and Exotics

What you need:

• 2 Ginger Stalks (cut 27 inches & 32 inches)

• 1 pink Protea (cut 24 inches)

• 1 pink Cymbidium (cut 22 inches or longer attached with bind wire to a 30 inch bamboo and with a 4.5 inch water tube

• 1 Dahlia (cut about 20 inches)

• 4 Ruskus leaves (cut 24.5 inches)

• 1 small Monstera leaf with a 3.5 inch water tube

• 1 orange Pincushion plant (cut 15.25 inches)

• 2 Arrowhead Leaves -Syngonium podophyllum (cut as long as you can)

• 1 Iron Plant leaf- Aspidistra Elatior (cut as long as you can)

• 1 plate glass vase (purchase here)

  Supplies Used:

• green Oasis Bindwire (purchase here)

• packet of floral food (purchase here)

• 1 container 28 oz. (3 lb.) pink sand Ashland Fine Stone Granules

  Tools Used:

• pruning shears (purchase here)

• stapler with staples

• scissors

Steps: 11

Flower Cost:  $25.00 excluding Cymbidium Orchid, and garden leaves

Rated: Advanced

Pink sand and exotics are perfect for the end of summer. They are showcased in this plate glass vase that looks like it came from the Museum of Modern Art. The vase is actually very tall…15 inches high and slender, only two inches deep. You can (purchase it here) Several other arrangements made with this vase are on the main page of this site:

https://www.floristinyou.com/sea-holly

https://www.floristinyou.com/lilies

https://www.floristinyou.com/-valentine

Ginger and Cymbidium Orchid stalks provide height. The pink Protea is the medium height flower just under the curled leaf. (Make sure to pull the leaves away from in front of the Protea flower, so you can see the beautiful pink color.) The large pink Dahlia, the lowest flower, is the centerpiece and its color matches the pink sand. Four stalks of Ruskus provide the backdrop, and the accent flower, to the right of the Dahlia is an orange Pincushion flower. The green Arrowhead leaves on the left and the Iron Plant leaf with the stapled curl come from my garden. Here are complete directions to make the curl: https://www.floristinyou.com/sunflowers-and-hydrangeas

The leaf to the right of the orange Pincushion plant is a Monstera Leaf. Since its stalk is short you will need to give it a water tube. The Cymbidium Orchid stalk will need to be secured in two places to a 30 inch high piece of bamboo to give it the height you need and you will need to attach a large 4.5 inch tube of water since the water level in this arrangement is low to allow you to keep the Ruskus leaves intact. You will secure it by wrapping a strand of bindwire around it and the bamboo and then twisting it several times. You will also use the bindwire to bind the bottom of the two Ginger Stalks so they stay together. Now that we have talked about the flowers and the mechanics of this arrangement, let’s begin.