Flowers Arrangements Design

Wreaths For All Occassions

2009-01-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

Floral

Fruit

Garden

Harvest

Holiday

Themed

4 EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT WREATH

2009-01-15T23:44:00.001-08:00

"I especially like simple, monochromatic wreaths made entirely from one material and accented with a satin ribbon for hanging," she says. Fragrant bay leaves and sculptural oak branches are among her favorite indigenous materials. The effect is fresh and welcoming ― seasonal decor that showcases the bounty of the landscape.

Step 1: Gather the greenery

Choose long-lasting materials that grow in your area ― cedar or Douglas fir in the Northwest, spruce in the mountains, or pine in the Southwest, for example.
Feller's favorites, in order of preference: eucalyptus (it stays fresh-looking the longest), oak (for its branches), bay, and magnolia.
For subtle accents, she uses berries, seedpods, and herbs. "Rosemary grows almost wild in our area," she says.

Step 2: Bundle the foliage

Cut greenery snippets about 6 inches long, then gather them into 10 to 12 small but full bunches.
Wrap the stem ends of each bundle tightly with 24- or 26-gauge paddle wire, available at craft stores.

Step 3: Attach bundle to ring

Feller prefers 10-inch wreath frames, called clamp rings ($2.99; save-on-crafts.com or 831/768-8428); they're strong and have 10 evenly spaced clamps to hold bundles of greens in place.
Secure one bunch at a time, closing the clamp over stem ends with your hands or a pair of pliers.

Step 4: Work around the ring

Continue attaching greenery, one bunch at a time, to the ring, moving in one direction around the circle.
Each bundle should slightly overlap the previous one.
Attach ribbon or raffia for hanging the wreath.

From Sunset

Cut Flower Perenial Garden Design

2009-01-13T15:12:00.000-08:00

Cutting gardens are often designed using annual flowers, because annual flowers will repeat bloom throughout the season. However there is no rule that says you can't have a perennial cutting garden. Many perennials will repeat flower if kept dead headed, which is exactly what a cutting garden is for. And since not all perennial flowers bloom at the same time, your bouquets and arrangements will take on a seasonal flair and provide you with ever changing variety.

Another nice aspect of using perennial plants in your cutting garden is that the plants will look good throughout the season. When you've finished cutting your peonies, the foliage will provide a nice backdrop to in coming flowers. And of course, you don't have to plant a perennial cutting garden from scratch every year. There will be maintenance, but that's true of annual flower gardens too.

Finally, there is also no rule that says you can't mix some annual flowers into your perennial cutting garden. Two fine examples of a formal flower garden are pictured above. This garden is open for tours and is located in Ambler Pennsylvania at Temple University Arboretum. The garden design laid out below here is all perennials, but you could easily tuck in some zinnias, Gomphrena, cosmos and nigella between fading or resting perennials.

The perennial cutting garden laid out here fills a corner bed that's approximately 390 Sq. Ft. You can use this as planting plan or pick and choose flowers to fit into the space you have.

Peony 'Alma Hansen'
Lilium 'Star Gazer' (Oriental Lily)
Phlox paniculata 'Franz Schubert'
Peony 'Longfellow'
Eryngium planum - Sea Holly
Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed) 'Butterpat'
Papaver orientale - Oriental Poppy
Liatris spicata (Gay Feather, Dense Blazing Star) 'Kobold'
Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) 'Cerise Queen'
Campanula persicifolia (Peach-leaved Bellflower) 'Blue Bloomers'
Platycodon grandiflorus - Balloon Flower
Lilium 'Corsica' (Asiatic Lily)
Achillea (Yarrow) 'Moonshine'

