How To Arrange Summer Flowers

During my June beach vacation, I begged my husband Drew's 89-year-old grandmother, Ruthmary, to give me a flower arranging lesson. Roo-Roo, as us "kids" call her, is the type of Southern woman you read about in best-selling beach novels. She is an amazing cook, gardener, and charitable figure in her community, yet she drinks bourbon with grace and cracks the wittiest jokes of anyone I know. Her flower arrangements are legendary in her hometown of Wilson, N.C. and now we can all learn from her years of experience.

What You Need:

• A selection of flowers. For this arrangement, Roo-Roo chose blue hydrangeas and gardenias from her home along with some paler pink and white lace-top and shooting star hydrangeas for visual and textural interest.

• Greenery, if desired, for anchoring

• Clippers, for trimming stems

• A vase (and water)

• Newspaper, for covering the table

• Floral wire, if desired, for propping up any droopy, delicate buds

Click here to see the How to Arrange Summer Flowers Slideshow.

Sarah and Lydia have been helping clients with entertaining needs both big and small, turning inspirational ideas into real experiences that friends and family will always treasure. For more tips and entertaining ideas, visit their site at Apples & Onions.