Arranging Flowers from your Garden
-
Upload
laura-cook -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Arranging Flowers from your Garden
Arranging flowers
from your garden
Arranging flowers
By Cynthia Overbeck Bix and Philip Edinger
Sunset Books 2002
5 15 37 95
Fresh From
the Garden
Flower arranGinG
season by season
desiGninG
with Flowers
Gardens For Cut
Flowers
Bouquets on Stage - All the Garden’s a Stage - Rooms in Bloom
Flower-filled Rooms - The Nature of Flowers - Beautiful Containers - Creating Flower Arrangements - Tools, Tricks, and Techniques - Flower Arranger’s Corner
Daffodil Twist - Spring Enhancements - Springtime Medley - Petite Treasures - Bold-color Bouquet - A Garden on your Table - Zinnias by the Bundle - Romancing the Rose - Old-fashioned Posy - Classics Revisited - Rainbow Bouquet - Summer Dazzlers - Stately Stems - Late Bloomers - Harvest Bounty - Autumn’s Riches
What Kind of Garden? - Raised Beds - Planting Techniques - Caring for the Garden - Harvesting and Conditioning - Roses - Leaves, Berries and Branches - Cut and Dried - Plans for Cutting Gardens
5
15
37
95
The best marriages of rooms and floral arrangements are based on reading the ambience and style of a room and using flowers to enhance both. It helps to think of the flowers and vase as a parcel of your decor like wallpaper and upholstery.
Fresh from the Garden
Whether blooming out of doors or gracing the rooms in your home, flowers seem to make life better– more colorful, more pleasant, more serene. As a gardener or a garden lover, you enjoy the way flowers combine with their surroundings. You step back and see them as one facet of a larger picture, a living landscape painting that includes the sky, green trees and lawns, and fences or house walls of wood, brick or stone. When you bring the same blooms indoors, though, you enjoy them in a different way. A bouquet in a vase is like a still life. You tend to look closely, savoring the blossoms’ special qualities: their colors and textures, even the shapes of their stems.
anythinG Goes: Mix styles,
color, sizes – your cutting garden
doesn’t have to follow a script. When
beautifully arranged, almost any kind
of flower has star potential.
9
Enhancing Your homE with FlowErs
Every room in the house comes alive when you fill
it with flowers. A large dramatic bouquet can be
the focal point of a room; a small, understated
one can be a subtle surprise. Large or small, bold
or dainty, in a group of standing alone, bouquets
of blooms say. “Welcome.” Places for Vases” The
place for flowers in your house is... anywhere.
A fireplace mantel is a natural stage for a trio
of simple bouquets in pastel ceramic vases; the
corner of a sink is a not-so-obvious but equally
appropriate spot. In any room, a tall arrangement
like the flowering quince supplies an instant focal
point and conversation piece.
Rooms in Bloom
FlowEr-FillEd rooms
11
FlowEr-FillEd rooms
The colors in your flower arrangements should be as personal
as those you’ve chosen for curtains, carpeting, or sofa. In your
garden, you have doubtless assembled a living palette of favorite
flowers in the colors you love, and these will form the backbone
for your arrangements. Of course, the available palette changes
with the seasons, expanding your choices throughout the year and
allowing you to vary the feel of your rooms as the months go by.
Any case, you can’t go wrong in choosing flowers that match or com-
plement a room’s color scheme or
dominant colors – those of wallpaper
and paint, upholstery, window treat-
ments, and so on. Another approach
is to pick up or complement the col-
ors of objects in the room, such as
decorative glass ceramic pieces or a
particular painting. When you’re
selecting flowers for a dining table
or buffet, the dishes may provide the
color cue.
Bring fresh flowers indoors, and a kind of magic happens. From casual den to elegant dining area, any room in the house comes to life with the colors and scents of the garden.
It is possible to make beautiful arrangements using only one or two flower types. But if you want to create an arrangement incorporating some of many types, begin by placing the tall, spiky flowers first, to establish height and line.
Designing with FlowersBringing the beauty of blossoms and foliage from your garden into your home doubles the rewards of growing flowers. You get to enjoy the sights, scents, and colors of your borders and beds any day, any time, anywhere in the house. A bouquet of cream-and-pink roses gathered at the peak of perfection lends an atmosphere of luxury and romance to a bedroom; a single jaunty sunflower on the kitchen table perks up a family supper. Gracing the sideboard in the dining room, an elegant assembly of glorious daisies, brilliant cotoneaster and hospitality.