Peony 'Alma Hansen a long lived plant and you'll often find t hem still growing around abandoned homes. Once planted, they don't appreciate being moved or divided, but they can be. You'll just have to wait a few years for them to stop mopping and start blooming again.
Lilium 'Star Gazer' (Oriental Lily) became a star lily when the first gardener took a good whiff. These are exquisite flowers. And, as mentioned earlier when talking about the early season Lily 'Corsica', Oriental lilies are very easy and undemanding to grow.
Phlox paniculata 'Franz Schubert' is another old-fashioned charmer, but look for the newer varieties that have been bred to be powdery mildew resistant. Help them along even more by giving them a spot in full sun with good air flow and a rich soil to help them grow strong.
Peony 'Longfellow' There's nothing shy about Peony 'Longfellow'. These flowers demand your attendiong. Large, double peony flowers are show stoppers. However they are also heavy. You can sometimes get away with not staking single peonies, but doubles will flop to the ground with the first hint of rain and stay there. As mentioned earlier in this gallery, peonies are long lasting cut flowers, especially if cut just before they are fully open.
Eryngium planum - Sea Holly is a striking plant. They look intimidating and it's not a bad idea to use gloves when you cut them, but they are very easy to grow. Because they have a long tap root, they are very drought resistant, xeric plants. But this also means that they don't like to be moved, once established. Sea Holly is not only a good cut flower, it dries beautifully too. And quickly. You'll lose a little of the blue color, but they still make a nice presentation.
Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed) 'Butterpat' are under used plants, but that's beginning to change. They've lived in the shadow of splashier fall blooming perennials, probably because their flowers tend to be small (1-2" across) and the plant itself doesn't look like much most of the season. But that's the price you pay to have glorious blooms late in the season. New introductions have brought renewed attention to Helenium and you'll probably find several varieties in your local nurseries. Be smarter than most gardeners who don't have the patience to plant something that makes them wait until later in the season to see flowers. Helenium will more than reward you with fall bouquets. All it asks is time and regular water. Helenium is one of the few plants that doesn't mind poorly drained soil. Mulch will help, if your soil isn't always on the moist side. The photo here is rusty Helenium autumnale 'Moerheim Beauty'. The Helenium in the garden design is golden.
Papaver orientale - Oriental Poppy is another flower of the old-fashioned set, Oriental poppies have been garden staples for centuries. There are now over 100 named cultivars on the market, but it's rare to see many of them available for sale. That's probably because poppies are ephemeral and the plants disappear during the summer months. For our cutting garden, they are planted in the back row, behind some Helenium that will fill in the gaps. Many gardeners don't think poppies can be used as cut flowers, since just breathing on them can cause the petals to fall off in the garden. But if you cut them just as the outer green calyx covering them begins to crack and the buds are beginning to open, they do quite well in water. Early morning or evening is the best time to cut them and they'll do even better in water if you remove the calyx. <>Don't be afraid of the vibrant colors of Oriental poppies. They will be long gone before nearby flowers begin blooming and competing with them.
Liatris spicata (Gay Feather, Dense Blazing Star) 'Kobold' is happy growing just about anywhere. The fluffy spikes of light purple flowers start blooming from the top and work their way down, so cut them early. Blooms increase as the plants become established. Liatris is available as plants, but it is also easily and inexpensively started as corms, which grow quickly and bloom the first season. Liatris 'Kobold' is also known as 'Goblin' and is a bit shorter than more common Liatris. However the flowers tend to be very similar for each variety.
Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) 'Cerise Queen' is a staple in so many gardens and it blooms and grows all the better if it's used as a cut flower. 'Cerise Queen' is one of the best new cultivars, with vibrant pink blooms that just keep coming. Growing yarrow in full sun will help keep it from flopping. Yarrow also needs to be divided periodically, maybe every 4-5 years or so, to keep it blooming well. Other than that, sit back and enjoy.
Campanula persicifolia (Peach-leaved Bellflower) 'Blue Bloomers' is called the peach-leaved bellflower and there is a slight resemblance to peach leaves - but peach trees should be so easy to grow. Most Campanulas are good garden performers needing minimal care. Some, like C. Latifolia, can become a nuisance seeding and spreading throughout the garden. But what better place for enthusiastic plants than in a cutting garden, where the blossoms will be long gone before seed is set? The flowers on C. persicifolia are held above the mound of leaves on tall, straight stems, making them ideal for cut flowers. Bellflowers are often considered early season bloomers, but you should get repeat blooms in a cutting garden, if you are diligent about cutting. Bellflowers also like some relief from intense sun and heat. So if your garden is in full sun, mulch the base of the plants and keep them well watered.
Platycodon grandiflorus - Balloon Flower test your patience, waiting for the bubble to pop, so most kids just squeeze the sides and 'pop' them open themselves. The translucent petals are charming with the sun shining through them. It's easy to see that Platycodon is a relative of Campanula, the bell flowers. It needs pratically no care, other than cutting your flowers. Once established, it doesn't like to be moved or divided and seems to live forever.
Lilium 'Corsica' (Asiatic Lily) are one of the easiest to grow. They're not fussy about soil, although they don't like wet feet, and they are very hardy. Winter mulching in colder climates is a good idea, unless you have heavy, poorly drained soil. Most Asiatic lilies are also sturdy enough to not need staking. They have large blooms with a strong, sweet scent. Hummingbirds love them too.
Achillea (Yarrow) 'Moonshine' The fuchsia flowered 'Cerise Queen' has already been included in this garden, but why stop at one yarrow? Achillea 'Moonshine' is one of the most perfect yellows for any garden; softening hot colors and heating up cool ones. Here's it's growing along side the more golden Achillea 'Coronation Gold'. Just think how it will work in an arrangement. Yarrow has the bonus effect of attracting plenty of butterflies to your garden. The wide flower head gives them a place to rest and stretch out their wings.

