How to Brighten a Space with Gerbera Daisies
A few weeks ago when preparing for a family dinner, I picked up some miniature white Gerbera daisies from the grocery store. Long-stemmed, fully wrapped to protect each delicate pedal. Elegant and each one with its own attitude, if you know what I mean.
This time the store only carried white, but usually there are some stunning, vibrant colors to choose from.
Do you ever think about flowers each having an attitude? What are they saying, as they look up to the sky, or when they are starting to droop and get dry and brown? I’ve always wondered …
With these beauties, I used the following items to make them stand out and be perfectly gorgeous on my kitchen countertop.
-Glass rocks
-Scissors
-Wide mouth vase
-Water
-Sunlight
Place the daisies immediately in tepid water. Tepid means that the water is neither warm nor cold. When I bring flowers home from the store, even if I don’t get around to arranging them for a day or so, I place them in a tepid cup of water.
When getting ready to arrange, cut each stem individually and place in the vase of water, rather than cutting a bouquet and inserting it in the water.
Dissolve an aspirin in the water. This will keep the daisies fresh and alive for significantly longer.
I used glass rocks to support the stems. Gerbera daisies have weak stems, which can lead to them looking droopy more quickly, so the taller the vase, and having something for them to be stuck into, helps them stand tall.
Make sure that there is sunlight directly overhead. Gerbera daisies will turn toward sunlight just like sunflowers. As a result, the best way to keep them looking perky is to make sure that the sunlight is coming from overhead. Otherwise, they will turn or twist on their stems to face the light, making them look droopier.
A large elegant glass vase with vibrant Gerbera daisies placed on your countertop or in the middle of your dinner table is a way to add a festive flair for dinner parties, or make an everyday meal feel special by giving the table a fresh pop of color.
Here’s a twist for a springtime dinner party: Place slices of citrus fruit in the vase with the daisies, mixing bright pink flowers with pieces of lime, or orange blooms with slices of lemon.
For a summer dinner party: Toss a few colorful tops of Gerbera daisies in the swimming pool or a nearby fountain. They will float along the surface, giving an unexpected touch of color.
Decorate your bedroom: Fill a large, clear glass bowl with water; place the tops of Gerbera daisies and floating candles inside.
You can also float the pedals: Float in a shallow amount of water in your bathtub, for entertaining. Coordinate the colors with your bathroom colors, or add a bright, festive accent color.
The ideas are limitless and fun. I especially love the very top photo with my 2 sisters in the background .. totally an unplanned photo! :)
What’s your favorite Gerbera daisy color?
Oh dear!! i love those images. How did you mange them. Looks so live. Thanks for sharing.
Great tips and your arrangement is lovely! I am a fan of Gerbera’s…they are so bright and cheery…no matter the color!
My mother’s favorite flower.
Gerber Daisies are my absolute favorite flowers. I love how you displayed them!
The hot pink are my favorite. I also love the vessel holding the Gerbera daisies on your Island!
Lovely pictures, and lovely idea! Do you, perchance, have any tips for reviving potted Gerbera daisies that have begun to droop? My 5 year old daughter picked them out, so I want to revive them if I can.
Like Ad K, the hot pink ones are my favorite. Here’s my idea for them – although it requires a vase you don’t see through. Put the stems in a straw. Keep the straws short enough they don’t show through at the tope of the vase, this props up any floppy flowers quite well.
Darla
I love the hot pink Gerbera daisies, they are so bright. I like to use them when we have dinner on our deck or for our Easter egg hunt brunch [1 week before Easter].
Sandy, they are beautiful! I love reading your posts! You have such a knack for the details my friend. They look so beautiful in that vase on your kitchen counter! So pretty!
Would you want to link this up at my place today so I can feature you?
xoxo!
Melody
ChattyChics.com
http://chattychics.com/2012/02/14/need-inspiration-wild-wednesday-3/
Hi Sandy,
These are just gorgeous! Love looking at them…if only in pictures. :-)
Love your idea for summer entertaining. We have a pond next to our patio and I think if I put daisies in there to float around it would look so special.
You are so sweet they way you think about the flowers reaching up to the sun or drooping down. I don’t think I will ever look at a bouquet in the same way. Last night, my husband brought me home a beautiful bouquet of pink carnations…there are a few that have sort of a peppermint pattern…I think they have quite the attitude! ;-)
Have a great day.
Love,
Mary
great tips, Sandy. I like the idea of putting them in a high vase as it supports the tender stems. Otherwise they would be flopping all over the place.