3 Great Tips for Making Better Flower Arrangements
If you were a restaurant back in the '80s, your flowers were orchids. (L.A.'s Chinois on Main even put them in tubular vases.) In the '90s, fine-dining icons favored flowers fit for Versailles; NYC's La Grenouille reportedly spent $200,000 a year. In the aughts, huge branch clusters took over fine-casual spots like NYC's Babbo. More recently, desert cacti and subtle houseplants have defined healthyish spots like Chicago's Bad Hunter.
But Brewery Bhavana, the Raleigh brew pub/dim sum parlor (No. 10 on Bon Appétit's Hot 10 list) takes restaurants’ obsession with blooms to a new level with its in-house flower shop. Diners can call ahead to request one of floral designer Deana Nguyen’s freewheeling arrangements at their table, or you can take one home without stopping for a bite. If you can't get to Raleigh, don't despair. Here are Nguyen's top three tips for re-creating Bhavana-worthy centerpieces at home.
Photo by Ingalls Photography1/3Treat your flowers like a salad
“Wait until the last possible moment to set out the arrangement,” Nguyen says. She suggests assembling freshly cut flowers the day of and storing them in the fridge with lots of water to prevent wilting.
Photo by Jillian Clark2/3Consider a rocks glass
Flowers shouldn’t get in the way of dinner conversation, so Nguyen builds low arrangements in a double rocks glass.
Photo by Jillian Clark3/3Hit the farmers' market
Include edible elements that complement the food you’re serving. Nguyen mixes in flowering produce like broccoli rabe or chives and uses aromatic herbs as accents.