From Marie Iannotti, About.com

The Best Annuals for Cutting

2009-01-12T17:13:00.003-08:00

Ten excellent choices

Floss Flower

Floss flowers (Ageratum) dependably produce clusters of small, fluffy blooms in white, blue, or lavender from early summer through fall. Varieties range in height from 6 to 30 inches tall. Taller types are very good cut flowers. Grows well in sun, or in partial shade in hot, dry climates.

Pot Marigold

Excellent for both containers and beds and borders, pot marigold (Calendula) is an easy-to-grow, old-fashioned annual that produces 2- to 4-inch wide, often double, daisylike flowers on sturdy branched stems. Calendula does best in cool conditions.

Bachelor's Button

An old-fashioned favorite annual in cottage gardens, bachelor's button is easy to grow and adaptable, producing beautiful, frilly, single, semidouble, and double blooms in white, blue, pink, or purple. Blooming in early summer to midsummer and intermittently to early frost, it is excellent for cutting and drying.

Larkspur

Bearing tall stems of spurred flowers, larkspur is an annual cousin of the magnificent perennial delphinium. The blue, white, lilac, pink, or peach flowers emit a light scent and are held above a mass of lacy, dark green foliage. They are wonderful cut flowers. Larkspur can grow to 4 feet tall, so it's a good plant to add to the back of a garden or along fences or walls.

Pinks

These old-fashioned favorites, members of the genus Dianthus, are grown for their pink, white, or red spicy fragrant flowers and their often-evergreen clumps or mats of gray-blue, grassy leaves. Taller types are excellent for cutting. Dianthus includes both annual and perennial types, with the perennial types suited to Zones 3 to 9.

Gladiolus

These tender bulbs are planted starting in spring, then every few weeks to ensure continuous bloom. An elegant flower, glads have tall spikes crowded with ruffled flowers that face the same direction and open from the bottom of the stem up. In cold climates, the bulbs (technically called corms) must be dug up and stored in a cool location that will not freeze.

Annual Sunflower

Annual sunflowers are a mainstay in North American gardens. This native annual is grown for its beautiful flowers and edible seeds. While the most recognizable sunflower has a ring of golden yellow petals around a huge brown center on a very tall stalk, many more subtle varieties have been developed that vary in both size and color, including white, orange, and deep red varieties.

Sweet Pea

Prized for their pretty, intensely fragrant flowers, most sweet peas are grown as cool-season annual vines, reaching 4 to 6 feet tall, but some are bushy 1- to 3-foot-tall dwarfs. All produce lovely clusters of 1-inch long, pea-type flowers in white, light orange, yellow, lavender, blue, red, purple; some produce bi-color flowers. Longer-stemmed types are classic cut flowers.

Stock

A garden cool-season annual favorite for its strong, sweet-and-spicy scent, stock is an old-fashioned cut flower. Double flower types form solid spires of blossoms while single forms are wispy. The tall column types are usually available only as cut flowers from florists and need five months of temperatures below 65 degrees F. Dwarf types grow just 8 to 15 inches and tend to be more heat-tolerant.

Zinnia

Garden stalwarts, zinnias have been a favorite for generations. They're a snap to start from seed and their bright colors are wonderful for late-summer bouquets.

From Better Homes and Garden

The Best Perennials for Cutting

2009-01-12T17:13:00.001-08:00

14 excellent choices

Brighten your home, as well as your garden, with these cut-and-come-back perennial flowers.

