How to Make Your Own Large Red Rose Centerpiece in a Pilsner Vase

The city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic is famous for its Pilsner Urquill brewery, founded in the mid-19th century. Specialty glasses were designed to serve the beer; they feature a wide mouth that tapers into a "waist" at the bottom 1/3 of the glass. The wide top of a pilsner-style vase allows roses to spread out naturally. Choose a tall pilsner vase to hold a large red rose arrangement.

One dozen long-stemmed red roses
Scissors
Floral or paring knife
Hand towel
2 buckets, 2-gallon capacity
Floral preservative
Tall pilsner-style vase
Stems of greenery such as myrtle or leather leaf, optional
Filler flowers, such as wax flower, statice or baby's breath, optional

Instructions

- 1
  Select fresh roses that feel firm and tight at the base of the bud. Discard soft, open roses or those with weak necks.
- 2
  Remove the foliage and thorns from the lower 2/3 of each stem by snipping or slicing them off; avoid cutting into the skin of the stem.
- 3
  Fill a bucket with enough lukewarm water to come two-thirds of the way up the rose stems. Mix in 2 tbsp. of a floral preservative. Hold a stem end under the water and cut off 1 inch at a sharp 45-degree angle. Repeat with each stem. Remove the stem stubs from the water and discard them. Allow the roses to sit in the bucket overnight in a cool, dark place.
- 4
  Repeat Step 3 for your choice of filler flowers and greenery, if desired. Place the filler flowers and the greenery together in one bucket.
- 5
  Fill the pilsner vase halfway with lukewarm water and mix in 2 tsp. of floral preservative.
- 6
  Work with the roses one at a time. Choose a rose and hold it up to the vase so that the bud is at the tallest height you desire for the finished arrangement. Cut at least 1 inch off the stem end at a sharp 45-degree angle and place the rose in the vase. Repeat with the remaining roses. Vary the height as desired. Place the tallest roses in the center of the vase and set roses of gradually descending height around them for the fullest effect.
- 7
  Arrange the rose heads so that each flower shows prominently by adjusting the positions of the stems, keeping the stem ends submerged at all times.
- 8
  Add a few filler flowers and greenery if there is room in the vase. Give each stem end a fresh cut before placing it in the arrangement.

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