I had some extra time in my day last week and I finally made it over to Trader Joe’s for the first time in about 2 years.  One thing I love about that store is that they always have great flowers for a VERY inexpensive price.  It’s tulip season right now and they had the most fabulous tulips that were SO cheap.   I think each container was less than $2.50.  If you bought them cut at Whole Foods, you would spend waaaaaay more….  Anyways, because they were so cheap and so pretty I bought seven containers and decided to create an easy and pretty flower arrangement to share with you.  At some point, I will be able to plan ahead and buy dirt and bulbs to plant the old fashioned way.  BUT, right now I need, quick and pretty. I already had this bowl in my planting repertoire and knew it would be perfect for the job. I’ve listed some bowls, the moss and my outfit details in the widget below.   Here are the steps on how I created this arrangement:

1. My bowl was a bit deep, so I went outside and found some rocks and put those on the bottom to add height so I could set my tulips on top.  If you have bubble wrap or something laying around, that would be more idea because it’s lighter and flatter.
2. I left my tulips in the plastic container and sat them on top of the rocks.  I left them in their plastic containers because I didn’t want a dirty mess everywhere. Leaving them in the pots also helps so that I could turn the containers depending on which way the tulips opened.  If you take them out and plant them in dirt, you can’t turn them. Tulips can kind of spread when they open and change directions, so keep that in mind.
3. To keep them in place I used some trash bags to stuff around them.  You can reuse these bags later for the trash can or for another arrangement.  I build up the bags until it reaches the top of the pot so that I can place the moss on top.  If you don’t build up the edges with trash bags or bubble wrap, you will use more moss and then you will have to buy two containers.
4. Place the moss on top and cover everything so you don’t see the soil or the bags. I used reindeer moss for this particular arrangement because I knew it would be temporary.
5. Voile, a pretty arrangement!

If you are trying to plan your tulips to be at their peak for a party or an event follow the time line below.

-I bought my tulips on a Tuesday when they were all completely closed.

-They sat in my kitchen until Thursday when I put them in my garage where it was cooler. Friday afternoon, I got them out and made the arrangement.

-They looked their best on Sunday-Tuesday.  Today is Wednesday and they still look decent, but they are really open.  The last picture above was taken on Monday so you can see how it filled out and when they looked their best.

*If you want to delay them opening keep them in a cool place like your garage or your fridge if you have room. The warmer your house is, the faster they will open.

*You can do this with any potted plant you find at Lowe’s, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc.  If you add moss around the edges it instantly takes it to a sophisticated level!