Yarrow

Yarrow is an amazing perennial that is hardy throughout most of the United States and that can withstand heat, drought, and cold. It's valued in the garden for its ferny, gray-green or dark green, spicy-scented foliage and showy, flat-topped clusters of flowers in pink, red, white, or yellow appearing from late spring to early fall.

Japanese Anemone

One of the most elegant flowers of late summer and fall, Japanese anemones are hybrids of several wild species. They bear dense clusters of up to 10 single, semidouble, or double silky, shallow-cupped white, rose, or pink flowers with green buttonlike centers, surrounded by a halo of yellow stamens.

Hybrid Tea Rose

Hybrid teas, like 'Brigadoon', shown here, are beloved for their wonderful range of colors and classic high-centered, tapered buds. The flowers are large and bloom on long stems that make them unmatched for cutting. They are often repeat bloomers, producing flowers all summer and fall. Fragrance ranges from none at all to intensely fragrant, depending on the cultivar. Other types of roses, notably shrub roses, are excellent for cutting, as well.

Clustered Bellflower

Clustered bellflower produces showy, five-petaled, bell-shaped flowers that come in shades of blue, purple, and pink. They usually bloom for at least several weeks in summer and make excellent cut flowers, lasting for a week or more in the vase.

Coreopsis

An American native, Coreopsis grandiflora is easy to grow, with sunny flowers held atop long slender stems. It's not very picky about soil, tolerating poor, shallow, chalky, or dry soils. It blooms usually in yellows and golds, with daisylike 2-inch flowers. 'Early Sunrise' is a favorite hybrid.

Purple Coneflower

Reliable, and easy to grow and maintain, purple coneflower bears daisylike flowers in abundance from midsummer to the first fall frost on strong stems from 2 to 4 feet tall. The pink, white, or lavender blooms consist of drooping petals surrounding a raised golden brown cone; they're excellent for cutting and attract birds and butterflies to the garden.

Blanket Flower

Blanketflower is a drought- and heat-tolerant perennial wildflower that provides long-lasting color in a sunny border with poor soil. In red, gold, or brown, its daisylike, 3-inch wide, single or double flowers bloom through the summer and into the fall. 'Burgundy', shown here, grows about 16 inches tall and sports 2-inch-wide single flowers.

Bearded Iris

Bearded iris (also called German iris) provides a striking vertical accent with its stiff sword-shaped leaves. Flower colors run the rainbow from deep burgundy red to pastel pinks and yellows, to every shade of blue and violet. Other types of iris, such as Siberian iris, are also good cut flowers.

Gayfeather

A North American prairie native, gayfeather bears 24- to 72-inch spikes of white, rose, or purple flowers that open from the top down, unlike many plants whose flowers open from the bottom up. It's an excellent plant to add vertical accent to the perennial garden, and the blooms are ideal for cutting and drying.

Peony

Often sweetly fragrant, the peony is a very long-lived plant that forms 2- to 4-foot-tall clumps in shrublike bunches. Its numerous varieties offer a wide range of colors, and blooming periods from late spring to early summer. They also come in several different shapes: single, double, Japanese (single with large yellow centers), and anemone (like the Japanese, with a powder-puff center).

Garden Phlox

Garden phlox grows 3 to 4 feet tall and bears large trusses of fragrant flowers from summer to early fall. It's an old-fashioned favorite that has few rivals for its color display and light, sweet fragrance. It's well suited to the back of the garden and cottage gardens.

Perennial Sage

Perennial sage (salvia) is a wonderfully long bloomer. It will start flowering in midsummer and continue through late summer if diligently deadheaded. This hardy plant sports silver-gray leaves and wonderful purple-blue flower spikes growing 18 to 30 inches high, depending on the cultivar.

Veronica

Veronica is an easy-to-grow, long-lived plant and comes in a variety of sizes from low-growing ground covers to taller types that are ideal for cutting. If deadheaded diligently, it can be among the longest-blooming perennials in the garden. The majority of veronicas produce spikelike flowers in blue but some varieties are white or pink, like the 'Giles van Hees' shown here.

Gladiolus

An elegant flower, glads have tall spikes crowded with ruffled flowers that face the same direction and open from the bottom of the stem up. Because they are not hardy in the North, glads must be dug in the fall for replanting the following spring.

Stunning Cut Flower Bouquets

2009-01-12T17:12:00.001-08:00

Three Steps to Stunning Cut Flower Bouquets

Beautiful cut flower arrangements require just three elements.

