Make satellite pieces by coordinating vases and flowers around the home, Conner said. Intermingle food with flowers and remember that flowers add life to a room. Float flowers in the bathroom, scatter them on tables or garnish dishes with them, he said. They go great on cake or in fruit bowls.

3. Add fruit
Mix fruit and flowers together, Conner said. "Lemons, limes and oranges are very big." Slice the fruit and place it in glass containers.

4. Spice it up with herbs
Re-energize your senses with flowers and herbs. Your eyes will thank you for the beauty of the arrangements, your lungs will thank you for the extra oxygen they produce and you mood will be lifted by the aroma.

Cut herbs like rosemary, peppermint and parsley to make your own aromatherapy mix, Conner said. Place them in a clear glass container with water, which he said to change every day. Strip off the stem so nothing is below the waterline and then enjoy cooking and smelling the compilation for up to two weeks. Surround the display with candles, stones and small fountains to add to the peaceful refuge promoting calm inside your home.

5. Bring outdoors inside
Cut forsythia or red bud branches, flowering plums and flowering pear branches for an outdoor look inside the home, said Jana Harmon, owner of Flower Corner Designs in Hamilton for 23 years. Purchase a preservative solution from a florist, she said, and then place the buds in containers that match the d?cor of the home. For a country style, she recommends crocks and jogs. For a more modern look, use a linear style vase. Antique pottery is also popular along with the retro style.

6. Light up with bulbs
Plant bulbs inside the containers and purchase "Crystal" from a florist, Harmon said. The special preservative reduces bacteria in water and keeps the bulb living longer.

7. Bolder the better
Go for bold colors and a theme, Harmon said. For an Easter party place bulb flowers on a brightly colored table cloth with Easter grass and died eggs for a woodland scene For a festive everyday look, buy a retro tablecloth covered in fruit images and place canning jars filled with flowers on top for a country theme. For a Polynesian theme, cut coconuts in half to use as candle votive holders, she said. Arrange flowers with fruit for a summer theme. Some flowers with vibrant colors are Gerber Daisies, Green Goddesses, Calla Lilies, Alstroemeria Lilies and Freesias.

"There's just endless combinations of bright color flowers that are natural and work," she said.

8. Go green
Use green plants for centerpieces. Smaller table plants such as different varieties of ferns and ivy can be grouped together or placed in your own containers to add a touch of color in any area of the home, Harmon said. Plants naturally give off oxygen which is a great air freshener. Swedish Ivy, spider plants and ferns are also known for air purification.

9. Clear the air
Place green house plants near electronic equipment to reduce the toxins the office equipment tends to emit, said Jan Steiner of Franklin Florists and Gifts. Green plants go well in both the home and the business.

10. Think ahead
Invest in silk arrangements, Steiner said. They last forever and they are versatile. She said she asks people to bring in couch cushions or materials for her to design arrangements around, and if the customer is not satisfied, she will personally rearrange the flowers and choose different colors.

Thursday, April 27, 2006