Floral Artist Lewis Miller Chats Making The Most Of Your Bodega Blooms

Whether you're in a pinch for time, or pinching pennies, bodega flowers are a quintessentially New York treasure that will never let you down. But for the floral novice, these plastic wrapped beauties can present a flurry of questions...

Lewis Miller is the most exciting name in the floral world - famous for his vibrant, lively arrangements and his jaw-dropping, Instagram-inducing flower flash street installations. For those interested in taking their arranging game to haute couture heights, Miller is offering a limited number of Valentine's Day Flower Flash Boxes that are sure to be the chicest gift in town.

For the rest of you last-minute, panic-stricken lovers roaming the streets for a floral fix, we tapped Miller for his top tips and tricks for making the most of your corner store stems!

What are your three favorite flowers that every bodega has?
Hyacinths, tulips and sunflowers.

Once home, how can you make them last the longest?
Give them a fresh cut and drop them into clean, cool water! Keep away from heaters, vents and direct sunlight. Be sure to top off with fresh water daily.

What do you think is the chicest floral color combo?
Pink and orange.

What should everyone know when it comes to cutting the stems?
Cut one inch up at a 45 degree angle and drop into water immediately. Don’t dally!

What's your biggest floral arrangement pet peeve?
When flowers feel scrunched. Whether they're cut too low and packed too tight with too many stems shoved together - give each flower room to do it’s thing.

Any tricks to getting flowers to open quickly?
Give them a fresh cut, place them in very warm water and set in a warm spot or in sunlight.

What's your dream location to do a flower flash?
Patience & Fortitude, the New York Public Library's lions.

[Photo via @bodegaflowersofnyc]