Garden Luncheon Arrangement
Published July 19, 2012
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Outdoor entertaining can be easy if you are well prepared for the elements and bugs. All it takes is a little pre-planning to get the elements in place for an easy, no-fuss meal.
With all the flowers in bloom at this time of year, it’s wonderful to clip your own flowers for a table arrangement or perhaps add a few of your flowers to some of your favorite store bought variety. Look for aspidistra leaves or banana leaves to line the clear containers you may have in your pantry. Fresh flower floral foam may be found at Safeway and other florist shops.
Materials
- Clear vase (rectangular, round or cylindrical)
- Aspidistra leaves or ivy from your garden
- Fresh roses, peonies, alstroemeria and other garden blooms
- Fresh floral foam
- Floral preservative
- Sharp knife
Begin by giving your flowers a sharp cut on their stems with the knife and soaking them in floral preservative for 1-2 hours. Wash the aspidistra leaves or ivy from your garden of any dirt or residue and arrange in the vase. Soak your floral foam for 1 hour in the preservative as well. Add water up to 2 inches from the top.
If you are using ivy, the plant will act as a base for you to stick the flower stems into. This will help with the shaping of the arrangement and you will not require the floral foam. Alternatively, the aspidistra leaves are wrapped around the inside of the vase and the floral foam is cut to fit the inside of the vase. You do not want to see the foam from the outside.
Always start with the large head flowers first. Roses, peonies and other larger blooms are placed in side the vase with the smaller flowers following suit. Distribute the floral blooms with varying colours keeping a nice shape that balances the size of the vase. If there are any gaps, fill them with small pieces of ivy or other small greens. Finish the arrangement by topping up the water in the vase.
This arrangement will last up to 10 days outside if the water level is kept up and you remember to remove any spoiled flowers.
