Founder of 'Wild At Heart' Nikki Tibbles gives us a step-by-step spring floral masterclass... read more
Hello and welcome again to my floral master class.
Spring has finally sprung, and so I want to show you how easy it is to make a gorgeous low flower arrangement with an array of colorful spring flowers.
My favorite flowers have always been roses. I love that they are such old fashioned, luxurious flowers which are beautifully scented and I adore the way in which they slowly fade. Available throughout the whole year, I think they are the perfect bloom to add fullness and opulence to an arrangement, as well as colour, which is why I have opted to use the hot pink Cherry O roses; they are so rich and have a fabulous velvety texture. They are also the perfect flower to work with for those who are inexperienced in flower arranging.
For this arrangement, I’ve also chosen other exquisite spring flowers such as sweetpeas, clematis, anemones, lilac lilac and guelder roses. Sweetpeas and lilac lilac are the perfect blooms to give your arrangement a wonderful aroma, while the guelder roses will help to add texture. However, when it comes to creating a flower arrangement, the choice of colour and combination is up to you, it is all about personal preference. And with so many gorgeous spring flowers around at this time of the year you can have lots of fun creating a stunning arrangement to be proud of.
Step One: To create a short stemmed flower arrangement the Laura Ashley Optic Glass Footed Bowl is the ideal vase to use to fashion a stunning floral display and adorn your home. Choose seasonal flowers and foliage that will complement each other but at the same time make a striking statement.
Any seasonal flowers will work however for this arrangement I have mixed flowers that will not only look gorgeous together but that will add texture and scent to the arrangement such as guelder roses and lilac lilac…
… sweetpeas, clematis, and anemones as well as hydrangea leaves…
…And Cherry O Roses are the perfect spring combination to give a fresh and vibrant style to your arrangement.
Step Two: Before you start make sure you have a good pair of sharp florist scissors, a block of oasis and florist pot tape.
Step Three: To guarantee that the flowers last longer soak the block of oasis in a container of water, until the whole of the block is submerged. Leave for several minutes to allow maximum absorption and then remove.
Step Four: Place the soaked block of oasis in the centre of the vase making sure that the top of the oasis is higher than the rim of the container.
Step Five: Once the block is central secure it in place with a strip of florist pot tape. Try to make the tape as thin as possible by folding the middle section of the tape so that the strip becomes narrower. This will make sure that you have the maximum amount of surface area of the oasis to place your flowers into. Stick the tape under the lip of the vase – don’t worry that it can be seen as once the flowers have been added this will be hidden.
Step Six: Add water to the vase once the oasis is secure so that it won’t dry out and the flowers last longer. If you are using a clear vase then it is a good idea to line the vase with some sort of foliage. Hydrangea leaves are perfect for filling the vase as they are large leaves and will fill the space quickly and effectively. Alternatively ivy can work just as well.
Step Seven: Make sure that the hydrangea leaves are placed in the water and all around the edge of the vase, until you can’t see the oasis when looking sideways through the vase. Using foliage in this way will hide the stems and the oasis, as well as adding a stylish element to your arrangement.
Step Eight: Start with the flowers that also have some kind of foliage on such as the clematis, as this will help create your initial shape and provide you with some guidance of where the other flowers should be placed.
Step Nine: Gently place the clematis into the soaked oasis and position them so that they cover every angle of the block.
Step Ten: If you want to add a bit more green to your arrangement feel free to cut off sections of the leaves from the stems of the flowers and add to the oasis.
Step Eleven: Randomly but evenly place the clematis all over the exposed oasis.
Step Twelve: Remember to cut the stems diagonally to help the flowers draw in the water; this will help keep the arrangement fresher for longer.
Step Thirteen: Add the lilac lilac sporadically and don’t over think where to position the flowers. The best compositions are those that have a natural feel to them, so precision is not important.
Step Fourteen: Once the smaller flowers, such as the lilac lilac and clematis has been added start adding the slightly bolder flowers like the anemones.
Step Fifteen: The anemones and the roses with their large heads will help fill any gaps that you have and make the arrangement look fuller.
Step Sixteen: Cut your roses to almost the height of the oasis, (remembering to cut diagonally) and again look for any gaps in your arrangement and use the roses to fill them.
Step Seventeen: Add the guelder roses to help break up the colours in your arrangement s, as well as adding texture.
Step Eighteen: Once you have added the guelder roses you shouldn’t be able to see any of the oasis and you should have your basic dome shape to the arrangement.
Step Nineteen: Flowers such as sweetpea are ideal at giving the arrangement another dimension as you can place these in randomly and they will give some height to the otherwise dome shaped floral display.
Step Twenty: Again, cut these stems diagonally and cut them to whatever length you desire, depending how much you want them to protrude from the arrangement. Mix up the colours of the sweetpeas so that it gives it a much more natural feel.
Step Twenty One: Add sporadically until you are happy with the end result.
Step Twenty Two: Finally, stand back and enjoy the final results – a stunningly colourful floral display, which is ideal for decorating your dining table this spring or adorning your coffee table.
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What do you think of this floral masterclass? Would you like to try this at home? Let us know in the comments below.