Last updated on June 29th, 2014
THIS WEEK, I asked floral designer Erin Brady to create a large arrangement for my entrance hall table. Would you like to see the purples, pinks, blues and greens she chose? Here they are, in my latest you-can-do-it flower-arranging tutorial:
First, select a vase! Almost any container can hold a lavish display of flowers. But if the vessel isn’t water tight — the cast-iron urn that resides on my entrance hall table is open at the bottom — you’ll need to give it a liner of some sort. I lined my urn with a plastic painter’s pail.
Now saturate a few blocks of floral foam. Floral foam, sold under the brand name “Oasis,” holds many times its weight in water. Cut the blocks to snugly fit your liner. Erin used green floral tape to secure the foam to the liner. She also taped the liner to the urn.
Why all this taping business? Because a big arrangement requires a secure foundation.
Erin camouflaged the ugly “hardware” with stems of common ferns.
If you have ferns in your garden, by all means use them for your own flower-arranging adventures. You’ll find the fronds are both graceful and long-lasting.
Next, Erin inserted branches of lemonleaf ( Gaultheria shallon) into the floral foam. She arranged these in both upright and angled positions.
If you can’t find lemonleaf, use common hosta leaves from your garden. The goal is to mask the floral foam, and add bulk to the arrangement.
Once the greens were in place, Erin added several stems of wild purple larkspur. She arranged these stems in the shape of a fan.
Are you familiar with wild larkspur? It behaves like a weed in the landscape. But it looks winsome in a flower arrangement. It’s an easy plant to winter-sow.
Next, “Pennycress” was added as filler. This Thlaspi arvense is beloved by florists, and for good reason. Its flat, heart-shaped pods can lend a touch of elegance to almost any arrangement.
And now for the stars of our show! Erin arranged two fan-shaped rows of delphinium, dark blue in the background, and sky-blue in the fore.
And betwixt and between the delphiniums, she inserted pink chystanthemum, white gypsophilla elegans, pink alstromeria, and red dianthus.
Although this centerpiece is multi-hued, the colors are mainly pastel. Consequently they seem to compliment, rather than clash, with the green and cream wallpaper and the sage and gold window hangings in the hall.
Want an intimate look at the subjects of this arrangement? Here we go-go:
And white gypsophila elegans, which is commonly referred to as “baby’s breath.”
Are my flower-arranging tutorials of any value to you? You can let me know by leaving a comment. If I hear lots of “Ayes,” I’ll continue to post them. Otherwise, I’ll simply show you the finished products, without the “blah-blah-blah” details that probably drive some of you to drink.
Flowers and greens like to drink, too. So be sure to keep water in your vase, urn, or what have you. A few drops of household bleach will keep the water sweet.
Don’t miss anything at A Garden for the House…sign up for Kevin’s weekly email updates.
Related Posts:
The Powers of Flowers Indoors
The Best (and the Easiest!) Lemon Tart in the World
My Entrance Hall, Before and After Papering
Mary says
Absolutely gorgeous…loved the tutorial!
Mary
sarah says
aye 😉
sarah says
I should have added…I’d dearly love to see arrangements that you have built using your own flowers and greens, at least in part.
Barbara says
Aye aye!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
sarah – See this tutorial: Victorian Beauty from Common Flowers.
paula says
Aye! Lovely
Joyce Bradley says
Yes!! Very delightful and so enjoyable to see. Please continue to share with us!!
Claire says
Yes please continue to show the tutorials!
Kate Rowe says
A lovely arrangement. It encourages me to use my own garden flowers in the house rather than buying an impersonal bouquet. Thanks.
Edward Zabel says
I do enjoy them.
Deanna Jolly says
Beautiful. I love it.
Erin Brady says
So glad you all liked it!
Porter says
Beautiful arrangement! I loved seeing the steps to making it. Sometimes I try making silk arrangements and knowing those, as you said, “blah, blah, blah details” really helps!
Please keep sharing.
Becky says
How spectacular! You also helped me solve a quandary I’d posted on our area freecycle board last week. I’ve seen a flower/rock bed with a plethora of purplish flowers on a nearby city’s main street and couldn’t tell what they were. So I posted asking if anyone could tell me if they were purple larkspur. (Nobody was able to tell me. But I now see that they are.) Along with the delphinium, there were lupine, too. I love a purple garden!
Barbara Harding says
The centerpiece is absolutely beautiful, it looks amazing. The tutorial was fantastic. The flowers are beautiful and Erin Brady is one remarkable floral designer and person.