Whites and CreamsRoses, lilies, freesias, lilacs, hyacinths, carnations, hydrangeas, peonies, tulips, amaryllis, gladioli, alliums, agapanthus, stock, stephanotis, tuberose, gardenia, lily of the valley, delphiniums
YellowRoses, lilies, freesias, chrysanthemums, sunflowers, ranunculus, carnations, eremurus, gladioli, honeysuckle, gerbera, iris, narcissus, snapdragons, dahlias
Orange/RedRoses, lilies, carnations, gerbera, gladioli, tulips, marigolds, sterlitizia, poppies, carthamus, celosia, banksia, dahlias, leucospermum, amaryllis, tulips, peonies, heliconia
One of the things I love most about flowers is the huge spectrum of colors that are on offer, from dramatic, moody red and purples to luscious candied pastels to flawless, ethereal whites. When deciding on a color theme for a design or an occasion, it is helpful to know exactly which flowers are available and in which color. And whether arranging flowers at home or putting together gifts in this book, I find that experimenting with color is one of the most creative parts of the process.
15Color Swatches
PinkRoses, carnations, lilies, ranunculus, amaryllis, peonies, tulips, phlox, stock, proteas, hyacinths, gerbera, gladioli, freesias, celosia, orchids.
Blue/GreenRoses, ranunculus, carnations, amaranthus, tulips, orchids, lilies, chrysanthenemums, brassicas, delphiniums, aconitum
Purple/MauveRoses, carnations, delphiniums, hyacinths, alliums, asters, agapanthus, orchids, iris, dahlias, tulips
Florists’ tapeShown here is Oasis tape– a sturdy
tape used to hold floral foam firmly
in a container. Other types of flo-
rists’ tape are available. The thinner
tape is used for covering wires for
bridal or funeral work. It comes in
rolls and is available in white, green,
and brown. There are several brands
available, but I prefer gutta percha.
Spool Wire
Fine wire is available on spools and is
used to support and strengthen deli-
cate flowers, such as lily of the valley,
or single leaves that require support
to maintain their form or hold them
in place. The wires shown above are
heavier, and mainly used for decora-
tive work or holding moss in place in
wreaths and other arrangements.
Twine and String
String or twine is used for binding
flowers together in a hand-tied bou-
quet. It’s also used to bind moss to a
frame. I like to use Oasis Bindwire.
It looks just like twine, but is in fact a
paper-covered wire that holds flow-
ers together effortlessly.
Florists’ Wire
Wiring strengthens and supports
flowers. Fine wire begins at 32–34
gauge and is cut into 15cm lengths.
The 56-gauge wire is more support-
ive, while 71-gauge wire is stronger
again, and is the most commonly
used. Stronger, thicker 90–gauge
wire is used to support heavy items
such as fruit, pine cones, or larger
flowers.
Pearl-Headed Pins
These are perfect for finishing the
ribbon-covered handles on bridal
bouquets, or holding in place leaves
that have been wrapped around a
group of stems. They can be pur-
chased in a variety of colors, so can
even become a major part of the de-
sign.
Pruners
Pruners are so useful when it comes
to tackling strong stems– you’ll find
them invaluable if you’re cutting
woody foliage or other tough stems.
EssEntial EquipmEnt
When it comes to working with flowers, there are a few basic items that you’ll use over and over again, some of which are illustrated below. Apart from these items, I think the most important thing has to be a good pair of florists’ scissors– sturdy little devils that grip onto the flower stem as you cut. Some people prefer to use pruners, and if you’re creating enormous displays, you probably will need one to slice through tough branches.
1717
Classic Flat Bouquet9 x stems alliums10 x stems salvia leucantha3 x eucalyptus8 x stems Cool Water roses, stripped of their lower leaves3 x ornamental cabbage heads2 x purple-tinged hydrangea headsspool of twine
This hand-tied arrangement is an updated version of the traditional “flat” bouquet. The flower stems are left long, so the flowers can either be displayed as they come, or may be re-arranged by the recipient. Flat bouquets are the ideal gift for friends who enjoy arranging flowers.
19
Classic Flat Bouquet1. Begin by taking three stems or
allium and grouping them together
so the heads are staggered in height.
