Our friends over at Epicurious, in true foodie form, have developed three beautiful Mother's Day-appropriate flower arrangements, each of which uses at least one edible ingredient—including some your mom probably had to force-feed you before you came to your vegetable-loving, grown-up senses. (You have come to your vegetable-loving, grown-up senses by now, haven't you?)  We'll walk you through our favorite one here, with photos and instructions from Epicurious.com, and you can click over to the site to check out the rest.



From Epicurious:
"MATERIALS: 2 cube glass vases, one large (6") and one small (4"); 1 small square (approximately 4" x 4" x 3\8") of floral clay; 4"-square flower frog; 5 floral stakes; 2 bunches peonies (approximately 10 stems) in two shades of pink; 1 bunch of lilacs; 1 bunch of miniature kale; 2 bunches of thin asparagus; 5 baby artichokes; 2' pink and green ribbon
EQUIPMENT: cutting board; pruning shears; scissors; ruler; awl; chef's knife; double-sided tape"





Step One: "Place the floral clay in the center of the larger vase and the smaller vase on top of the clay. Asparagus stalks should be cut to approximately 5" before being placed in between the two vases. Use a pick or skewer to scoot them closer together. Add water to the outer vase so all stalks are covered by at least 1 inch."










Step Two: "The flower frog—a heavy piece of lead with small spikes that sits at the bottom of the vase and holds the flowers in place—should be placed inside the smaller vase."




 








Step Three: "Cut off the stems of the artichokes. Push floral stakes deep into artichoke centers so their weight will be fully supported. If the artichokes are very hard, make an initial hole using the awl."













Step Four: "Fill the smaller vase halfway with water (2"). Cut peonies, lilacs, and kale to 8" to 10" and slot them randomly into the flower frog so they stay in place—longer stems should be in the middle so they stick up, shorter stems on the sides so they curl under."











Step Five: "Artichoke stakes should be cut to 9" or 101⁄2" and inserted so they sit higher than the flowers. The arrangement should look very full."














Step Six: "Choose a ribbon that pulls together the colors used. Attach double-sided tape to the back on both sides and wrap around the square vase, ensuring it is centered before affixing."

Now that wasn't so bad, was it?












To learn how to make a flowering quince, anemone, and grapes arrangement (below, left), or one composed of lilies and herbs (below, right), go to Epicurious.com—and check out the rest of their great Mother's Day ideas while you're at it.
















All photos and instructions courtesy of Epicurious.com.

Related links on Shine:
An easy, long-lasting flower arrangement you don't need any skills to pull off
An even-longer-lasting "flower" arrangement that borders on sculpture
More spring centerpieces from Epicurious
Collapsible vases for spring's best buds
5 thoughtful Mother's Day gifts under $40