It’s the season for flowers, when spring blossoms and floral fragrances fill the air. To celebrate spring, David Shover, design manager at Karin’s Florist, has basic step-by-step instructions to help you create a round floral arrangement. Head to your local florist and gather the materials listed below; you can choose your own colors to put your own creative spin on this simple yet elegant design. –Victoria Gaffney
Items Needed:
1 vase with an opening 3 to 4 inches in diameter
1 packet of flower food
6 stems of salal tips (may vary according to personal preference)
3 stems Israeli ruscus (may vary according to personal preference)
4 stems of snapdragon (line flower)
3 stems of roses (mass flower)
3 stems of carnation (mass flower)
3 stems of alstromeria lily (filler flower)
3 stems of waxflower (filler flower)
Instructions:
1. Add flower food to vase and assemble materials.
Fill the vase two-thirds with warm water and add the contents of the flower food packet. Be sure to re-cut each of the stems using a knife or floral scissors before placing them in the water.
2. Add salal tips and Israeli ruscus to create a grid.
Intertwine the stems of the foliage and place them into the vase. Foliage that goes beneath the waterline should always be removed.
3. Add snapdragon (line flowers) to create height.
Place one snapdragon in the center of the arrangement. Place the other three in a triangle around the first one. The three outer flowers should be a bit shorter and positioned halfway between the center of the flower arrangement and the edge of the vase. Line flowers are used to add structure to the design.
4. Add roses (first mass flower).
Add the three roses to the arrangement, placing each halfway between the line flowers to form another triangle. Allow one rose in the triangle to be taller than the others, which will help to establish roundness in your arrangement. Mass flowers create volume
5. Add the carnations (second mass flower).
Add the three carnations to the arrangement to form a third triangle. Place one close to each line flower in the triangle created in Step 3. Like the roses, one carnation should be taller than the others.
6. Add alastromeria (first filler flower).
Add the first of the filler flowers to the arrangement, filling in any empty spaces. Filler flowers are used in available places after the other flowers have been added to establish a fuller design.
7. Add waxflower (second filler flower).
Add the waxflower to the arrangement, filling any remaining empty spaces. Branches on these flowers may be removed and added to the design on their own.
(May 2015)
