French Florals 101.

Yesterday, I went back to school (well, for the afternoon at least.)  As part of an extraordinary Mother's Day gift, I had the pleasure of arranging flowers along side Jeanette Momeni of Boutique Fleurgreige. 

Outside Boutique Fleurgreige

Our introduction was the result of Fleurgreige's recent feature in Garden & Gun magazine, as well as my secret little desire to have my own small flower shop some day.  Having trained in Paris with Catherine Mueller, Jeanette's arrangements reflect a natural, European style.

A glimpse of Jeanette's portfolio

My instruction began with a quick inventory of the blooms she had picked up that morning for our lesson.  Jeanette doesn't believe in having her flowers delivered, so five days a week she makes her way to Potomac Floral Wholesale in Silver Spring, Maryland to hand-select her fresh offerings. Her recommendation...go on Wednesday and Sunday mornings when the market, which is open to the public, is less busy.

Jeanette's studio ready for my lesson

Buckets of blooms

Peonies, Mock Orange, and Lilacs (a special request) were among her selections.

The flower board

I am outfitted with an apron, and put to work clipping and pruning.  Jeanette guided me on how to clean the stems and where they should be cut to optimize water uptake.  The woody nature of the lilacs makes them often difficult to keep fresh, so I was advised to work quickly and minimize their time on land.

Preparing the flowers

Once the prep work was complete, it was time to start creating.  Unlike my preferred method of arranging directly in to a vase, Jeanette holds all of the flowers in one hand.  With the other, she expertly crosses one flower over the other, turning it constantly to ensure a full arrangement that can be "enjoyed from every side."

Once complete (she just knows when,) the arrangement is tied with raffia, and stems are cut to the same length.  The result is a freestanding arrangement that can easily be removed from a vase to freshen water, which she recommends doing daily.

Finished product

The last step is to place the bouquets into glass vases, which she then carefully wraps with French tissue secured with raffia.   A Fleurgreige hang tag adds the final touch.

My time spent with Jeanette at Fleurgreige flew by, but I left with some wonderful tips, three beautiful arrangements, and even an invitation to accompany her on an upcoming trip to the flower market. As for mastering the art of floral composition, I will admittedly need a "bit" more practice.