Step by Step

For a simple, attractive flower arrangement, just use three garden elements: filler, focal point, and accent. Grab a favorite vase, and follow along with blooms and foliage from your garden.

As an example, we created the arrangement shown here, which consists of 'Piedmont Gold' hosta, 'Tropicana' rose, and 'Navigator' penstemon. The instructions below explain how you can create an infinite variety of arrangements using three simple elements.

1. Filler

Publish Post

Start with several stems of filler. They not only fill in with color but hold blooms in place. Florists often use fern leaves and baby's breath to do this job. Here, large, smooth hosta leaves form both a base and a background.

2. Focal Point

Add a focal point. This is the element that makes you go ahh! Often focal points are the largest blooms with a commanding shape or color. An odd number of these flowers or leaves creates the most pleasing combination.

3. Accent

Add the accent. Usually smaller than the focal point, an accent plays a complementary role. Look for a flower or leaf that has a texture, shape, or color different from your filler or your focal point.

Three Bouquets to Try

In the Pink, White, and Green

As a filler, fennel leaves (Foeniculum officianalis) add an airy touch to the strong bright pink zinnia focal point. White and pink snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) add height and structure to this early summer bouquet.

Fire It Up

Clear, vibrant colors come together in a dazzling posy of hot hues. Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) stems lay a foundation for the cheerful yellow Helianthus focal point. Miniature zinnia accents in brilliant vermillion provide the finishing touch

Color Complement

Few flowers radiate instant charm like a sunflower (Helianthus annus). Smaller-bloomed varieties such as this 'Paul Bunyan' are excellent cut-flower focal points. Here, we've accented with complementary-colored deep purple butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii 'Black Knight'). Finely textured white cleome (Cleome hassleriana) creates a striking contrast as a filler.

Making Your Arrangement Last

1. Start clean. Before adding stems to your vase, snip off anything that will be in the water that isn't a stem. Leaves and flower buds rot quickly underwater, producing an odor and sapping resources from your blooms and foliage.

2. Snip daily. At each water change, use a sharp knife to cut 1/2 to 1 inch off the base of each stem. This allows the stem to immediately draw fresh water. Cut at an angle so there's a larger surface area in contact with the water.

3. Keep it fresh. As quickly as overnight, the water in your vase can turn sour. Change the water daily, and add a pinch of floral preservative (available from your local florist) to the water to provide nutrients to the blooms and retard algae growth in the water.

Cut Flower Decorating Tips

Once you've learned the basics of making cut flower bouquets, use the simple tips below to get the most from your cut flowers.

Keep a variety of vases on hand to match the mood of your mix. The vase can be as ornate as heirloom crystal or as simple as a jelly jar. Pottery, porcelain, or even a hollowed-out gourd can create the perfect place to dunk your freshly cut stems. Whatever you choose, err on the side of understated beauty so the plants maintain the starring role.

Repeat what you like. Use the same flowers in a variety of vases placed throughout your house for a constant reminder of what's blooming. Several smaller versions of the same posy can make diminutive decorations for a casual get-together. Or, for a more intimate affair, focus the attention on a single bouquet.

Go beyond blooms. Flowers, of course, are the first things that come to mind for a bouquet. Use your discerning eye to complement the blooms with foliage, stems, berries, and buds that add interest with texture and color. For example, corkscrew willow adds structure with its wiry stems. Use sprigs of tiny, shiny boxwood leaves to create unique textural filler.

From Better Homes and Garden
By Anne Nieland

Fresh Market Flowers

2009-01-12T17:11:00.001-08:00

Follow these techniques to turn everyday blooms into a playful summer display that will add a kick of color to any table.

Gather Your Flowers

Summer is the best time to find brilliant blooms, so take advantage of the season by choosing flowers in a variety of shapes and sizes. For more ideas, shop your local farmer's market for mixed-flower bouquets.

Even if you're unsure of your floral arranging abilities, you can't go wrong with an arrangement such as this one. We chose zinnias, dahlias, 'Teddy Bear' sunflowers, orange spray roses, perennial salvia, and scented geranium leaves.

Choose Your Container

Unlike calla lilies or tulips, garden flowers don't typically have elegant stems -- they're usually thick and leafy and can make water murky or cloudy. It's best to display garden flowers in an opaque container, such as a ceramic vase or an enamelware bowl (as we have here). And, when possible, change the water frequently.

