Tulip bride's bouquet

[Snapdragon Studio]

I have a bride that wants an all-tulip bouquet. Any tips? I've used them in mixed bouquets, but never by themselves and I'm a bit worried. Specifically, about them blowing open and "growing". She even wants tulip bouts... should I discourage her, or can I make it work?

 

[Palms]

Personally i would not want to do tulip buttonholes, too risky and the stems are a buggar to wire.

I did an all tulip bouquet once and that was a bit of nightmare as well iirc. The handle was really thick and i never felt truly confident about it. They didnt blow open though, i know that but was not as easy as they look to achieve the massed look.

You could try it when tulips are really cheap and do a practice

 

[peggy70130]

I agree with Palms....my experience exactly! They don't do well at all for bouts and corsages, it's all bad stems, and they blow open. I've done a bouquet with them also, and I seem to remember it was a bit of a nightmare too. Just hatefull things to try to make go where you want them to go. Like Palms said, you could try when they're cheap, but the only thing I would try, is to discourage the bride

 

[emilymoonflower]

I've never done a bridal bouquet with tulips but have made several bouts with them for graduations and they held up.
I used tight heads with the color just showing,made a collar with a trimmed aspidistra leaf tip glued to the stem. I glued a bout magnet to the back of that, taped it up and covered with flora tape and metallic wire. The bout then gets sprayed with Finishing touch and popped in a clamshell bout box. They also look great with crystal wire sprays.
Emily

 

[Flore]

Whenever using tulips in a bouquet, we also slit the throats and glue them shut.

 

[veronika]

The only way to make it work is as a handtied. The trick is to keep the heads tight together, using some berries for texture is really nice and only use greens at the end to finish it off. I've never had a problem with it and have done it the day before and noticed the tulips did not grow probably because for one I kept it in the back of the cooler where it is dark and colder and also because they are so tightly put together they have nowhere to go. When doing the bouttoniere I put the wire up in the head and then tape it, no problem either. This will probably be my last input for I decided not to pay for this site. Like many of you the money is tight and having to provide for my family comes first. I'm still paying for invoices from November and hope that this year I can catch up and hopefully pay the taxes as well. I wish you guys all the best and its been nice to having somewhere to go to read that I'm not alone in this recession.

 

[emilymoonflower]

Hey Veronika,
So sorry to see you go - this economy sucks and I hope it gets better soon. I have a wonderful memory of Airdrie, I was visiting my brother there and took my mom for a walk in the park. There was a house with a white picket fence facing the park and the fence was covered with cascading sweet peas of every imaginable color. We went up for a closer look and were immediately hit with the heady scent - lovely!
Mom still talks about it whenever the subject of flowers comes up.
Anyway, best of luck and hope that things improve for you.
Emily

 

[Carol Bice]

What about encasing the tulip boutonnieres with bullion to keep them tight?

 

[veronika]

thanks Emily, next time you are around be sure to drop by and say hello. I am optimistic about this year and think that after Valentines things will improve. One can only hope

 

[conchandler]

What about encasing the tulip boutonnieres with bullion to keep them tight?

Yes, Carol, good idea, I was just thinking of what you could use to "bind it", so to speak. Hand-tied, all tulip bouquets work well, as stated, just use really fresh, tight blooms and keep 'em cold until delivery. They need very little else besides a bit of foliage and bow.

 

[rewolf]

Last year, I remember reading a tip about tulips on FC - don't put them in the cooler. It's the transition from cold air to the warm air that makes them blow open. So I tried it for an upcoming wedding I had - processed them and no cooler, made several bouquets and left them out of the cooler overnight - and it worked like a charm. But I must say, I am still not comfortable with tulip bouquets.

 

[Snapdragon Studio]

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[artistry in bloom]

I have used french tulips and parrot tulips a few times for the bridesmaids when the bride really wanted them even though I advised against it.
I have only done hand tied tightly together but the stems can get a little thick.
I have never done a bout except for this one where I basically put a small rose through the center of a parrot tulip to create a composite flower.
Hmm....this is the first time I have attached pictures since the change and the pictures seem to go all over the place. Not sure what I am doing wrong.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Last year, I remember reading a tip about tulips on FC - don't put them in the cooler. It's the transition from cold air to the warm air that makes them blow open. So I tried it for an upcoming wedding I had - processed them and no cooler, made several bouquets and left them out of the cooler overnight - and it worked like a charm. But I must say, I am still not comfortable with tulip bouquets.

Tulips, by their very nature, find their "natural" lifespan, at room temperatures, a little cooler, to stifle their growth...when they "flop" over, they are really still "growing", yet part of their stem remains rigid, thus the bending, and opening.

 

[RWK]

I'll reply to this thread shortly.........I need to look up some information to be sure I credit the right AIFD person, but I can tell you the exact way to make this work and work successfully.

 

[RWK]

Ok, This trick on using tulips comes from Kathi Thomas AIFD. She used this for a relatives wedding and I have used her technique several times since and thanks to this technique, I have no fear about promising tulips.

First of all...........Make up a mix of Elmers Glue and water - 1/2 glue and 1/2 water ( alternatively, you can use clear egg whites ) - you brush the tulips with this mixure. It will hold the blooms in a closed state.

Secondly, to secure the stems in a hand-tied, AFTER the egg/glue coating has dried, - take your CLEAR 1/4 inch grid tape.......begin at the top of a central grouping of tulips ( say three or four in hand ) and spiral the sticky tape around the stems going down the stems. Add more tulips and wrap again with the clear tape......again in a downward spiral.......continue with the next layer of tulips, then tape, tulips then tape.

The tape holds the stems securely.........is clear so it can be hidden with any and all manner of stem wrapping/covering.......and by going in a downward spiral......you lessen the chance of cutting into the stem. By using the tape, you also help to retard the growth of the stem and your bouquet holds it's shape better.

Now, Boutonierres/Buttonholes - trim the end of the stem to approximately two/three inches below the bloom. Dip/coat the ENTIRE stem/bloom with egg white or the elmers glue/water mixture...........let dry.
Take a galax leaf......use smithers oasis cold glue to wrap it around the tulips stem in a cone shape. If you want to add a bit of bling/accent to the bout, then use your glue to edge the galax with a length of gold cording.


I should mention that Kathi used this technique for a Texas summer outdoor wedding.

 

[Knife's Wife]

We have been using the Elmers glue technique for decades..my father in-law used the glue solution over 30 years ago. I have never painted it on though, just dip and let drip!

 

[Snapdragon Studio]

Artistry... gorgeous pics!
Ricky, thanks so much for the instructions. I've heard of the elmer's trick but not the grid tape or bout technique. *Muah*

Fortunately, I met with the bride today and she changed her mind about all tulips. She wants a mixed bouquet that includes tulips, so I'm not so panicked any more. Especially since it's an AUGUST wedding... :loopy

Thanks so much to my FC colleagues for all the advice, it is really appreciated.

 

[RWK]

I realized I left out one important tip - On your spiraling of the tape.........Don't wrap the tape completely around the stems making a circle of tape untill you are at the end of the stems........be sure to leave enough of the root end of the stem unwrapped for re-cutting and trimming.

The reason for the grid tape and not flora-tape is that you have to stretch floratape and secure it to itself........thereby making it easier to pull too tightly and to guilllotine the tulips.

 

[conchandler]

We have been using the Elmers glue technique for decades..my father in-law used the glue solution over 30 years ago. I have never painted it on though, just dip and let drip!

Curious, do either of these techniques: egg whites or glue, leave a dull or shiny finish or sticky finish?