Designer, stylist, and collector Eddie Ross—a master at unearthing flea-market treasures—keeps things fresh by using all types of vessels for arrangements that have a perfectly imperfect, natural appeal. In this excerpt from his book, Modern Mix: Curating Personal Style with Chic & Accessible Finds on how to curate personal style with chic and accessible finds, Ross empties out his flower-arranging kit and gives the inside scoop on his must-have flower tools.
A Flower Arranger’s Kit
FLORAL SHEARS
Trims soft stems, excess greenery and spent blooms. I like Sakagen.
BYPASS PRUNERS
Cuts tough-stemmed flowers and woody growth
UTILITY LIGHTER
Some flowers (like poppies and poinsettias) release a milky sap that clogs other stems. Sear their tips over an open flame for about 30 seconds to seal in the sap each time you cut them.
FROGS
Keep stems in vessels too wide or shallow firmly in place. Can be vintage or new in materials such as metal, ceramic, or glass. Spiky types hold up thin, slender stems; frogs with holes anchor thicker stems.
WIRE
Can bundle stems so they’re easier to arrange
ADHESIVE
Secures frogs in containers. Remove sticky residue with mayonnaise or Goo Gone.
KNIFE
Any knife with a short blade and good edge can be used to cut stems and carve floral foam.
FLORAL FOAM
Dense, water-absorbent anchor for supporting stems in arrangements
TAPE
Supports stems in a grid across the opening of a container. Use white or dark floral tape depending on the vessel, and household cellophane for glass.
SCISSORS
One for cutting sticky things like putty and tape; another for ribbon and paper. Mark the handles with a Sharpie.
STEM STRIPPER
Removes thorns and leaves—a must for roses
Modern Mix: Curating Personal Style with Chic & Accessible Finds by Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kocher (Gibbs Smith, 2015) is available wherever books are sold. Excerpt reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith.
Photos by Bryan E. McCay