Cut and Arrange Stems

Start by arranging the medium- and large-size flowers in your hand until you have a grouping you like. Gauge the proper height of the flowers by standing them next to the container. We wanted our bouquet to feel full and low, so we cut the stems so the flowers would hit just above the lip of the bowl.

If you're not sure how tall you'd like the arrangement, cut the stems a little longer at first, then trim as you go. Cut stems at an angle to keep the flowers hydrated.

Once your medium- and large-size flowers are in the container at a height you like, tuck in the small and thin flowers. We added spiky purple salvia and sculptural scented geranium leaves for scent and textural contrast against the velvety look of the other blooms.

From Decorating Magazine

Written by Rachel Martin

Spring Flower Arrangements

2009-01-12T17:10:00.002-08:00

Fresh Flowers

The flowers of spring and early summer burst onto the scene with brilliant colors and heady fragrances. If you cultivate a cutting garden, take a stroll to pluck a few of your favorites, or carry blossoms home by the armful from a farmers' market or florist's shop.

No matter where you get your flowers, arranging them is as simple as the blooms are beautiful. Choose one or several kinds of flowers, cut the stems, then put them immediately into lukewarm water.

Enjoy these fragile beauties while they last, then replace the bouquet with another. Their fragrance will linger in your memory long after the blooms have faded.

Browse our six fresh flower arrangements and choose your favorite!

Arrangements to Try

Peonies, Princess Tulips, Sweet Peas, Hosta Leaves

Ruffly flowers in a clean-lined vase present a beautiful study in contrast. Pink peonies and orange tulips harmonize softly with green hosta leaves, and the whole arrangement whispers coolness and serenity. Gently folding back the outer petals of the tulips shows off their inner petals, giving them an exotic look.

Parrot Tulips

Tulips shine with their own personality, and because they continue to grow after cutting, they'll even rearrange themselves in a vase. Here, the stems have been cut short to gather the flowers tightly into a mass of colorful ruffles.

Viburnum, French Tulips, Lisianthus, Roses, Hosta Leaves

Not all garden colors are bold and brilliant. A green-and-white scheme is easy on the eye and soothing to the spirit. After cutting viburnum, crush the ends of the woody stems to help them better absorb water.

Lilacs, Siberian Iris, Peonies, Sweet Peas

An abundance of fragrant blooms fills a pair of shapely vases. The exuberance of the large bouquet comes from the way its brilliant colors splash against one another, just as they might in the garden. For longer life, cut lilacs from the bush just as the flowers begin to open. Sweet peas make an impact on their own.

Hydrangeas, Grape Hyacinths

Pink hydrangeas and grape hyacinths clustered in a crystal compote make for a supremely simple arrangement. A hidden grid of floral or transparent tape across the top of the bowl supports the cloud of blooms.

Poppies

A bouquet composed using a single type of flower can make a strong statement. Poppies, one of the most joyful of flowers, beg to be smiled at. It's amazing to watch the dark, hairy pods become bright orange, red, and yellow flowers. This tall, slender vase gathers the stems tightly, allowing the blooms to burst into fireworks above. Cauterize freshly cut poppy stems in a flame to seal in their milky sap; these most fragile of cut flowers last only a couple of days.

From Creative Home Magazine

By Kathy Roth Eastman

Garden Flower Arrangements

2009-01-12T17:10:00.001-08:00

Double Vase with a Twist

For a modern look, layer two square glass vases -- one 6 inches, one 4 inches -- and float slices of tiny key limes in water between the two. Roses, peonies, Allium, Dendrobium, salvias, and geraniums burst from the top of the vases.

Classic White

A tall white ceramic pitcher looks country-garden special with a loose arrangement of pretty garden peonies with pink larkspur and a few wild hedge roses.

Low enough to allow conversation, an arrangement in a silver bowl makes an ideal table centerpiece. Pink roses, Hypericum, sweet peas, and pansies are arranged in a mound, with dangling white strawberries over the bowl's edge to add a touch of the unexpected.

Silver Surprise

Tulip Heaven

Elegant purple tulips look shiny and sweet in an ironstone pitcher. Arrange the tulips in your hand and cut the stems to the same length. Tulips will continue to grow, so cut a little more off the bottom of the stems every day or two.

