ARRANGING YOUR ORIENTAL LILIES

Since we want to keep as much foliage on the stem of our ORIENTAL LILIES arranging them can be a bit of a problem.  Most varieties will not have long stems coming off the stalk, maybe 6 inches at the most.  In order to make a pleasing arrangement, special care must be given to make sure this short stem has plenty of water, because it is important to keep the main stalk with as many leaves as possible--that's what feeds the bulb for next year's blooms. I use shallow vases like the one pictured.  I have used clear marbles in the vase, which act as a stabilizer for the stems.  Or, as with this arrangement, I used a strip of oasis, covered with green moss.  If you're using the oasis, completely soak the brick first--they can hold a lot of water, and it takes a while to completely saturate it.  Then arrange your flowers as desired, and add more water to the top.  Like I've mentioned before, I use a floral preservative in my arrangements.  Make sure to cut your blooms early in the morning, before the sun comes up, and plunge immediately into deep water.  For your arrangements remove all thorns from roses, and all leaves off any stems that will be below the water line.Make sure you have plenty of blooms in the bud stage--this will prolong the life of your arrangement.   Then, ENJOY the creation you've made!  Arranging has been an added bonus for me to my flower garden--an extension of it, to be enjoyed indoors.