Florals 101

Posted on 8 November, 2018

Nothing says ‘spring’ more than fresh florals.

We asked four Canberra florists to let their imaginations run wild and provide inspiration for the ultimate home arrangements.

Urban Jungle

BY THE URBAN JUNGLE

Layering, Layering and Layering. Create a lush interior jungle in your home using textures of green.

What you’ll need

• Boston Fern
• Monstera
• Devil’s Ivy
• Rhipsalis

How to get the look

Use one bold floor plant with height—giant-leaf strelitzia, fiddle-leaf fig, and ficus ‘burgundy’ all perform well. Add a smaller trailing plant on a stool or shelves, or a coffee table plant specimen for interest.

Choose the right plant for your conditions and climate.  Indoor plants like a well-lit filtered sunny position, but avoid placing them where they’re likely to get hot, western afternoon sun coming through windows.

As a general rule when watering, it’s best done in the shower, sink or outdoors. Drench the plant to make sure it’s fully damp, then allow it to dry out in between watering, although check your individual plant’s need.

Collect, experiment and build your own urban jungle.

The Urban Jungle | Niche Markets, 36 Mildura Street, Fyshwick | 0433 973 336 | urbanjunglecanberra.com

Beauty and the Beast

BY MOXOM AND WHITNEY

To “beast” a flower or bloom is to manipulate it in such a way that is unnatural to its everyday form. Moxom and Whitney drew inspiration from the Disney tale to create a magical display.

Using phalaenopsis orchids dyed a pale, pale apricot, they also turned everyday garden roses into peeled-back beauties that seemed to double in size and attitude. Artichokes provide a contrast to the beautiful orchids and roses.

What you’ll need

• Phalaenopsis
• Garden roses
• Artichokes
• Vanda Orchids

How to get the look

This display is simple to achieve for your own home. Fill three terracotta pots with vases full of fresh water and a touch of sugar, and place your flowers in such a way that each flower head has its own limelight. Remember to cut your stems at different lengths to create height and movement.

To highlight the display, add pops of unexpected colours—Moxom and Whitney used royal purple and bright red. The current floral trend is to introduce these pops of colour when least expected—another form of “beasting up” your blooms.

Peeling roses is the term used to describe the gentle manipulation of individual petals to create a super rose—if you want to achieve this look at home go for slightly older roses as they are easier to peel.

Order your artichokes from your local grocer or fresh food market, and if you are having difficulty sourcing phalaeonopsis stems and large Vanda orchids, ask your local florist to order them for you.

Moxom and Whitney | Shop 55, 28-30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon  |  0477 888 805 | moxomandwhitney.com.au

Urn of elegance

BY EIGHT STEMS

The excitement of spring is finally here! Think cherry blossoms, poppies, anemones and delicate, scented foliage like jasmine.

There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to forage for your personal favourite greens and blooms.

What you’ll need

FOCAL FLOWERS

• Hellebores
• Poppies
• Garden roses
• Snap Dragon

SMALLER BLOOMS

• Hypericum
• Anemone
• Scabiosa
• Blushing Bride
• Poppy bud
• Tulips

FOLIAGE

• Jasmine
• Thryptomene
• Variegated Pittosporum
• Cherry blooms
• Olive

How to get the look

To design a statement piece for your home, start with creating your structural base by using interesting foliage with natural shapes and curves.

Dress the centre of the urn with an assortment of large focal flowers, filling in empty spaces with textural and soft foliage as well as smaller blooms.

To create a beautifully-balanced centrepiece, always keep in mind complementary colours, different shapes and an assortment of textures.

Eight Stems | Shop 30/6 Trevillian Quay, Kingston Foreshore | 0468 358 338 | eightstems.com.au

Organised disorder

BY THE WILD SIDE

A ceramic jug filled with flowers and aromatic herbs creates a feast for the senses—bringing the outside into your home for spring.

What you’ll need

• Ornamental kale
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Heirloom carrots
• Tulips
• Anenomes

How to get the look

Gather your garden offerings into groups of similar colour tones to create more impact visually.

Tying your flowers and herbs in groups beforehand is not only an easy way to create your arrangement but it will help to remove the herbs for cooking use.

Make sure you remove all foliage that will be under water for a longer lasting arrangement. Choose a container with a smaller neck to stop the flowers tipping over.

The Wild Side | hello@thewildsideflorals.com  |  0413 710 849 | thewildsideflorals.com

STYLING Belinda Neame

PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Bean

This article originally appeared in Magazine: RISE for Spring 2018, available for free while stocks last. Find out more about Magazine here.

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