Flower Arrangements Series 1

A flower can become a paintbrush in the hands of an artist. Flower arranging is as much an art as painting or music, but it is an art anyone can master. It is not necessary to have masses of bloom. Leave that. Just a few flowers with buds and foliage arranged with a feeling for harmony and proportion will often have as delightful an effect as though great masses of material had been used. The term flower is used loosely when speaking of flower arrangement. Any plant, twig, brush, or bloom can be so placed as to become decorative. For example, in winter when flower blooms are not available from the garden, a charming centerpiece can be made from a few sprigs of evergreen. U balsom and pine. It may be true that flowers are too beautiful to need rules for arranging them. But it is also true that flowers arranged according to a few principles that have been evolved through much experimenting over a period of time do have a beauty not to be obtained by merely sticking them in water. In this winter arrangement, the wisdom of one such principle is illustrated. Do not cross stems or branches, as this will result in a restless, confused composition. Winter is white and green, and there is nothing that epitomizes the season so much as a centerpiece of evergreen and snow-like flowers. This is a simple white pottery container, oval, or rather elliptical in shape. A container of this shape makes a more interesting centerpiece than a round one. Chicken wire is used for a holder. The so-called cage holder of heavy crossed wires is also very good, but only when it is really heavy enough so that it will not tip to one side or the other. [Music] At a time when flowers are scarce and expensive, evergreens with a few flowers added make a very acceptable arrangement and have the decided advantage of long life. In winter, there is always plenty of evergreen to be had. Cedar, u, pine or hemlock. The sprays should be so placed that the longer ones are at the ends of the arrangement and the hole as though all the sprays radiate from a common center. As with stems and branches, do not cross the sprays with one another. [Music] Leave a space on the left of each side in which to place your flowers. [Music] The flower accents of white button chrysanthemums can nestle like snowballs against the dark green foliage. Pay careful attention to the ends so that they will be attractive to the person viewing them. And remember that the whole arrangement should be low. After all, it is a table center. [Music] placed one on each side of the arrangement. The two flower accents will balance each other and make an interesting hole. [Music] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. [Music] White chrysanthemums are used here to harmonize. with the white container, but other colors can be used as desired. Like the evergreen sprays, the chrosanthemums are longlasting and this arrangement will charm for many days. This naturalistic arrangement is an especially good one for Narcissi because all of the Narcissus family really prefer shallow water and will last very well so arranged. [Music] The container used here is a shallow rectangle of modern puter resting on its own wooden stand. A pinpoint holder will sustain the flowers and as the flowers are not heavy, no anchoring of the holder is necessary. All plant material as soon as it is picked should be placed in deep cool water out of a draft and preferably in a dark cool place for at least 2 hours before arranging. Woody stems such as support fruit blossoms and lilacs require a longer time. Before being put in water, the stems should be split. All foliage that is underwater should be removed and then the stem should be placed in water that is hot but not boiling. This should then stand until cool. For flower show purposes, all material should be cut the day before the show. This care is called hardening. If you must through some unfortunate circumstance gather flowers under the hot sun, it is well to place them in quite warm water and leave them in a cool, dark place until the water moderates. [Music] Let the bud and halfopen flowers be the tallest part of the arrangement and then place the fully opened flowers below. Notice that all the flowers do not face directly forward. This principle can well be followed both with flowers and with foliage. [Music] Here is a good time to apply the no stem crossing rule. Spring from one face as though growing. A few orange and yellow prim roses are used at the base of the arrangement to give a focal point of interest. The name of the unusual beautiful narcissus in this arrangement is seer avante. It is in its second year of blooming. Prim roses are not the only flower that combines with narcissus. You could use grape hyasins, pionodaxa, sillers or pansies. Long trumpet daffodils are also lovely combined with one or two forced branches of maple beach and the especially lovely horse chestnut. [Music] [Music] True spring is captured in the blossom of a magnolia arranged here in a modified line curving softly from on the base as though fanned by a gentle breeze. The container of modern pottery based on an old design is a dull black in color. It looks like metal and harmonizes well with the soft pink and gray of the flowers and stems. The holder is a pinpoint holder which just fits the bottom of the container and is held firmly in place with a little melted paraffin. Be careful to use only a little paraffin, for if you use too much, it will come above the pins and defeat its purpose. Allow it to cool thoroughly before placing the branches in the holder. [Music] Select branches that have a pleasing curve with flowers that are in different stages of opening. Full blossoms, half open, and buds. [Music] A focal point of interest is achieved with the fully opened flowers. The arrangement has beauty through form of its line. Any small confusing buds or even large blossoms that destroy this line must be pruned away so that a clear-cut outline of the most beautiful sprays is left. Some foliage could be used in this arrangement. Such foliage is roodendron, for example. But it is not necessary with this beautiful early spring flower. [Music] This combination of pear blossoms and yellow tulips is very spring-like in the soft celadant green container. A picture of delicacy and charm. The vase has such a long narrow neck that no holder is necessary. [Music] When cutting the branches, select those that have an interesting curve and again prune out all the confusing twigs. Two or three sprays of pear blossom will not only support themselves, but also the tulips that are put in place last. [Music] One of the rules or principles of flower arranging is that an arrangement should be 1 and 1/2 times as high as the container. That is to say, the flowers should stand 1 and 1/2 times the height of the container above its top, even a little higher if the material is delicate and light in color. Here, the height of the pear blossoms is balanced on the right by the apparent weight of the tulips. [Music] The tulips are in two shades of yellow, one slightly darker than the other. [Music] These flower arrangements have been planned for home decoration so that you may have a double pleasure from your garden by bringing your flowers into the house to be lived with and enjoyed. [Music]