| Flower decor |
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| Written by Sarah Holland, 2008 | |
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Are you chintzy? Minimalist? Can't decide? Whatever your style, you can match your flowers to your decor, says Sarah Holland Summer inspires a desire to get back to nature, spend more time outdoors, with a yearning for the simple life. As summer colours fade and the weather turns sharper, keep this feeling alive with flower arrangements inspired by folk art, this autumn's fashion trend. Accessories from the land, such as grass, wheat and fruit, are added to the design elements of arrangements, but the focus is on lilies, the bulb flower that springs from the earth. Lilies are fabulous in arrangements for this time of year and are popular in harvest offerings. They're great flowers for any arrangement, any time of year, and their sweet smell gives us a feeling of luxury and glamour, to warm the spirit as the weather cools. Whether your home is traditional or modern, or your arrangement skills advanced or novice, you can easily incorporate flower fashion trends into your life. Celebrate nature and the essence of the seasons with arrangement styles and flower fashions suited to any interior or colour scheme. Traditional tonesFor a country cottage or rural venue, incorporate earthly elements into your container for the flowers. Potatoes can be glued to a pot, which gives an interesting textured effect.Secure pre-soaked florists' foam inside. For a natural, folksy look, keep the flower stems long. Add foliage like hosta leaves to accentuate the flow of the arrangement rather than to cover the foam. The same arrangement principles apply, with the taller materials of gladioli and lilies being added first to give height, but you can ensure there is a wilder look to the arrangement by selecting complementary flowers such as kniphofia and crocosmia. For a simpler alternative for a traditional setting, hunt out an antique vase or urn. Pick out the colour of the vase with a selection of seasonal flowers and lilies. You don't need to keep to certain colours, flowers or numbers - this arrangement is all about a wild collection of flowers, letting them do their own thing. Simply place the flowers in your vase, making sure shorter stems are inserted last, and add in some twigs. This is a great look for any time of the year, so mix exotic flowers with seasonal ones. Romantic pastelsCreate a base of straw by shaping into a rough egg-shape and wrap it around with wire. Make holes along the frame with a thick, pointed stick. Thread through stems of lilies, callistephus and panicum (fountain grass). Test tubes hold the stems of the flowers in water, which rest on a wooden block pre-drilled with holes. If you can't rest the arrangement on a block, use green florists' putty or Blu-tak to secure the tubes to a base.If you don't have time to do something dramatic or want to create something simple, cut flowers short from a longiflorum lily, and place in individual glasses on a gorgeous tray. Modern minimalismLilies come in deep, vibrant colours like this beautiful deep-pink variety that goes well with black for a dramatic effect. Pin a block of pre-soaked, cellophane-wrapped florists' foam with black spray-painted stems of wheat, and secure with ribbon. Push lily flowers and buds into the foam, and complement with raspberry-pink callistephus. Three along a table look wonderful for a special dinner party.This is so simple but effective: place a collection of clear and black glass vases on to a tray, and fill with sprays of lilies, crocosmia, kniphofia and gourds for a show-stopping arrangement. Groups of vases always look effective and supply the basis for the design, so you don't need to worry about positioning the flowers in a certain way. Keep to tones of the same colour for the best effect. Colourful combinationsCerise and orange combined capture the fiery summer months and brighten up winter. Pink stargazer lilies, kniphofia, orange and cerise gerbera and yellow craspedia create a crazy, striking colourway - given emphasis by the turquoise pot, which enhances the clashing combination. Simply hand-tie the flowers in a spiral or arrange in florists' foam into the pot for a show-stopping extravaganza.If you just want a short, fast, fun way to brighten up the home that isn't such a clash of colours but still as effective, choose flowers in the same bright shade. Tuck four kniphofia, one orange lily, and a shiny red anthurium in a stripy vase. If you haven't got a suitable vase and you're feeling creative you can always cover a glass vase with some striped paper. Preventing pollen stainsTo prevent the lilies from staining, remove pollen-bearing anthers as soon as the flower opens. You can either pinch them out while wearing protective gloves, or snip them out with scissors.If you like your lilies to look more natural and would prefer to keep the anthers in, any pollen spillages on upholstery, clothing and carpets can be removed by dabbing gently with sticky tape until all the pollen has been lifted. Don't rub or add water, which will only make the stain worse. Flower careFollow these tips to keep your blooms looking pristine:
For more information on seasonal flower and plant trends and arrangement ideas, visit www.flowers.org.uk. |