Amy says
Wonderful tutorial! Just about to list our house for sale, and this do it yourself sure beats the price of paying for an enormous arrangement. Well done. I plan to copy as often as the flowers need to be replaced. Yippee.
Joan C says
Yes
Apryl Kingsley says
Loved the tutorial. Very clear. I did not know about adding bleach to the water. Thank you. Keep doing them.
Gloria Gellman says
Gorgeous! The tutorial is very helpful. I appreciate everything that you teach us.
Kathleen Buller says
Very grand, my learning cap is on! Thanks for the tutorial.
Beverly says
Love it! Please continue to post the tuts!
Marcia says
Kevin, Thanks so much for this information. I’m going to act like I am on “Chopped”–the Food Network and RE-PURPOSE the techniques for my flower beds. The are 20 feet long, kidney shaped and 30 feet long straight connected with a 9 foot arbor.
The arbor was a cracked and broken trellis I picked up at a garage sale. We have an Amish man that does this work, so I sort of gave him a blank check and told him to do it. Now I opted for the solar lights on top, 4 at $50.00 and I got exactly what I wanted. Except I got a lot of weeds in the duck mulch.
This year I put lilies on the top as it is rounded on the top and they are too spindly and way too tall. So I will do what Erin did get the colors to play correctly. The colors enhanced the eye movement and made your arrangement spectacular.
Yes, Keep all this info coming.
Marcia
Terry says
Great tutorial. You make things look so easy that I always want to try them. Just looked at my lavender and daisy arrangement and realized I must have left out the bleach this time. Shame on me! Always use bleach to keep the water fresh. By the way, your chive pesto was a huge hit with my friends at our last quilt retreat. Love your blog and newsletter. 🙂
Susan says
AYE!!!
Lori Mancini says
While sadly I have to settle for purchased flowers your tips are still a big help. I never knew about adding some bleach to the water and will have to try that next time I get flowers. One question about the oasis, can it be reused? If so is it all right if it dries out in between? OK that was two questions but they go together LOL
Patrice says
Thanks, Kevin! Please keep them coming! I love the diversity of ideas and the creativity you bring to us every week!
Elaine Michaels says
Yes, please keep doing the tutorials – we learn so much!
Nancy says
Beautiful. I love the mix of colors. Please continue tutorials.
Fran says
Aye! I do large arrangements for my church and the tutorial was very helpful. Please keep them coming.
Marlyn says
Yes, please continue the tutorials. All of them: floral arranging, cooking, anything garden related, home dec… I love to see them all. It’s a bright spot in my day, every time I read something you’ve posted. I too have used Hosta leaves in floral arrangements. ‘ Wood Poppy’ (Stylophorum diphyllum) works great too. It has very interesting leaves – rounded lobes of blue green and they turn yellow in the Fall. They bloom right after the daffodils are done and have yellow flowers. They self seed, but I let them and just pull them out where I don’t want them the next Spring. I would think they would be a great addition to your Woodland Gardens.
pat futch says
Yes, please! I find them very inspiring.
Claudia S says
Beautiful arrangement! I love your tutorials, so helpful, please keep posting!
Ruth denney says
very nice. Keep them coming.
Kris says
Yes….I love the tutorials ! And your sense of humor! I always look forward to your posts.
Rosann says
Please do continue the tutorials…….
Scarlett says
I loved hearing about how to arrange the flowers. Please do more. This one was beautiful.
dori says
This is wonderful. I want to send it to all my friends. Do more. How about some ikebana?
Scarlett says
I arrange flowers all the time from my garden, but love the instructions you are including.
diane says
love the tutorials. please keep them coming.
Lucie says
Appreciate the tutorial and will be using many of the tips when we arrange flowers for my daughter’s wedding.
Anne says
Yes, please do keep posting these instructional tutorials!
Kitty says
Yes, Kevin, love the “blah blah blah”s!
frederique jennette says
What a magnificent arrangement! I love the color combinations and different
textures of the leaves and flowers.
Susan says
Aye! Love your emails!
Gretchen says
Kevin,
By all means keep the tutorials coming along with the blah, blah, blah’s – they’re just too much fun to read to drop them off. Love your weekly visits.
Chuck says
Aye
Peggy T Rickard says
Aye!
Sue says
Please keep your tutorials coming. While I don’t have a big foyer to fill, I can scale it back for a corner of my entry. Thanks for taking the time to share!
Shirley Welch says
Love this, keep sharing –
Pam says
Yes, keep em coming! Love it Kevin!
Janet says
How inspiring! AYE for the lessons!!
Ellen says
Loved the tutorial. Keep ’em coming!
