From flowers to vase

Expert says let plants speak for themselves when arranging

Having been a florist for more than 20 years, Linda Beutler knows a thing or two about cutting and arranging flowers.

Her 50-by-100 lot in Portland spills over with plants suitable for cutting and arranging, as well as favored fruit trees and vegetables, which she often incorporates into her arrangements.

“Flowers by themselves are boring,” Beutler says. Bouquets should include berries and leaves because a plant’s elements of maturation over the season can be a lovely part of a design’s journey, she explains.

She includes not only traditional plants such as lilies and roses into her arrangements, but the not-so-traditional tulips, bleeding heart, ornamental grasses, and yes, even clematis. In case you’re wondering, her personal collection numbers more than 300 species and cultivars.

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Build your own bouquet

A dozen red roses may be spectacular. But to some women, it's the default Valentine's present, same-o and impersonal -- something a chimp with a credit card could send. This year, it might be time to show your sweetie that it's YOU who is the true King of Romance. The man among men who knows her favorite colors and flowers, and who used his own hands, time and creativity to make her a bouquet. Remember how much your mom liked the pot holder you made her? A somewhat less romantic reason is that building your own floral arrangement can also cut the cost of Valentine's gallantry considerably.

To show how it's done, we recruited Richard Grant, 25, a research specialist at the UW Biotech Center with no previous bouquet-building credentials. Under the guidance of floral designer Judy Ansfield, the manager of Felly's Flowers on University Avenue, Grant made a bouquet for his girlfriend, Becca Splain, also 25.

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