Shake Things Up By Styling Your Flowers In A Citrus Instead Of A Vase

"Love is like wildflowers; it's often found in the most unlikely places," stated Ralph Waldo Emerson. Flowers, whether wild or cultivated, are a joy to see, no matter where they are. Fresh-cut flowers protruding from a lemon or an orange is certainly unlikely. Subbing citruses for vases is a way to add a dose of whimsy to your tablescape.

Gather a selection of citrus fruits and stiff-stemmed flowers to make a charming and off-beat floral display. Also set aside a bamboo skewer, a paring knife, and a box of toothpicks. Decorate your home with flowers in an unexpected way by poking them into oranges sliced in half, whole grapefruit, or limes set on their sides. Simply spear your fruit at its center point with the skewer, and send the stem through the resulting hole.

Virtually any flower can sit atop a citrus fruit without trouble with an inch or two of stem. Experiment with other types of flowers to see how they hold up standing alone; start with a long stem, and gauge how it holds the weight of the head. Trim away an inch or two at a time, testing as you go, to see what length of stem can support the blossom. For the drama of long-stemmed flowers standing in a fruit, choose ones that have firm stems that will support the weight of the blossom. Woody-stemmed flowers like roses, dogwoods, and lilacs will stand tall on their sturdy stems as will many types of greenery.

At first glance, this botanical hack looks like both doubtful to stay upright as well as a waste of good food. You need not worry since there are practical solutions for both of these dilemmas that will have you decorating your dining table with this fresh and fun trick, qualm-free. Thwart gravity by slicing away a bit of the peel to make a flat base. This will work better for fruits with a thick pith that also holds lightweight foliage. If you end up cutting into the fruit's flesh, rest the fruit on a platter to avoid a sticky mess.

You can also enlist a few toothpicks to support tall flowers set in citrus. Press three or four toothpicks into the fruit-like "legs" until only an inch or so is exposed. Experiment with how the fruit stands on its supports as you sink the toothpicks further into the fruit.

Why waste the many non-food uses for citrus around the house, such as cleaning, deodorizing, or even as part of a mosquito repellent? Simmer up a pot of home-freshening orange peels and pieces with spices in a bit of water. You may even be able to repel insect pests by washing floors with a mixture of water, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Dry the remnants of your arrangement, and use them as fire starters; the oils in citrus peels make them great kindling.