Fresh flower arrangements always add an elegant touch to any decor, and with a choice of the right colours can really convey the feel of the season. Another plus for fresh arrangements is that they are surprisingly easy to construct and very affordable, because the materials are often right there in your back yard.
We asked Compton Young of the Flower Shop, located in Middle Street to walk us through an easy creation that is sure to wow your guests who will be impressed that you made it yourself.
Here’s what you’ll need
12 red ginger lilies
7 green and white leaves
Norfolk pine and Casuarina
Lotus lily pods, dried
The fruit of the palm tree
Curled heliconia leaves
2 hanging heliconias
2 mother-in-law’s tongue leaves
Christmas accents (balls and bows)
Pointers
Gold glitter
Plastic bowl
Floral fresh foam
How to arrange
In the bowl, using clear tape, secure a thick square piece of floral fresh foam. Using heliconia leaves and casuarina trimmed to height you want, evenly balance on the outskirts of the foam. (To curl leaves, simply fold to desired style and staple.)
Next, place the mother-in-law’s tongue in the centre of the
arrangement then layer in the remaining leaves and greenery, starting with the green and white leaves. Again, you can trim the leaves to the shape and size you desire, Young reminds us.
Balance, Young says, is important. So with that in mind, when adding the red gingers place them evenly throughout the arrangement. This is followed by the two hanging heliconias in the centre.
To fill out the arrangement, add the seeds, Christmas balls, gold-dusted lily pods and gold-dusted seeds and pointers. To get the seeds and lily pods gold, simply add gold spray paint. For the pointers, covers with gold glitter, and to curl apply heat.
This simple arrangement, Young says, is called a frontal one-sided arrangement. His advice for your best arrangement is to decide on your colour first. He suggests that persons should use colours to match the scheme they are going with. What makes this arrangement versatile is the ability to be able to substitute plants that can be found in your garden. “Everything that you see here came from my garden,” Young says. And if by chance you don’t have a garden and would like to create your own fresh arrangement, Young suggests that you visit the Promenade Gardens. He says that you can select your choice of plant and attendants there will cut it for an affordable price.
This beautiful arrangement takes up quite a lot of room, but if you want a central arrangement, Young says that all you have to do is resize the greenery and flowers used, cut them lower, and arrange in a circular form rather than building up the back as you would do with the frontal arrangement. Bear in mind, he repeats, that balance is important, and then just follow the same pattern as the frontal arrangement.
Young also suggests that zinnias or marigolds can be used to replace the red gingers in the central arrangements. Also croton leaves or any other colourful leaves can be used instead of the ones given.
And after you’ve put all that hard work into your arrangement, to maximise its shelf life Young advises: “Do not place it in any hot or breezy area, and keep feeding it with water and it will have a long shelf life.” If this advice is followed your arrangement can survive for as long as two weeks, Young says.