Cut a length of twine and tie them
together two-thirds of the way down
the stems. This forms the backbone
for the bouquet, so its important to
choose flowers with strong stems.
2. Add three stems of salvia and
eucalyptus to the bunch of alliums,
placing the salvias on one side and
the eucalyptus on the other. Make
sure the foliage curves away from the
3. Place the roses and the
remaining alliums on tope of the
hand-tied bunch, with five roses
on one side of the bouquet and
three on the other. With a flat
bouquet, the idea is to display
the flowers rather than arranging
them, so the taller pieces should
be at the back and the shorter,
larger-headed pieces at the font.
Take the ornamental cabbages and
gently open out the leaves for a
4. Now place the two ornamental
cabbages on top of the other
flowers, toward the center.
Finally, add the hydrangea heads,
placing them just below the
cabbages. Now grasp the stems
tightly toward the bottom and tie
them all securely in place. Neatly
trim the ends into a “wheatsheaf”
shape. The bouquet is now
complete.
19
center. Tie together, two-thirds
of the way down the stems.
more rounded, flowerlike effect.
color and pattErn
A container may echo a room’s
patterns and colors in various
ways. In a sitting room with
chairs upholstered in flowered
rose-and-pink chintz, for
instance, you might choose
a china vase with a pattern
of pink roses and fill it with
cream-colored tulips. In a room
with lots of bright colors and
interesting patterns, you might
select a solid-colored ceramic
pitcher in one of the hues and
fill it with multi-colored flowers.
Going for contrast and accent is
another possibility.
Gleaming silver, rustic pottery,
tinted glass– you can choose
from a huge variety of container
materials. Following a survey on
the impressive array available.
Glass: whether is takes the form
of an antique cut-glass pitcher
or a clean-lined contemporary
vase, whether it is clear or
translucent, or tinted, glass
is always beautiful. It’s also
adaptable, complementing
almost any arrangement and
usually blending with any decor.
containEr matErials
Beautiful Containers
21Beautiful Containers
In any arrangement the flowers are only half of the picture. The container is of equal importance, helping to set the tone of an arrangement and connect it to its surround-ings. A container’s material gives it its basic style. Gleaming silver and fine porcelain are naturally elegant, for example, while galvanized metal and rough-textured earthy pottery are inherently casual and countrified.
choosing containEr shapE
23
choosing containEr shapE
There are six different container shapes, and all will be described
briefly below. Flared or trumpet shaped containers are narrow at the
bottom than it is at the top with a gracefully flared neck. Cylinder
vases have the same narrow diameter all the way through, this versatile
shape is useful for holding soft-stemmed flowers upright. Globe vases
are attractive but can be tricky to you. Cube vases have a square neck
and requires a lot of flowers to look full. Bowl vases are low and wide,
best for floating flowers. Bottles have a narrow neck and only allows
one or two stems.
Before you begin to arrange your flowers, place the empty vase or container where you want the finished arrangement to go– on your foyer table or mantel, for example. If the vase looks good and is in proportion to the room, the arrangement will look good.
To freshen cut violets or hydrangeas, submerge them, flowers and all, in cold water for a minute or so. Lift out and give a gentle shake or two. The wrap violets in damp paper towels. Leave in cool dark place overnight before arranging.
Arranging Season by SeasonEvery garden season has its glories. From the spring’s dainty buds and delicate, newborn colors to sum-mer’s riot of floral forms and hues, from autumn’s rich leaf and flower tones to winter’s dramatic con-trasts, Nature offers beauty in endless variety. At any time of the year, you can create lovely arrangements of flowers and foliage that will bring your rooms alive with the colors, scents, forms and textures of the season.
This lavish arrangement shows off one of the spring’s sprightliest bulbs in striking fashion. Above the vase’s neck, a dome of ruffled golden trumpets glows like sunlight; below, the flowers’ fresh green stems, coaxed into a gentle swirl, provide a fascinating linear element. Before arranging the blooms, be sure to condition the stems as described. Daffodil Twist
27
2. To begin creating the twist,
take 10 to 12 stems. Holding
them about halfway down their
length, lay half of them across
your palm in one direction; then
lay the other half in the other
direction to form an X pattern.
Continue to add more stems a
few at a time, some going one
way, other going the other, until
the bunch gets too large to hold.
1. First decide how high above
the vase the flowers should be by
holding a small bunch of them
next to or inside the empty vase.
Then fill the vase with water.
