Founder of 'Wild At Heart' Nikki Tibbles gives us a step-by-step Autumnal arrangement masterclass... read more
This floral masterclass post was created in collaboration with Nikki Tibbles, the owner of Wild at Heart Floristry.
Autumn Floral Masterclass
Hello and a very warm welcome to my floral master class.
I’ve been inspired by flowers for as long as I can remember and with twenty years in the industry I’ve picked up a fair bit of insider knowledge that I’d like to share. It’s not difficult to bring a stylish atmosphere to the home with fresh flowers – it just takes a little bit of forward planning and an awareness of what’s available right now. Don’t worry about difficult arrangements, we can tackle that at a later date…
To begin we’re going to consider colour and texture, and show you how easy it is to make a fabulous October Statement!
One of my favourite flowers is the blousey English Garden Hydrangea. All through the summer season, I loved to combine it’s generous pink and blue mottled blooms with scented English garden roses, but we shouldn’t forget that these voluptuous flower heads will be available right through until December, making a really interesting backdrop.
As well as being relatively inexpensive, widely available and hugely forgiving to the inexperienced, the hydrangea will add wonderful texture. For my arrangement, I’ve chosen some Hot Pink and Vintage Pink Pepetio Spray Roses and, to add drama, some divine Black Baccara Roses, but you can work with any other flower that’s available, there are some wonderful Dahlias just coming into season now that will look just amazing.
Firstly, you should consider your vase – any shape will do although a vase with a slight taper towards the top will create a great effect. When sourcing your flowers you should keep your vase in mind, remembering that your arrangement should be 2/3 vase and 1/3 flowers, to give a well – balanced composition.
Step One
Bundle your hydrangea together, cut all the stems to the same length and remove the leaves. Cutting stems diagonally helps the flower to draw in water, keeping the arrangement fresher for longer. If you are using a clear vase, it’s a good idea to line the vase with cut ivy trails from the garden – this will hide the stems and add a stylish extra element to the overall look.
Step Two
By simply placing the hydrangeas in the vase, making sure that all the stems are in water, you have already created the base for a beautiful seasonal arrangement that you can add almost anything to…
Step three
Cut your roses to almost the length of the vase, (remembering to cut diagonally) and starting in the middle then working through to the outside edges thread both the spray roses and the large single headed roses through the hydrangea. The roses on the outside will need to be cut slightly shorter than those in the middle as we are looking to create a dome like appearance, so no flower head should poke out beyond the ball…
When placing the roses, don’t over think it. The best compositions are those that tend towards the natural – which means that you don’t need a measuring tape…
Step Four
Finally, you’ve created an abundant autumn display that’s going to last for weeks and bring sophisticated style to your home. Stand back, admire your work and wait for the compliments to roll in!
What do you think of this Autumn floral bouquet? Let us know in the comments below.