How to arrange a simple yet beautiful bouquet using flowers from the garden
A few principles of flower arranging will help to create lovely bouquets from your garden this summer.
FLOWERS WE USED
• Astelia ‘Silver Spear’
• Chrysanthemums
• Cineraria ‘Silver Dust’
• Hydrangeas
STEP 1
Start with a handful of foliage, 3-5 pieces. These will create a base, and also hold the flowers in place.
STEP 2
Choose the flowers that will be the ‘stars’, usually the biggest, and insert into the foliage at even spacings.
STEP 3
Think about height and movement. Keep any tall foliage in proportion – odd numbers of foliage work best.
STEP 4
Fill in gaps with smaller flowers.
STEP 5
Done!
HOW TO MAKE A TEACUP BLOOM
The trick to holding this little display together is completely hidden inside the teapcup: floral foam. You can buy this special water-holding foam (commonly known by the commercial name Oasis) on Trade Me, or in stores like Mitre 10, Spotlight and The Warehouse.
It can be easily cut to fit a container’s shape, or you can buy it as a ball or a wreath. When soaked in water, it can hold up to 40 times its own weight but you do need to keep soaking it regularly to keep flowers alive. Floral foam has an internal structure that allows flowers to easily suck up the water, but it is also firm enough to hold stems in place.
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Explore Huguette Michel-Fleurie’s Monet-inspired hydrangea garden at Hortensia House in Marlborough
This article first appeared in NZ Lifestyle Block Magazine.