Maricela Infante says
Loved it! Thank you!
Faye says
Aye! Aye! Aye! Aye!
Mary Anne says
definitely aye!
Sharon says
Incredible arrangement. Love the tutorial. Your blog is awesome!
patti says
loved it!!
Milly says
Loved the tutorial and also the gorgeous arrangement! \thank you.
Robin says
Please Please , do continue. Flower arranging has always left me confused and frankly scared to death! Most of the time when I try its heavy overpowering and ugly. I’ve learned a lot from your post. Biggest is you don’t have to have a wheelbarrow fill of flowers to do it..
Thank you Kevin. Since I have found your blog, I have given myself the tools to make and create wonderful, tasty and heavenly things……Please Please Please do continue
Martina Flynn says
Please do continue the tutorials. All your posts inspire me…they are lovely!
Marilyn Foster says
I love the tutorials! My flower arrangements are so much prettier than they used to be!
Carolyn says
Just stunning! This is definitely one of my “feel good” sites..
Theresa says
I love your weekly emails. I absolutely loved the curtains with this arrangement. Perfection. And your so humble about it. Thanks.
Clark says
Love the tutorial and the close ups of the players.
suzanne says
Yes please to any and all tutorials!!!
Kristin says
Yes, please continue!!
Kamaljit says
Very pretty. Keep posting tutorials:-)
KimH says
Yes Yes & Yes!! My grandmother was a master flower arranger & even created her own Garden Club… and although I learned lots of things at her knee.. flower arranging is not one of them… I NEED tutorials.. often!! So thanks… And OMG is that one beautiful arrangement!
Blessings!!
ToniBeth says
Loved the step by step floral directions And the results just Stunning!
Please keep them coming! Happy 4th of July Kevin!
Eileen Lilley says
Aye! You make it look so easy. I never thought of using hostas in an arrangement. Cant wait to try it. One question: how do you get Honeysuckle to bloom? I’ve had 2 plants for two years climbing up both sides of a trellis but no signs of buds.
JanH says
Gorgeous, brings back so many memories of my years as a floral designer. So glad to see a designer using the old school methods of floral foam instead of cramming everything in a glass vase. I often miss my time in the business, when surrounded by fresh flowers, only limited by my imagination. I still do the occasional wedding for close friends/family, but they aren’t really fun…too hectic. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! Love your site!
Helene Tomlinson says
The arrangement is stunning! The tutorial is excellent and with the seperate photos of each step i will easily be able to recreate this arrangement. I have a beautiful basket that is large, low, with a very wide open mouth. It has a handle reminiscent of an easter basket. I plan on using artificial flowers and foliage. To fit the basket i will widen and shorten the spray. The basket has been sitting in place empty for almost a year waiting for the perfect arrangement. This is it. Thank you so much for your photos and instruction. I will enjoy recreating this arrangement with great pleasure. Keep doing what you do!
Chrissie says
Please keep the flower arranging coming. Actually keep everything coming! Love everything you send. Hope the book deal works. I’ll buy it.
jen says
YES!!! Please do more of these tutorials! I’m new to your blog and love it. Specifically, your tutorials are great because you give step by step photos and descriptions so a beginner can recreate the design. I LOVE that you picture and name each flower/plant individually so I can learn what each is called and looks like, and find them at my florist, or grow them myself. THANK YOU!
Melanie says
Aye! Loved the tutorial and would love to see more!
Linda Soliz says
Aye. Please continue with the tutorials. Love the process and end product.
C Brice says
Love this, and look forward to reading more! Thank you. The how to’s are terrific!
Nancy Tauber says
Kevin, thanks for the tutorials here and the other parts of your newsletters. It’s always fun to see what’s happening. Winter-sowing is in my future, for the first time.
Frantique says
Thanks for the ‘rerun’. Our farmers markets are a treasure trove of awesome flowers of every description. I have many in my own garden, but the endless varieties I find at the market inspire me to create arrangements which I often share with family and friends. Always enjoy ‘unwrapping’ your weekly newsletter.
Kerstin, Sweden says
Hi,
I stumbled on this blog by googling Rudbeckia + stratification – can’t seem to stop browsing
Really like the How AND WHY in this post!!
And like the overall look of this blog too! Very easy on the eyes
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Kerstin – Nice to meet you!
Kerstin, Sweden says
Thanks! 🙂
(I used some emojis in my comment, but they don’t seem to work, hence my strange unfinished sentences…)
Anyway I will surely follow further posts 🙂
Cathy says
Aye! Beautiful!
Cheryl Coder says
Love the tutorial!