From Country Gardens Magazine

Five Minute Flowers

2009-01-12T17:09:00.001-08:00

Bright and Elegant

Elevate a handful of single variety flowers, such as these ruffly poppies, with a proper collar of hosta leaves. Cut the hosta stems long so you can play with the width of the collar depending on the size of the flowers. Arrange hostas along the rim of the arrangement.

Think Inside the Vase

Twist a small palm frond or banana leaf into a tall cylinder vase as a backdrop for a delicate white orchid branch. Float a single blossom at the bottom of the vase and display.

Easier Than It Looks

This lush and romantic bouquet might look tough to make, but it's really quite simple. Choose a trumpet-shape vase so the stems casually fall at graceful angles. Start with a few geranium leaves to create a base to hold the flowers. Cut large-scale blossoms, such as peonies or roses, at various heights from the vase lip up to about 4 inches taller than the vase. Accent with a few wisps of trailing vine.

Relaxed Arrangement

Lavender's scent is well known for its relaxing powers, making this the perfect arrangement for a bedside table or guest room. Fill a vase with ruffled scented geranium leaves. Slip stems of sweet-smelling lavender in between the leaves.

Cluster for Impact

Cut the stems of textured flowers, leaving an inch or so attached to the head of the flower. Add an inch of water to a large cylinder vase (or a large trifle bowl from your kitchen) and build up a mound of stones in the vase. Cover it with the flowers, nestling the stems in between the stones.

Lush Standouts

With its big blossom heads, hydrangea is a flower arranger's dream lots of bang for the stem. They're pretty all on their own, but try these color combos, too. Add bachelor buttons to enhance purple blooms. --Put a blush on white hydrangeas with pink spray roses.

Target Practice

Hit the mark with this exuberant display of zinnias. Gather blooms of one color in your hand to form a pleasing mound; add a single contrasting color bloom to the center. Secure with a rubber band and place in a vase. Feed in blooms of another color to form an outer ring and fill the vase. Place a bit of greenery, such as bleeding heart foliage, around the outer edge for added contrast.

Free Falling

Start with a ready-made mixed bunch of flowers and a wide cylinder vase or glass bowl. Choose one or two stems to stand tall but not taller than the vase. Cut the rest of the stems short and float the blooms in a small amount of water in the bottom of the vase.

Just One, Please

There's virtually no arranging to do when you clip a few stems from the yard and place them in a collection of bottles or glasses. To create a pleasing skyline, vary container height and stem length. Here, a small coleus leaf in a tiny bottle is the lowest element in the arrangement, which builds in height with fuchsia, helleborus leaf, bleeding heart foliage, Queen Anne's lace, and tall fern.

Grocery Bouquet Know-How

Pump up the impact of a mixed bouquet purchased at the grocery store. Cut the stems really short and arrange them in a low, medium-wide vase. Group flowers of the same color into clusters, rather than evenly distributing all the different varieties, to create little focal points where the eye can rest.

One-Blossom Stunner

Create this high-style display almost instantly with a pretty glass and a single bloom. An ice cream dish, a champagne bowl, or a martini glass all make attractive vessels for floating a showy dahlia. A bit of five leaf akebia vine gives the display an organic quality. Try any handy (nonpoisonous!) garden vine, such as wisteria or trumpet vine.

From Better Homes and Garden

Silk Floral Arrangements

2009-01-12T17:07:00.001-08:00

When designing silk flower arrangements, there are only three things to remember: form, texture, and color. These three are actually the basic elements of design and they apply not only in silk flower arrangements but in every form of art as well, including painting and sculpture.

In silk flower arrangements, all these elements combine to create a good design that fits well into the room. To simulate continuity between the room and your flower arrangement, you may even choose to repeat elements.

For instance, a tall, narrow vase with a simple vertical silk flower arrangement would look attractive in a room with tall, narrow windows and a dramatic decorating scheme. The repeated element, of course, is the line – tall, narrow, vertical.

By repeating this, you create continuity between the room and your silk flower arrangement, creating a perfect symmetry. This is how important the basic elements of silk flower arrangement are.

Let’s take these elements of silk flower arrangement one by one so you will understand more clearly.

Line

This refers to the general directional movement of the silk flower arrangement. There are two types. A silk flower arrangement can either be straight or curved.

A vertical arrangement like the one we described above falls under the straight line category, while a crescent shaped silk flower arrangement is one basic example of a curved line.

