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Home care = self care. Think about it, you probably spend a good chunk of time in your home. Why not take at least small steps to help turn it into a place you love?!

One of the best and easiest ways to do that is with fresh flowers. Flowers don’t have to be expensive to be good. In fact I’ve gotten some incredible English garden roses, and bushy hydrangeas ($2.50 per bunch!) at my local discount produce store. Put them in a blue and white ginger jar and they can make your home look like a million bucks. I know it’s not always easy to go all in on that living room rug you’ve been lusting after, so why not start small. Buy yourself, or your home rather, a nice bouquet. Yes, I know they die fairly quickly but, in my world, flowers last longer than a blow out (hair wash and dry), and certainly longer than a manicure…which I inevitably chip 8 minutes after I leave the nail salon…UGH

Here area few quick DIY flower arrangement tips that I’ve taught myself after years of playing around with grocery store flowers.

Tip #1: If you buy a pre made bouquet (mixed flowers) take it apart. Separate the flowers into color stories. Maybe a bunch of yellows and oranges, and another bunch with pinks, reds, and purples. Flowers tend to look a little more sophisticated when the arrangement includes 1 or 2 similar colors/shades, as opposed to a mix 6 different colors.

Whenever possible I buy separate bunches. A bunch of yellow roses for one vase, a bunch of white hydrangeas for my kitchen windowsill. Since I’m not a florist, for me simple is better. Why fuss for an hour with mixing and matching when one cohesive bunch is as chic as it gets.

Tip #2: Buy according to season. Go with the flow, while saving money in the process.

When it’s summer, use some free flowing wildflowers to create that relaxed bohemian feel and for goodness sakes take full advantage of dahlia season! Also, in summer, simple is better. Don’t overcomplicate the vessel, a large glass water pitcher makes a great vase.

In fall load up on the mums. They come in a good variety of colors and they last a long time in a vase, especially if you change out the water frequently (as with any fresh flowers).

In winter, grab a hearty bouquet of alstroemeria. They are inexpensive and will outlast most flowers, which means less trekking out in the frigid temps for new blooms. Have I mentioned that pretty much every winter I question my life choice of buying a house in Pennsylvania. I mean the first snowfall is nice but beyond that, no thank you.

In the winter months I like to use bright colors to cheer me up and distract me from the gray skies. Orange or yellow roses always do the trick.

Spring time is great for flowering branches like forsythia which we have plenty of in our yard. Even if your branches don’t have flowers, it’s nice to clip some greenery to bring indoors after a long dreary winter.

Tip #3: When building your arrangement start from the outside and work your way in. Add greenery first along the edges, then add the large flowers, and finish up by popping in the little, more delicate, flowers.

Tip #4: I learned from a pro! Put your vase on a lazy susan (mini turntable) so that you can spin it around and make sure it looks good on all sides. This is especially useful for flowers that are going to be used on a dinner table. If the arrangement will be leaning up against a wall or a mantle then by all means leave the back side a hot mess, no one will ever see it!

Tip #5: Make it a habit of adding flowers to your grocery list. For me flowers are necessity…like tea. And chocolate. They bring me so much joy in home, that it actually feels kinda lonely after they die. Every so often I visit a florist to pick out individual stems, as a real treat, but in most cases my flowers come from the grocery store (mainly Trader Joe’s). They have a beautiful selection at incredibly reasonable prices.

Do you have a farmer’s market nearby? Even better. Those flowers are usually very fresh off the field and tend to last a bit longer than grocery store flowers which may have been sitting around for a couple of days. Bonus, you’ll be supporting a small farm/local business!

So friends, I’m challenging you to give it a go this week. Buy some flowers for your home, and find the perfect spot for them. Maybe it’s your kitchen counter, or your nightstand, or your living room coffee table. Don’t fuss with a fancy vase, just keep it simple. The flowers will speak for themselves. Then do your best to make it a habit. Flowers will brighten up your home, and your mood.

Happy flower arranging!

-Sara