How to Arrange Garden Flowers & Keep Them Fresh: Tips From Boulder’s Fiori Flowers

There’s something about fresh flowers that makes a home feel a little more cozy. Here in Boulder, Colorado, some of the most beautiful arrangements might start with what’s already growing right outside our front doors.

We spent a morning with our friends, Lara and Kylie, at Fiori Flowers to learn how they approach seasonal flower arrangements, what catches their eye in a homeowner’s garden, and how to make fresh cut flowers last a little longer.

At Willow, we believe a home should be enjoyed just as much as it’s cared for. That’s a big part of what we do: taking care of the details behind the scenes so there’s more room for the things that make being home feel special. And sometimes, that’s as simple as arranging fresh flowers from your own garden.

Meet Lara + Fiori Flowers

A Boulder favorite for nearly two decades, Fiori Flowers is a woman-owned floral shop with deep roots in the local community. Lara’s love for flowers began at Alfalfa’s, the neighborhood grocery store founded by her father, and eventually led her to Fiori, which she purchased in 2008.

Today, Fiori has found a new home on the east end of Pearl Street, where Lara and her team continue to share their love of flowers, thoughtful design, and the simple joy that fresh blooms can bring to everyday life. More than a flower shop, it’s a place that celebrates creativity, connection, and the beauty of bringing a little nature indoors.

What seasonal garden flowers can you bring inside?

Morgan: As Boulder gardens wind down for the season, what can we bring inside to enjoy a little longer?

Lara: Well, I think anything that inspires you is really good, honestly. You don’t have to cut a whole garden!

We have a lot of dahlias right now, and they’re very fall. I also found these Japanese anemones in a park by my house, and I think they’re gorgeous. To me, this is a good example of what I would use for texture because they’re not all floral. They’re like really fun little alien fingers!

If you’re worried about what your garden feels like next year and you want to leave stuff, you could cut just one of these, put it in a vase on your table, and it’s beautiful. Or you could cut the whole bunch and put it in a gigantic vase.

Even in winter, when you’re getting into more of that branchy season, there are things that have cool shapes and textures. We had branches that were green when they were cut, and then we brought them in, and they turned red in the water!

Really, just cut what you’re inspired by. Let it do its thing.

What overlooked garden elements make great arrangements?

Morgan: What do you notice in a garden that most of us probably overlook?

Lara: I think branches, texture, and just a little bit more unassuming flowers. I don’t know if some people even see them. And the stuff on the side of the road! Once you start looking, it’s hard not to. You’ll be driving and think, “Oh, get that yellow bush!”

You may have seen it a hundred times, but then all of a sudden you’re like, “Oh, that’s a good texture. That’s the color I want right now.”

How to arrange flowers from your garden like a florist

Morgan: I’ve always wondered, when putting together an arrangement, do you start with the vase or let the flowers lead the way?

Lara: It depends on what we’re creating. Sometimes we’re working with a particular color palette, sometimes we’re inspired by what’s seasonal and available locally, and sometimes it’s more about the feeling someone wants.

We generally start with greenery and texture. That’s a big part of the Fiori style — mixing different shapes, sizes, and materials so the arrangement feels interesting and natural.

When I teach classes, I always say a good rule of thumb is to work with odd numbers, like three or five. But as you learn what you like and how to design, those rules kind of go out the window. It’s just a good starting point.

How to choose colors for a flower arrangement

Morgan: OK, so we’ve got our flowers and greenery. Now, how do we get all these different colors to play nicely together without it looking like a floral free-for-all?

Lara: It’s all about the tones. You can have pink, orange, peach, and white together, but they’re softer colors. The pink isn’t hot pink, and the orange is more of a soft, peachy orange.

You can mix different colors, but keeping them in the same tones is a great way to bring everything together.

Choosing the right vase for your flowers

Morgan: We spend so much time thinking about the flowers, but what about the vase? Can the right one really make or break an arrangement?

Lara: The vase definitely plays a part. You generally want to have some height in the arrangement — another good rule of thumb is about one and a half times the height of the vase.

I think height is important because you can always go smaller. You can always cut stems shorter and shorter, but if you start taller, you have more room to work with. I don’t necessarily start with the vase, though. It depends on what you’re sourcing. Sometimes we’ll find something really cool, like a willow tree growing on the side of the road, bring it in, and then figure out where it would look good and what makes sense.

How to keep cut flowers fresh longer

Morgan: We’ve all created a beautiful garden bouquet only to watch it wilt a few days later. What’s the secret to keeping cut flowers happy a little longer?

Lara: There’s a whole world you can get into with what each flower needs, but generally, our recommendation is pretty simple.

1. Use room temperature tap water and flower food. The flower food helps keep the water clean, which is really important.
2. Every couple of days, take the flowers out, recut the stems, change the water, and put them back in.
3. Invest in a really good pair of sharp clippers!

Hydrangeas, for example, are a little different. If you’re cutting them from your garden, you can put them upside down in a bucket of water for a few hours, then cut the stems and put them in water. Otherwise, they can wilt quickly. But for most flowers, changing the water and recutting the stems every couple of days is a huge one.

Morgan: Any little florist tricks for keeping those beautiful, wispy grasses from shedding all over the house?

Lara: If you spray hairspray on them, it makes them stick!

Through an Expert’s Eyes

At Willow, much of what we do happens behind the scenes, caring for the details that keep a home running smoothly through every season. But a home is meant to be enjoyed, too.

Our morning with Fiori was a reminder that sometimes, it’s the simplest things that make a space feel special. A colorful branch with an interesting shape, a few late-season flowers, or something growing in the garden that you’ve walked past a hundred times. A little inspiration can change the way you see the home you already love.

Thank you to our friends at Fiori Flowers, Lara and Kylie, for sharing their creativity, floral expertise, and a new way of looking at the garden. Next time you’re outside, take another look around. You might find your next favorite arrangement.