I own 30 acres of property in upstate NY but live in NJ. There are a variety of wild flowers that grow naturally within my field. There are beautiful yellow and purple flowers, orange flowers, and flowers that look like cat tails. There are also some flowers that are completely green. I would like to pick some of these flowers and use them as my table centerpieces instead of spending money at a florist (I am on an extremely tight budget).

1) Would this be considered tacky? Everyone knows how much I love going to my property so these flowers would be something personal.

2) Would anyone know how long these flowers would last after I pick them?

3) Would anyone know how to preserve these flowers so that I don’t have to pick them the night before the wedding? It’s a 3 hour drive to my property.

Sue of Hobart’s Fine Florals

I’ll answer but please don’t forget to follow the listing/posting instructions that says list only one question per post since not all questions can be answered by the same expert. Thanks!

There is absolutely nothing tacky about that; quite the contrary. Your challenges with this project are:

1. Cutting and proper flower conditioning…The way that is done is to cut flowers in the morning or late evening while it is nice and cool. Immediately put them into lukewarm to warm (not cold) water. This duplicates the day temperature and contributes to the uptake of water. If warm water is not available just use cold and when you get back to the house re-cut the stems and put them in warm water. As the water cools they will hopefully be tricked into believing they are still attached at the roots.

2. Getting someone else to arrange them. Maybe you think you want to do them yourself? Ask if you want the perfect manicure and skin and spa look. You may want to enlist a creative friend to put them together. This is a bit of work and really should be done the day before the wedding. You as the bride will probably be too busy.
I would suggest a trip to pick them on about 3 days before and to do the conditioning as I said. Then keep them in a cool place like your basement until they are arranged. Be sure to get plenty of extra material in case you loose some to wilting. Arrange them in pure water in vases or bowls and have that be warm water as well. Flowers that are properly handled do not wilt that fast.

Just a note…lately the most valuable flowers at the commercial market are the wildflowers/weeds…Go for it…use abundance and celebrate your personal style.Good luck and have a lovely wedding!