Basic flower arranging equipment
Secateurs and scissors
Sharp secateurs and a pair of short-bladed florist’s scissors are
essential equipment and well worth investing in. Ordinary scissors tend
to squash the stems of flowers.
Florist’s scissors are designed to make it easy to get right into an
arrangement to snip off non-essential material. They can also be used
for cutting thin wire and any flowers Windmill Hill. A good pair of secateurs will be used constantly for gathering flowers and cutting woody branches from the garden.
Wire netting
A fairly pliable chicken wire with a large mesh, approximately 5 cm (2 inches) is useful. It can be bought in convenient lengths from hardware shops.
The beauty of wire as a base is that you will be able to achieve open,
airy arrangements easily and can economise on the amount of material
required. Keep the netting clean and dry when not in use. The amount
you will need depends on the size and shape of vase you frequently use.
Fold the netting into layers so that the holes overlap and stalks can
be held in position at several levels. In a tall container you should
aim to get four or five layers. In a shallow dish three to four layers
should be enough. Once you have achieved the right shape for a
particular vase, keep it only for that purpose. This avoids continuously
bending and folding the wire which will crack the galvanizing causing
the wire to rust and deteriorate rapidly. Place the netting so that the
cut ends are at the top of the vase. They can then be twisted to clip
around the rim or vase handle to hold the wire firmly in place.
To use wire in a glass container, make a tangle of netting to fill the
upper third of the vase, hooking the cut ends over the rim of the
glass. Then when you make your arrangement hide this with down-curving
foliage.
If you are using a valuable china vase or silver container, either line
it first with thick brown paper or try plastic coated wire netting to
protect the surface from scratching.
Florist background
Ever wondered how your local Hillingdon Florist is able to send out such wonderful blooms on your behalf? Well before they actually get to the florist, there is a whole wide range of steps taken in the cut flower market. By harvesting and handling a cut flower crop in the best way, the quality of the marketable product is greatly improved, and with better quality comes longer shelf life.
Daylily Hybrids
Choose two superior plants in the same genus (two daylilies, for
example) for the parents. Just before the buds open, cover a flower
from each plant with a small paper bag. After the flowers pop open,
collect some of the pollen from one of the flowers. (Pollen is the
yellow or brown dust on the stamens, the male parts of the flower.)
Transfer this pollen to the sticky top of the pistil, the female part
of the other flower. The pistil is usually a long green tube with an
enlarged cap at the top end. Use a brush to collect and move the
pollen, or pinch off one of the stamens and brush the pollen directly
onto the pistil. Tag the flower so you can identify the seed later, and
record the names of both parents in a notebook. This step is
important, because if you come up with something special and send flowers Dargaville to someone, others will want to know who the ancestors were.
Harmony
An arrangement of parts into an agreeable and consistent whole is the
dictionary definition of harmony. With flowers, one might imagine that
it would always be easy to create a pleasing picture. As you can see
here, however, not only can a combination of flowers be discordant, but
the background plays a significant part in the harmony, or lack of it,
of the design as a whole. Harmony is achieved when everything works
well together.
There are different types of harmony. Functional harmony, for example,
is the association between dissimilar objects that are commonly
associated, such as a knife and fork.
The association between the poppy and laurel leaves is a symbolic
harmony, like that between the dove and the olive branch. In floristry,
we can use seasonal harmony: autumn is associated with berries, wheat
and with yellows and golds; spring evokes fresh new growth, daffodils
and primroses.
In addition, a harmonious relationship should exist between the parts
of the design. the container, plant materials and accessories; if the
total appearance of a design gives an impression of unity, the result
will be a harmonious picture. A lot for a Livingston florist to consider, I'm sure you'll agree.
The occasion will also dictate the choice of cut materials and
accessories. A special party calls for flowers that can reflect and
enhance the atmosphere. Bright, strong colours, and perhaps the
addition of some balloons, would give an immediate effect to any room.
Flowers for hotels and restaurants should blend with the decor and with
the furnishings. Fashion should also be considered — a Victorian-style
dress would be complemented by a Victorian posy.
My dearest flower series - Reticulata Iris Bulbs
Among the more than 200 kinds of wild irises that grow in various
parts of the world, those that are truly bulb plants fall into three
groups: Reticulata, Xiphium and Juno irises. Reticulata irises are low
growing (usually only 4 to 8 inches tall) and each bulb bears one
flower 1 to 3 inches across in very early spring, just about when
snowdrops, crocuses and winter aconites appear; the leaves are short or
just beginning to grow when the flowers open, but eventually become 12
to 18 inches long before fading away in early summer. Four Reticulata
irises are especially lovely in rock gardens and along paths, and also
popular choices when having flowers delivered Inner London as a gift. The violet-scented I. bakeriana has three deep violet erect petals and three purple-spotted hanging outer petals; it grows 4 inches tall. I. danfordiae and I. histrioides major bloom when their leaves first pierce the soil; I. danfordiae has lemon-yellow flowers and grows 2 to 3 inches tall, and I. histrioides major has blue flowers and grows 4 inches tall. I. reticulata has fragrant, deep violet-purple flowers and grows 6 inches tall. I. reticulata
has also been crossed with other species to produce the fine
Reticulata hybrids, whose colors run from deep purple to light blue.
Hospital containers
Containers sent out to hospitals should be flat bottomed
and able to stand firmly. The flowers are normally placed either on the
bedside locker or on a table in the centre of the ward. If they are to
go on the locker, a small arrangement in a saucer is the most
appropriate, as there is normally very little space. Pedestal-style
containers are usually avoided, as they are inclined to be top heavy
and are easily knocked over. Hospitals can form a large part of any florists Beale Air Force Base turnover, so getting everything ideal for such a delivery is paramount.
Topiary Designs
Topiary designs have developed greatly, and many variations on the
original theme can be produced. The current fashion trend is to use an
old terracotta flower pot as a container, with a single support stem of
natural wood, such as birch, the sphere being covered with either
lichen or bun moss. This represents the ‘natural rustic’ look,
developed by many florists as their designer style.
Topiary trees are very versatile, ranging in size from miniature
designs to imposing trees some 3.75m (l2ft) in height, used to decorate
churches, hotels or marquees for various celebrations and events.
Arrangements of this size obviously create quite a headache when
organising the flower delivery Stellenbosch.
Drying flowers
Perhaps it is a reflection on our own hectic lifestyles that we need lasting objects of natural beauty around us. The popularity of dried flowers and arrangements has remained constant for several years.
Dried materials have an ability to fit into any decor; larkspur, roses
and gypsophila have a soft countryside appeal, while exotic pods and
seed heads have a dramatic quality more suited to a modern decor. The
dried flowers are available in a vast range of textures and forms and,
with the introduction of improved dyes, many colours. Country garden
pastels — pinks, creams and china blues — are being replaced in
popularity by the rich tones of burgundies, forest green and velvety
blues and purples.
Mixed bouquets or bunches are useful for those who wish to arrange at
home, but many customers prefer to buy arrangements that have been
designed to their particular requirements for their flower delivery Picton.
The use of fabric, freeze-dried, and the new-look paper flowers
broadens the range and the appeal of the designs that a florist can now
offer.

(0)