How to Choose Flowers for a Bouquet

Sep 3, 2026 Maria Kravchenko

How to Choose Flowers for a Bouquet. Professional Tips from Florist Masha Kravchenko

Sometimes every flower in the shop looks perfect on its own, but at home they just don't come together as a bouquet. Usually the problem isn't the flowers but how they were chosen. When I go flower shopping, I keep three things in mind: colour, shape and texture.

1. Colour: choose a dominant shade

First, I have to decide on the palette, warm or cool. Then I choose a dominant shade that will make up about 70% of the bouquet. The other 30% is contrast, an accent that makes the bouquet expressive.

The 70/30 rule saves even tricky combinations. When there is a clear dominant colour, the contrast looks intentional rather than accidental.

2. Shape: line, round and spray

I divide all flowers into three shapes. Linear flowers give height and direction, round flowers give volume and focal points that draw the eye, and spray flowers add lightness and air. A beautiful bouquet needs all three. When one shape is missing, the bouquet looks flat.

I wrote about how to combine these shapes in the right proportions in How to Make a Stylish Bouquet.

3. Texture: the emotion of a bouquet

Texture is the surface of a flower: glossy, velvety, fluffy or spiky. The more varied the textures, the more alive and rich the bouquet looks, even with just a few flowers.

How I choose flowers in the shop

In the shop, I first look at everything available, and only then pick flowers by shape: lines first, then the "dots", meaning the round flowers, and finally I look for spray and contrast. I often have to substitute on the spot. If the flower I wanted isn't there, I look for another one with the same role in the bouquet: the same shape or the same shade.

If you can, buy flowers by the stem. That way you take exactly what you need and can create a real Dutch "plukboeket" bouquet without overspending.

How to check that flowers are fresh

Before a flower is selected, I always check a few things. The petals should be firm, without brown edges or spots. It is better if the buds are slightly opened rather than completely closed, then the flowers will stay fresh longer at home. The leaves should be green and dense, and the stems should be clean and strong at the cut, and in no case slimy.

Don't forget flower food

At the end of every purchase, I always take some flower food with me. It nourishes the flowers and helps keep the water clean longer, which helps the bouquet stay noticeably fresher longer.