During our private lesson “Just for Fun” design session last month Tosin worked with three of the same mixed bouquet. One of the advantages to using the same bouquet is that once you have played with one you are familiar with its contents so day-dreaming your next arrangement comes easily.
For her second design we cut the largest circle of color we could get from the bouquet sleeve, placed it in a clear bowl, and held it in place with some polished stones. It’s just another way to use the bouquet sleeve to add color to your design. If you were using a big colorful salad bowl or tureen you could skip the liner and stones.
Then we created a mesh armature from a 14” square of chicken wire by turning the raw edges towards the middle and molding it into a flattened ball shape structure.
Tosin was instructed to weave her foliages through the mesh keeping them low and making sure the ends were submerged in water so they could drink. Once she finished placing her greens around the bowl and through the center you could hardly see the mechanics of the design – just the lime green color of the sleeve showing through the clear bowl.
Tosin was then instructed to handle the flowers starting from the largest to the smallest blooms – cutting them short, placing them between the foliages, around the bowl, and throughout her design – keeping a balance of size, color, and texture with each insertion.
She decided to use the tiniest button mum blooms all together as a unit in the center of the design rather than dispersing them throughout the design. Not bad for a first run at this styling technique.
Because these flowers are being held loosely by the chicken wire armature adjustments can be made easily as the flowers open up, stretch, turn, and grow toward the sunlight.
I am reminded of a favorite quote from Anne Morrow Lindbergh: “Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day – like writing a poem or saying a prayer”.
