Listen to the florist king
Baskets
Baskets are an ideal accompaniment for flowers. They are available in a multitude of materials and an amazing assortment of shapes and sizes, so it is possible to purchase a suitable basket for any occasion. Small delicate baskets can be used for designs to be carried, large ones for planted displays, and all the sizes in between for fresh, fabric or dried arrangements.
With a coarsely-woven rustic basket, use a profusion of dried country-style flowers, such as larkspur, yarrow, alchemilla and tansy. Fabric flowers in a small pastel-coloured basket can create a wonderfully romantic display for a bride or her attendants. Complete the design with a bow of good- quality fabric ribbon just as any good florists Sydney would do.
It is a good idea to link the colour of the basket to the arrangement, so choose pale pastel shades to fill a straw-coloured willow basket, or vibrant exotic flowers to complement baskets of woven palm or bamboo.
Overall proportions
The overall dimensions or measurements of height, width and depth must relate to one another and to the container in the correct proportions to create visual balance in a design. As floristry is an art form, there are only a few guidelines on proportion, and these are mainly for flower arrangements. For many designs, florists use the approximate proportions of one third to two thirds, and in the bouquet on the left we can see that the dimensions are not quite correct, the top of the design being rather short and cut off.
Proportion has a close relationship with scale, and therefore its surroundings and positioning will have an effect on proportion and the way in which it is used within a design. A good grasp of design and design principles is required of a Southland florist — a rather daunting prospect for a new student. Design skills require practice with a broad range of flowers, foliage types, accessories and occasions, and these skills are not acquired quickly, partly due to seasonal restrictions.
Bridesmaid’s Posy
The bridesmaids’ flowers should never overshadow those of the bride, so the design should be smaller in size than the bride’s bouquet. The colours are normally chosen to match the dresses of the bride and bridesmaids, and the bridesmaids will often carry more brightly coloured flowers than those in the bridal bouquet.
The posy has always been a popular design, partly because the size can be altered to suit the age and height of each bridesmaid. Until recent years, the posy would have been wired, but with the development of foam posy holders, the process has been simplified.
Certain flowers have always been popular for wedding designs; these include roses, spray carnations, freesias and Singapore orchids. The wax flowers Darwin, which are relatively new to floristry work, is also ideal, as it is both dainty and long lasting.
Flower Containers
Glass
Glass containers vary widely and range from beautifully designed vases to decanters, goblets, fish bowls and medicine or chemistry bottles. Look for shapes which offer a firm, heavy base and if they are wide-necked, allow room to conceal netting under the flowers.
A glass specimen vase can be the ideal container to display a single bloom. Choose one with a firm, solid base which is not too tall, as they can easily topple over. A brandy balloon can be ideal for a bunch of tiny blooms like violets. Tied lightly together and placed in the centre of the glass they will look very pretty and will last longer than usual in the moist atmosphere created by the balloon shape.
Glass must be kept clean and polished. Scrub containers well after use with soapy water, as a spotless vase will reduce the problem of wilting. Water- marks can occur and should be removed regularly otherwise they could become permanent. A piece of lemon dipped in salt will help to remove stains. Get some advice from your reseller the next time you have flowers delivered Chislehurst.
Ceramics
From art deco to modem or antique, or from fine porcelain to slab pottery the variety is endless. Ceramics are usually easy to use and weighty enough not to topple over once an arrangement is in place. They offer the advantage that no stems can be seen and they obscure wire, foam or any other fixatives from view.
Simple shapes and plain colours are however much easier to work with than vases with patterns or a mix of bright lollipop colours. If you only have room for a few vases, stick to simple shapes and plain shades such as off-white, grey, green and pewter.
If you are fortunate enough to have some lovely antique vases with flowers and other decoration painted on them, use simple arrangements that pick up the colours on the vase and either harmonise or contrast boldly with the pattern.
Floral design balance
The Society of Floristry definition states that balance is ‘the use of floral materials, foliage and colour so as to achieve both an actual and visual effect of structural strength and stability’. As this implies, there are two kinds of balance — actual and visual. Size graduation and the grouping of materials will achieve actual balance, with graduation and the grouping of colours added to achieve visual balance.
Actual balance
This is acquired by technical skill or getting the mechanics right. The arrangement should stand upright and not fall over backwards, forwards or sideways. It should be steady and sit comfortably. If a wedding bouquet is balanced, it should sit on the hand without being held. This means that it will be very comfortable to carry, and the bride will not have to worry about it tipping out of her hand. In the same manner, a corsage should sit flat when worn, or a handbag spray may sit on a handbag. This requires an even weight distribution, but not always a balance between equal numbers of flowers — two smaller flowers Rose Green will counterbalance one large one.
My Favourite Flowers - Anaphalis
Useful perennials with pleasant silvery foliage, providing a restful area in the border, particularly the dwarf A. nubigena.
Cultivation
Plant from October to April in any good well-drained garden soil, in sun or shade. Good plants for dry conditions. A. margaritacea may need some support with twiggy sticks. Cut the stems down to the ground after flowering.
Conditioning and preserving
The flower heads only last well in water if the stems are cut rather short. Condition by removing most of the foliage, then dip the stem ends into a little boiling water followed by a long drink.
For drying, bunch the flower heads on stems of about 13 cm (5 in), picking before the flowers have started to fluff, though they must be well open on the plant.
Arranging
I find I use these flowers Bushbury heads mostly as dried material, in dried pictures, small arrangements and swags. However, they are nice for the centre of a green arrangement if used with short stems. I cut them about 5—7.5 cm (2 or 3 in) long, and tuck them into the middle of a group as a focal point.
That wild wedding look
If you want the garden style, wildflower look for your wedding theme, your best choice may be locally grown Australian flowers. Available during the growing season from Spring through Autumn, a local flower grower will have flowers that are usually priced lower than a traditional flower shop, as well as having flowers that are not usually available at a retail florist. The advantage of going through an established High Possil Florist for your flowers however is that you can call on all their experience of providing wedding floral arrangements. This experience can prove to be invaluable, especially when you have a thousand and one other things to organise for the big day.
Visual balance
As well as being actually balanced, the arrangement or bouquet should also be visually balanced. This is far more difficult to achieve. To be visually balanced, a design should have the following:
- A focal point or point of origin from which all stems appear to radiate;
- Darker colours to the centre of the design. and paler colours at the outer edges;
- Finer materials, such as spike ferns, used at the outer edges, and larger, more solid forms in the centre;
- Some materials recessed to give weight to the centre of the design.
Love Blooms
If roses aren’t your thing then don’t despair, there are plenty of beautiful alternatives to choose from – Lilies, Daisies, Orchids and Wildflowers for instance are all associated with conveying that thoughtful message of love.
Congratulations
You need to be thinking bright, bold and beautiful here. Some brightly colored flowers in a large arrangement just shouts out celebration! The classic celebratory flowers are gerberas and sunflowers. Ask your St Mellons Florist for a selection of seasonal blooms to cut down on costs.
