Spring Garden in a Modern Container
What you need:
- 5 White and Yellow Iris (cut 19.5-22.5")
- 20 small leaved branches (cut 16-26.5")
- 4-6 stems small leafed Ivy (cut 10-inches)
- 10 'Dusty Miller colored' tall stems (cut 15-22")
- 1 bunch Fuchsia New Zealand Tea (cut 11.5-22")
- 5 large Orange Garden Roses (cut 11-15")
- 2 medium Lavender Garden Roses (cut 9-10")
- 1 dozen Lavender Alstroemeria (cut 13-15 inches)
- 4 Yellow Alstroemeria (cut 13-15 inches)
- 6 Red Geraniums (cut 5-7 inches)
- 3 medium Yellow Garden Roses (cut 11-15 inches)
- 1 garbage bag
- 4 bricks wet pack floral foam
- 1 'boat shaped' oval concrete vase 15 inches Wide at top, 6 inches D, x 6 inches H (similar found here)
Equipment:
- pruning shears
- rubberized rose gloves (at 99 cent store)
- floral stripper
- produce knife
Steps: 9
Rated: Advanced
It's spring and in California, the garden roses are gorgeous. Garden roses tend to open up as opposed to most commercial varieties. All of the flowers in this arrangement were cut from a good friend's lovely garden. Thank you Darlene!
This is a very large arrangement and used a lot of blooms. I didn't have quite enough roses in the same color range, so I had one color scheme in front, with fuchsias, lavenders and oranges, and one color scheme in back with oranges and yellows, which is perfectly fine as the colors still work together in a master pallet. Tip: Just hold the flowers next to each other to see if the colors will work together. That is really the only way to tell. You will know right away...no question about it.
Most of these garden roses had LOTS OF VERY SHARP THORNS...OUCH!!! Put on those rubberized rose gloves to avoid the sharp pricks. They really work remarkably well. If you don't at first, after a few pricks you will next time.
The Iris and small leaved branches will provide the structure to this arrangement, the roses will be the show flowers, the medium blooms will be accents, and the smaller geraniums and leaves will fill in at the bottom. You can buy a container similar to the one shown (click here) If you have your flowers and materials, let's begin.
Instructions of prepping roses: http://www.floristinyou.com/prep
Instructions on cutting the foam to fit into vase: http://www.floristinyou.com/peonies-and-twigs
Follow instructions above for foam. Cut iris: 2 ends 19.5 inches; middle 22.5"; sides 21.5".
Insert Iris in fan like shape down the middle to start your structure.
10 branches in front. 10 in back. Insert at 45 % angle, 16 inch on sides. 26.5" in center.
Insert ivy on ends hanging over the sides.
Ivy should follow contour of container.
Add tall "Dusty Miller colored" stems at a 45% angle, in front and back.
Here's a close up of the tall "Dusty Miller colored" stems in the silvery green.
Insert Tea Bush at 45% angles left & right in front & back. Trail wax flower off the left side.
Insert 3 peach roses in a triangular pattern in the front. Middle taller than the sides.
Close-up of New Zealand Tea Bush trailing off left side.
Add fuchsia roses in triangle and to the right.
Add lavender roses low and lavender alstroemeria in an arch above the roses in front.
Fill in with red geraniums low in front and back so no foam shows.
BACK: Place 2 orange roses in back with center rose higher.
Add 3 yellow roses in a triangular shape with largest at center bottom.
Here's a close-up of the roses in the back.
Add 2 yellow Alstroemeria to left and 2 to right. The back is finished.
Here's a close-up of the fuchsia roses in front.
The lavender alstroemeria is saying hello.
Can you believe how beautiful this yellow garden rose is?
This fuchsia rose looks like velvet.
This is 'the queen' of the garden roses in this arrangement.
Here is the front. You are done with this large spring arrangement. Enjoy!