5 Easy Steps to making perfect floral arrangements
Color pallet Choices and collecting the perfect stems
Arrangement and Containers
Essential Tools and Techniques
Elevate your Arrangement with Bows and Found Objects
Don’t forget your furniture
Color pallet Choices and collecting the perfect stems…
Picking The Right Flowers for that Special Occasion goes hand in hand with hospitality and what we do in the hospitality business.
Running an Inn for 20 years has on many occasion required knowledge of the perfect floral arrangement. At Frederick William House in Falmouth Massachusetts on Cape Cod, a floral arrangement often is strategically placed to welcome guests. Flowers say “l love you” without a permanent mark.
Each bouquet and wreath represents the temporary state of bliss a birthday can be or a wedding can represent because they expire. Good times and bad times are all temporary. Life, is unfortunately also temporary. Our funeral arrangements celebrate our loved one’s life and mark the passing of that extraordinary adventure.
When we have anniversary celebrants come stay at the Inn or brides, birthdays, or proposals…most guests ask us for an arrangement to be placed in the room to give the stay an extra awareness that says “honey I acknowledge the significance of this moment” and “I love you”.
Flowers can be understated or overdone. They can be humble, or loud. Arranging the perfect bouquet is an art form, but one that can be just as easy as it is pleasurable to recieve.
In this blog, I will give you some basic tips to be able to create your hand cut wildflower or garden bouquet yourself.
Foraging is a fun and interesting way to practice how to arrange flowers. If you live in a rural area, you’re likely to find roadside wildflowers, grasses and flowering branches blooming at various times of the year.
Your own garden can provide an array of choices if you plan properly and plant strategically. Here at Frederick William House I planted Hydrangeas over 20 years ago for this purpose alone…so fresh cut Hydrangeas welcomed guests during that blooming season.
Hydrangeas do change in color on the plant throughout fall, so we are always careful to visit serve what we cut, and how much we keep so our flowering plants outside deliver that welcoming burst just as much as the arrangements inside. We never cut our Rhodedendrums for example, because the flowering bushes are evergreen and cutting the flowers can damage the health and longevity of those bushes.
Be sure not to forage rare or endangered flowers in your arrangement. Knowing your community's laws and property boundaries will ensure that the wild foliage in your area remains undisturbed. An example of this are the illegal act of foraging and picking California poppies, the native State flower, which in recent years have had superbloom events, that state parks had to close to the public because of the illegal foraging of the species.
Mastering Color Palettes in Foraged Floral Design
Colors in foraged floral design are like flavors in cooking: mix them right, and you’ve got a feast for the eyes. Think of your arrangement as a cocktail – you want it to have that perfect balance of harmony and zing.Whether you’re going for a calm, cool, collected look or a wild, "look at me!" vibe, color is your best friend. Mix and match like you’re curating your wardrobe for the ultimate foraged floral design fashion statement.
Grouping flowers by color can amp up this impact, allowing each hue to stand out and shine, contributing to the overall project. This approach enhances the visual appeal of your design and illustrates mood and emotion, making your floral arrangements speak volumes without a single word. Whether aiming for a serene scheme or a vibrant, eclectic mix, mastering color palettes will captivate your audience with your foraged flower arranging, showcasing your creativity and stylistic vision.
Once you’ve found your foliage and flowers and brought them home, give all of the stems a fresh cut and place in clean water. Add flower food (crush a teaspoon of Aspirin) to the water to keep your flowers lasting longer. If you have the extra time, let your flowers hydrate for a few hours before arranging with them. Martha Stewart Magazine has provided a flower food recipe you can easily make at home.
Arrangement and Containers
What Role Does the 3:5:8 Rule Play in Floral Arrangements?
It serves as a framework for creating visually appealing designs by varying the length, width and height to place elements. The rule states there should be no more than three groups of foraged flowers. The tallest flowers should be in the back and the shortest in the front. Smallest blooms belong towards the top and the largest should be hanging out closer to the bottom. It can also speak to the number of grouped colors in an arrangement.
Tallest flowers in center of vase and taper down with shorter stems
Is it possible to create high-end arrangements without a high budget?
Yes, focusing on the artistic placement of a few select blooms can create an impactful, upscale look. Fewer, finer flowers is the vibe so save at least one rockstar bloom for a design like this! Be sure to use smaller or taller blooms and greenery to showcase your blooms.
When choosing a vase or a container, I usually use whatever I find on hand, recycled mason jars, flower pots, coffee cups for mini table arrangements or bedside arrangements, glass containers, or wooden crates with a container inside to hold my water and flower food. Be creative with your vessel choice, the sky is the limit.
Essential Tools and Techniques
Essential tools like sharp shears, reliable Forage Foam, and flexible wire are the backbone of any arrangement. Flower Fuel and Finishing Spritz can add days to your design’s life.
Cut stems on a diagonal under running water and immediately place in your chosen vase for the best outcome of the flower lasting. Crush an aspirin and immediately place cut stems into your room temp water in the vase.
Elevate your Arrangement with Bows and Found Objects
Selecting the perfect bows for your floral arrangements is an art in itself. Consider the color palette of your blooms and the overall theme you wish to convey. Delicate satin bows can complement pastel flowers, while rustic jute bows may pair beautifully with wildflower arrangements.
The key is to strike a balance that enhances the natural beauty of the flowers without overpowering them. Simply tying a bow around the vase can make watering your arrangement easier during its lifespan. Adding buttons, glittery stems, silk enhancements, pinecones and dried or silk accents can also uplift your design for a holiday punch…for example, we place little flags on our dining room tables in the middle of the arrangement to help deliver the 4th of July theme during that holiday rush. And we put glittery foam hearts on our valentines dining table arrangements. Our winter arrangements have pine ones and glittery ribbons. I use what I have at hand to convey the theme of upcoming holidays and events. Fall tables and wreaths will have mini foam pumpkins.
Simple arrangements for dining are usually best to help enhance atmosphere without competing with the platted entrees. First glance on a restaurant table should be welcoming, not overpowering or competing with the food order.
Don’t forget your furniture
No one ever talks about the table tops or furniture in floral arrangement strategies. But as an Innkeeper who puts out many an arrangement it is wise to remember your furniture tops can be sensitive to sweating vases. To save those delicate tops, especially the wooden ones, place your vase on a platter or plate, so the arrangement does not sweat onto furniture and create a water mark or ring that will permanently damage your top.
コメント