Form

This refers to the basic shape of a silk flower arrangement. For instance, an arrangement can be round, triangular, or square-ish.

There are also other shapes that are unconventional and you will some of these used in hotels, social conventions, weddings, and even funerals.

There are also two kinds of form – controlled and free-form. A controlled design describes an arrangement where all the floral materials stay within the boundaries of the shape.

A bouquet of flowers shaped like a pom-pom, for instance, is traditionally round-shaped with nothing (not leaves, nor floral fillers) sticking out.

In free-form design, on the other hand, the materials fall outside the boundaries. This is usually done to add more visual interest to the flower arrangement.

Thus, it is not unusual to find free-form silk flower arrangements where the core flowers remain in the relatively low portion of the vase while the floral fillers spill out of the container just so…for effect.

Texture

And last but not least is texture. This element of silk flower arrangement helps create the mood of a design. Yes, flower arrangements, well done ones, can set the mood of a room or a party table where they form part of the center pieces.

Smooth surfaces can look elegant; rough textures, more rustic. When Silk Flower Arrangement comes to texture, you should consider both the texture of the floral materials and that of the vase itself.

Floral Design Elements

2009-01-12T17:04:00.001-08:00

When designing floral arrangements there are only three things to remember: form, texture, and color. These three are actually the basic elements of design and they apply not only in silk flower arrangements but in every form of art as well, including painting and sculpture.

Keeping these elements in mind as you design floral arrangements will give you beautiful results each time.

Harmony, Line & Form

Harmony: Floral designs that tie the colors, elements, or textures of a room together create a harmonious theme in the surrounding decor. For example, use the room's wall color within the arrangement to achieve decorator results.

Line: Line refers to the curves or directional movement of the arrangement. Consider the decor and architectural elements of the room where the flowers are to be placed. This will help determine the design lines and overall look of straight or curved lines. For example, rooms with tall windows, columns, or other vertical decor call for florals with tall thin lines that imitate the dominant features in the room.

Form: Form applies to the fundamental shape of an arrangement such as a ball, triangle, "L," or "S" shape. Free-form designs have materials that fall outside of basic shapes.

2 Kinds of Balance

Balance: Balance refers to the correct proportion of flowers to the vase as it relates to the height and width of the floral composition. Balanced floral designs fall into two categories: symmetrical or asymmetrical. As a rule of thumb, the arrangement should be about one and a half times the height of the container.

Symmetrical: These designs are created so that both sides of the design are equal. If a line were drawn down the center of the arrangement, both sides would have a similar look.

Asymmetrical: Arrangements containing different design elements on each side are considered to be asymmetrical. This type of arrangement must still have the correct weight on both sides to be visually pleasing.

Texture & Contrast

Texture: Texture helps set the tone of the arrangement. Surfaces, containers, and floral elements that are smooth, shiny, reflective, and glittery are best used in formal or elegant settings. Natural or dried materials, raffia, straw, burlap, wire, or rough textures such as wood are informal, and lend themselves to a more relaxed decor. Be sure that the type of flowers or other materials used in the arrangement are compatible with the container and the room decor.

Size of Elements: The size of the flowers determines their significance within the arrangement. Larger flowers carry greater visual weight, while it takes several small flowers to equal a single large flower. It is important to realize that both sizes are needed to achieve the correct balance.

Similarity of Elements: Similar elements are close in size, texture, and color. Having different flowers that meet this criteria gives you the freedom to substitute one for the other or use a mix of both.

Color of Elements: Determining the use of light and dark flowers in an arrangement is critical to the balance. Dark-colored flowers carry greater weight than light-colored flowers. Therefore, it may take at least two or more light-colored flowers to equal one dark flower.

Contrast: Arrangements with flowers of contrasting color create dramatic statements and draw attention to the design.

Proportion, Scale & Weight

Proportion and Scale: The height and size of the floral arrangement should relate to the size and style of the container. The flowers and the accessories must be in correct size relationship to other elements of the design. Also, consider the placement of the arrangement in the room, and the purpose for which it is intended. Keep a design low for a dining room table where guests will be eating and talking. Tall arrangements are more appropriate for areas such as corner and entry tables, or fireplace mantels.

Weight: Visual weight is determined by the relationship of the larger flowers to the smaller filler flowers within the arrangement. Each flower has a certain degree of importance which is determined by the size, similarity of elements, and color.

From Life Info Zone