Owner of Olive’s Bloombox in Ferndale shows Detroit Jewish News how to make a hand-tied floral bouquet for summer.
By Cassie Kunze
Photography by Sacred Overstreet-Amos
Sponsored by Olive’s Bloombox
Detroit Jewish News met with Michigan native Laurie Bolach, owner and professional floral designer at Olive’s Bloombox in Ferndale, to find out how to make a gorgeous hand-tied floral bouquet for summer.
Olive’s Bloombox is a boutique floral studio and seasonal garden market that began in Bolach’s garage in Pleasant Ridge in 2015. What began as a side hustle from her corporate sales job bloomed into a full-time endeavor. Bolach harnessed her passions in floristry, which eventually led to her being hired for weddings and large corporate events and to facilitate floral installations around the city of Detroit.
The brick-and-mortar shop opened its doors in Ferndale in December 2017 and features unique home and garden elements sourced from across the country. “I’m so grateful for the opportunities that have come my way. They have allowed me to turn my passion into a full-time gig,” Bolach says. “The happiness and positive change that fresh flora brings to one person or an entire event is amazing, and I love to be a part of that experience.”
Tip 1
Before assembling your hand-tied bouquet, take inventory of the flowers you have on hand to make sure you have what you need to execute your vision. “In the shop, I like to work with floral recipes, which allows for consistency when designing for large events,” Bolach says.
Tip 2
Bolach suggests having six different types of flowers:
- Foliage for greenery.
- Linear for shape and height in the design.
- A “wow” flower — the most eye-catching of the bouquet.
- A secondary “wow” accent flower.
- Filler stems to hide mechanics and add texture and bulk.
- “Dancers” — light, airy florals with unique appearance to bring interest to the overall design.
“The best thing about summer is of all the fabulous flowers that come into bloom bringing their bright colors and delicious smells,” Bolach says. For this hand-tied bouquet, she chose some of her favorite florals including peonies, hellebores, ranunculus, stock, garden roses and feverfew, taking into consideration their color, texture and size.
Tip 3
Cleaning and editing all your flowers are essential to extending the longevity of your bouquet. Bolach says to cut the stems at an angle, which allows the flower to hydrate more efficiently. Remove the leaves off the stem since they can carry harmful bacteria that shorten the flower’s life span. If you decide to leave some leaves on for aesthetic purposes, be sure they are all above the water line once you have put your bouquet into your vessel.
Tip 4
When gathering your arrangement together, Bolach says to follow the “rule of three.” Stems typically look better when grouped in threes — position each of the three flowers at different heights so they do not fight for space. “I use the rule of three throughout the entire design and arrangement process, including three types of textures, three colors and various shades of those three hues,” she says.
Tip 5
Personalize the arrangement and don’t be afraid to try something different. “The best thing about designing a hand-tied bouquet is the ability to give it a personal touch and customization for the recipient. There’s nothing better than the feeling and happiness that fresh florals exude,” Bolach says.
Olive’s Bloombox offers interactive workshops as well as private events for birthdays, showers, corporate team building or just a great night out. The Bloombox crew will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating your own special masterpiece at the shop or at a location of your choice.
1011 Livernois Ave., Ferndale
flowers@olivesbloombox.com
248-320-9350
April – December
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
