Are You New to Flower Arrangements? The ‘3-5-8 Rule’ Helps You Create The Most Gorgeous Bouquets

Flower bouquets are a sight for sore eyes. Better, if the flower selections perfectly blend in to give an eloquent touch that complements any corner of the house. For florists, tying up ornate flowers is an everyday thing, but for most commoners, DIY-ing a bouquet by hand might seem like a challenge. The hardest aspect is the overwhelming number of choices that make flower arrangements nothing short of a puzzle. A floral expert has chimed in with a golden ‘3-5-8 rule’ that will change your lives when it comes to bouquets, as reported by Real Simple.

The 3-5-8 rule for flower arrangements

The simple formula asks you to focus on three types of flowers– focal, textural, and fillers. Diving deeper into the golden rule, Justin Lievano, floral design manager for Urban Stems, shared that a standard, mid-sized bouquet would ideally have three focal flowers, five textural flowers, and eight filler flowers. The aim is to achieve a balanced look in the arrangements that could look perfect everywhere, be it on a dinner table in the kitchen or on a bedside table. "It’s the perfect sort of rule to apply when you’re shopping for stems a la carte, like at a grocery store or corner market. It can help guide your choices to create a harmonious composition when you’re overwhelmed by choices,” Lievano said. 

Now that the rule is sorted, let's breeze through the flower options for each type. For focal flowers, as the name suggests, the components must be attention-grabbing and turn heads with their beauty. Roses, sunflowers, Carnations, and Gerber Daisies are likely to be placed as focal flowers. Next, textural flowers. These blooms provide structure and balance to the bouquet and typically include Hydrangea, Lisianthus, Solomio, and Snapdragons. Finally, the filler flowers come in with their tall stems to fill up the leftover spaces in the vase. Baby’s breath, Waxflower, Cushion Poms, and Queen Anne’s Lace are some of the filler flowers generally thrown into bouquet arrangements. On Instagram, @blueacregarden also chimed in with their version of the 3-5-8 rule. 

The most important technique for an ideal bouquet

While the flowers take away all the intrigue, an essential factor is the vessel these flowers will go. The flower arrangements must be sturdy enough to stay put, but in most cases, they fall apart. To ensure that does not happen, experts at Better Homes & Gardens suggest creating a grid of floral tape over the mouth of the vase. The stems can then be stuck through the holes of the grid to keep them in place. However, there are a couple of tools that are needed to create a bouquet at home. Stem cutters, sharp clippers, and thorn strippers are some of the tools needed.

Another key aspect to consider is to prevent mold growth inside a vase by regularly changing the water and trimming the ends of the stems. Every two days works well, and adding a floral preservative may work wonders to sustain the pretty blooms for days. In all, bouquets are a communicate feelings of joy, affection, sympathy, admiration, and deep emotions without the need for words. Hence, they are a common sight in celebrations, funerals, and achievements too. Freddie's Flowers enlightened the internet with his expert insights on creating stunning bouquets on YouTube. 

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