Weddings on the Waterfront
July 22, 2012
3 – 9 pm

For this design I wanted to use a typical household item that isn’t necessarily intended to hold a floral arrangement.  You may have lots of vases in your home, but sometimes they aren’t the right shape or height for the design you would like to make.  Look around you and pick something unexpected!  Here, I’ve used a soup tureen, including the lid and ladle with the finished arrangement to create a charming centerpiece tableau.

This arrangement contains: Hydrangea, Echinacea, Heather, Weigela foliage, and Sedum.

Thank you to Barbie Hull for these beautiful photos!

Sarah Rhoads Photographers
Jane Lee Photography
Janet Klinger Photography
Maurice Photo
Barbie Hull Photography
Stephanie Cristalli Photography
Carol Harrold Photography
Sean Flanigan Photography

Prized today as early-blooming garden flowers, Hellebores come in colors from green to white, pink, burgundy, and inky purple.  Characteristically downward facing, recent breeding has created more upright varieties.  Hellebores are also beautiful in floral designs from bridal bouquets to garden-inspired centerpieces.  They do best in cool weather.  Here are a few photos I took of hellebores growing at the Kubota Garden in Seattle.

All Images Copyright 2011 Christopher Flowers LLC.

Clematis, Echinacea, Sedum

Nice, sharp tools are essential.  Clippers of various sizes are helpful for getting into shrubs and between closely planted specimens to cut just the stems you really want.

Filling your container with pebbles, moss, or foam gives you greater control in placing stems where you want them to stay.  Add water to your container before starting your arrangement.

Establish the dimensions of your arrangement with the longest and/or heaviest stems, which will be harder to fit in if you start with more delicate flowers.

We also wanted to show how a single arrangement looks in different settings around the house and in different types of light.  The arrangement above on an outdoor table is shown again indoors on a buffet, below.

This finished arrangement contained: Ninebark, Roses, Astilbe, Sedum, Clematis, Lobelia, and Heuchera.

Big thanks to Barbie Hull!  Be sure to check out more of her fabulous work at her website.  Look for more tips on designing with flowers from your garden in upcoming posts.

Thanks again to Mom and Dad for letting us use their beautiful garden!!

Amaryllis are also available as cut flowers, and can be used to luxurious effect in arrangements from centerpieces to bridal bouquets.  Big and tall or dainty and ruffly, there is an amaryllis for every occasion.  Colors range from snowy white and pale green to crimson, burgundy, and nearly purple tones.

If you decide to try growing Amaryllis and can’t bear to throw out your plant when its blooms fade, you can get it to bloom again!  Here are some basic care tips, and you can find more at various sites like this one, and in books such as ‘Amaryllis’ by Starr Ockenga.

1. After blooming, cut off the end of the flower stalk. Let the stalk wither before removing it later.
2. Once the danger of frost has passed, put your amaryllis plant outside in a sunny spot. Repot or add soil if needed, disturbing the roots as little as possible.
3. Keep it well watered and lightly fertilized through the spring and summer. Reduce water and stop fertilizer in the fall.
4. As the weather starts to cool, bring plants indoors and keep in a bright area. Water enough to keep soil from becoming dried out. When bud emerges, stake as needed.