How to Make a Floral Centerpiece with Roses & Greenery

Cut the stems of the roses diagonally and remove any leaves that may sit below the waterline. Stand the roses in a bucket of warm water until you are ready to use them. Snip the ends of the greenery stems and remove any excess leaves.

Trim the floral foam until it is the right size to fit inside your container. Take the first rose and push it into the center of the foam. Trim the stem of the second rose a little so that it sits 1/2 inch lower than the first rose. This gives the flowers room to open properly. Trim several other roses to the same length and push them into a circle around the first rose. Cut the remaining roses slightly shorter and position them around the edges of the foam.

Add the greenery. If you are using trailing greenery like fern or ivy, push it in around the edges of the foam so that it trails over the sides of the container. Upright greenery such as citrus leaves and rosemary should be cut to length and used to fill in gaps between the roses. Upright greenery should protrude no more than an inch above the roses, or the arrangement will appear unbalanced and the roses will be hidden.

Add water to the container, making sure that the stems of the roses and foliage are well covered. Add flower food to the water to prolong the life of the cut flowers.

Decorate your arrangement. For a wedding, add ribbon bows wrapped with twists of wire. Push the wire into the floral foam and let the ends of the ribbon trail over the sides of the container. For a holiday arrangement, tape candles to toothpicks and press them into the center of the arrangement, using trailing greenery to conceal the tape.