Jan is a retired florist who shared her secrets with us ... she is also a passionate gardener

What to Buy (or raid from the garden)
Select only crisp, firm and fresh material
Collect lots & lots of foliage eg camelia, aspidistra, sticky fern
In addition look for sticks, buds, fruiting bodies

Preparation
Always take lower leaves off stems
Always clip 2 cm off stem (to remove airlock & allow water to be absorbed)
For woody stems eg hydrangea, bang the stem & use warm water
A little bleach in the water (2 drops) will kill bacteria ... especially useful in humid summer conditions
Soak plant material in water after preparation above
When using oasis soak it for half a day prior to arranging material

Floral Arrangements
1 Bowl
First choose the focal flower (1, 2 or 3). Then cover the oasis with foliage taking care to have leaves facing up - this will establish the dimensions.
Continue to add additional flowers, buds, foliage etc & maintain overall balance.
If arrangement is for dining table be careful to keep a low elevation for diners to see over the table
Another idea ... a series of single flower in small vases repeated along the table

2 Vase
Work towards the arrangement being one & a half times the height of the vase. Remember to use an ODD number for fillings and keep to a theme colour - not too much contrast

3 Posies
Hold plant material in your hand & gather foliage material together. The poke the stem of flower through the foliage and continue this process
When complete cut the stems to uniform length & tie with a thickish rubber band by firstly looping it around the strongest woody stem of the posy and wrapping the rubber band several times around all the stems.
To anchor, end the loop around the first woody stem chosen. Very neat trick !