I love putting the right combination of flowers and container together to create a gift that speaks to a person’s heart. This time it spoke to my heart as well because I was creating a DIY Mother’s Day flower gift for my granddaughter to give to her mom, my daughter-in-law, Lina.
Lina and I both love objects with a story and history, and she has always admired my collection of Made in America hobnail milk glass from the Fenton® company!
I have given Lina a few pieces over the years, including this cachepot. It’s one of my favorite shapes and sizes. It looks stunning filled with fresh-cut flowers and just as fabulous when empty with an LED votive light inside. It gives the milk glass a pretty warm glow.
Once we chose the container, it was time to choose the flowers for our bouquet. Olivia knows what she likes, and pink is her favorite color!
The Rosita Vendela rose is so beautiful and has a vintage vibe to it, so I thought it would make the perfect focal flower. We complemented that look with a few stems of dusty miller and monte casino. The finishing touch — and one that I know Lina is going to love — is the addition of cut succulents. An obsession with succulents is another thing Lina and I have in common!
This succulent is a variety called Echeveria Devotion.
Here’s how easy it is to turn a potted succulent into a fresh-cut flower that can be used in a bouquet.
1. Remove plant from pot. For smaller to average size bouquets, use 2-3” potted succulents.
2. Gently remove dirt from the roots. You can even remove the roots entirely if you want without damaging the plant.
3. Insert a wooden skewer into the bottom of the succulent.
That’s all it takes!
I find it works best if you create your bouquet or arrangement first and then insert the succulents. The surrounding flowers will help support the extra weight of the cut succulent. They will look beautiful for weeks and can then be re-rooted.
We added a simple burlap wrap, pretty ribbon, and card that Olivia accented with a bright pink tassel to create the perfect DIY flower gift for Mother's Day that not only speaks to the heart but totally melts it!
AUTHOR
Julie started her career in the floral industry over 30 years ago in a small, family-owned flower shop. From floral designer to author and lifestyle expert, her insight has been instrumental in developing the 1-800-Flowers.com brand. Representing the company’s floral lifestyle vision, Julie has shared her talent and passion in numerous television appearances and national magazine features. She is an active fundraiser and longtime friend of IGHL, a group dedicated to facilitating a more independent life for developmentally challenged adults.