Not sure how to explain this, but here goes. If you want to cheat and keep the squares offset -- Leave the squares intact, except in the corners where you would have to cut a block in half to square up the quilt, cut that square out. In its place, add a matching blue rectangle and applique 2 or 3 of the flowers from the square you cut out. So each corner of the quilt would have the blue rectangles w/applique. Does this make sense?
Just a thought.