Now you’re ready to cut the
flowers to length. Working with
a few at a time, use hand pruners
to cut all the stems to the length
you’ve chosen.
3. Gently drop the bouquet
into the vase; the stems should
fall into a crisscross pattern.
To emphasize the spiral effect,
gently lift the whole bunch by the
stems, easing the stems around in
a circle. Then add more flowers
to fill out the arrangement.
Carefully insert them one at
a time, following the pattern
you’ve already created in the vase.
CreatinG drama with sprinG blossoms and stems
Daffodil Twist
Any soil can be rated according to their pH of 7 are neutral, neither acid nor alkaline; those with a pH below 7 are acidic, while those above pH 7 are ranging from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
Gardens for Cut FlowersEvery garden season has its glories. From the spring’s dainty buds and delicate, newborn colors to summer’s riot of floral forms and hues, from autumn’s rich leaf and flower tones to winter’s dramatic contrasts, Nature offers beauty in end-less variety. At any time of the year, you can cre-ate lovely arrangements of flowers and foliage that will bring your rooms alive with the colors, scents, forms and textures of the season.
what Kind oF cutting gardEn?
31
what Kind oF cutting gardEn?
Start by asking yourself a few questions. Will you be happy with flowers
alone, or do you also want other material; foliage, berries, attractive
twigs, and branches? What time of year should material be available?
Some gardeners focus on spring and/or summer, while other want
something for cutting all year long. Note that if you’re interested
largely in floral displays for spring and summer, you’ll find many
dozens of plant choices.
When you’re establishing a cutting gar-den, don’t just charge outside with a shovel and some seed packets– take time to plan. Once you’ve decided what you need, the outdoor work can begin.
Leaves
To wire a leaf, turn it face down and
insert a tiny “stitch” through the
central vein about a third of the way
down from the tip. Bend the end
down forming a loop to support leaf
and twist the ends around the stem.
Buds
To support a tiny bud, use a fine
32-gauge silver wire. Push one end
of the wire into the calyx then twist
it down the stem. When you reach
the bottom, add another wire then
cover the wires with tape.
How to Wire Flowers and Foliage
Roses
If the rose is a variety that opens
quickly, you may want to help it stay
closed. Push a wire through the head
of the rose and bend down both
sides so they lie parallel with the
stem. Wind on end around the stem
and the other to support the head.
33
Larger Flowers
A flower with a heavier head needs
a stronger wire– a 71 gauge, say.
Punch a length of wire into the
small amount of stem left in the
base of the flower. To hold the
flower in place, use finer wire
inserted through the base of the
flower head.
Lily of the Valley
Something delicate like this needs
an ultra-fine wire carefully wrapped
around the stem and wound in and
out of the individual bells. At the
base of stem, add double-legged
mount for extra support.
Camellias
I’ve provided this stem with a double-
leg mount fashioned from heavier
wire to provide extra strength. Use
wire and bend it double and wind
one end around the stem of the
flower and the other wire.
Wiring flowers calls for a lot of patience and painstaking care. The wiring replaces the flowers’ bulky stems, allowing you to manipulate a flower or leaf into the desired shape, and most importantly, making the item much lighter. The thickness of the wire depends on the weight of the flower, but in general use as fine a wire as possible.
from your garden
Arranging flowers
1. A boutonniere should be placed on the left
side of the shirt. When you walk up to pin on
the boutonniere go to your right (it will be his
left).
2. As you position your boutonniere on his
shirt you will want to eyeball the location to
be similar to if your date were wearing a jacket
with a lapel. Generally you want to place a
boutonniere 4" down from the collar bone (or
shoulder seam in shirt).
3. With one hand behind the boutonniere
and the other hand holding the stem of the
boutonniere place it on the front of his shirt.
The front of the boutonniere should be facing
you.
4. Hold the pin next to the boutonniere.
5. Slide the pin into and out of the shirt. Be
careful to only get the shirt material and not
your date' s flesh.
6. Weave pin edge in and out between the back
of the boutonniere stem and shirt fabric and
enjoy a beauitful boutonniere for the evening.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.
How to Pin a Boutonniere
Create Beautiful Arrangements from your Own Flower Garden
Twelve cutting garden palns any location– including containers
Step-by-step photographs show how to make beautiful and natural looking arrangements
The best cutting plants to grow for each session
37
from your garden
Arranging flowers