Giving flowers is symbolic of the love and affection we have for one another. So every Valentine's Day, bunches of colorful blossoms exchange hands. Traditionally, red roses have been the most popular flowers to give. But surprisingly, women actually favor roses in pastel shades of peach, pink, and lavender, according to the California Cut Flower Commission.

Pink and red assortment

Who wouldn't adore getting this luscious assortment of pink and red blooms? This bouquet is easy to put together, using a grid of florist's tape to hold the flowers in place.

MATERIALS

• White or clear florist's tape

• Casual vase, such as a small French floral bucket (the one shown is 6 inches wide and 8 1/2 inches tall)

• Foliage: about 5 stems of salal

• Assorted pink and red flowers: Adair used five stems each of red roses, pink hyacinths, pink callas, pink nerine, red anemones, hot pink ranunculus, plus 15 small red tulips.

DIRECTIONS

1. With florist's tape, form a grid across the top of the vase (see photo at left). Secure the ends by wrapping more tape around the rim of the vase.

2. Fill the vase with water. Add floral preservative, if desired. Insert stems of foliage, spacing them randomly in the grid.

3. Insert the roses, spacing them at random. Then add the hyacinths, callas, and nerine, in that order. The flowers in the center of the vase should be slightly taller than the ones around the rim to create a rounded form.

4. Fill in with anemones, ranunculus, and tulips.

 

 

A handful of jewels

Assemble this bold bouquet in your hands, then tie with twine or raffia.

MATERIALS

Assorted flowers in jewel tones: red gerbera daisies, red roses, blue delphiniums, burgundy snapdragons, purple irises, purple lisianthus

Foliage: salal stems

Rubber band

Twine or raffia

DIRECTIONS

1. Buy enough flowers to create the effect you want. Form the bouquet in your hands, starting with some stems of foliage. Then evenly space flowers. Set large ones, such as gerbera daisies and roses, inside the bouquet. Allow taller flowers (delphiniums, snapdragons, irises) to stick out. Lisianthus can bridge the gaps. Add more foliage as you go. Finish with an odd number of each type of flower.

2. Wrap a rubber band around the middle of the stems, then trim the bottoms so they're even in length.

3. Wrap several strands of twine or raffia over the rubber band and knot it at the end.