Spring Garden Party

Spring has sprung! The weather is warming and colorful blossoms are beginning to emerge from the soil. It's such a joy (and great relief!) to see crocus, tulips and daffodils basking in the sunlight after a long cold winter. I feel energized and creative. With all this new energy, it’s time to plan for a Spring Garden Party. I know you will love this colorful and easy to create, component styled centerpiece.

STEP ONE: 

Begin by looking through your shelves and select the containers you most love. For this design it could be anything from a classic cloche, a vintage cake stand, or even lovely tea cups and saucers. Anything that makes you think spring! Once you have selected your containers, Oasis IGLUs are the secret design mechanic to provide a water source for your fresh blooms. 

It's easy to secure the IGLUs into place with a UGlu strip or multiple UGlu dashes. Sisal, (the pink looks just like cotton candy!) covers the base of the cages and softens the edges of the cloche. Be generous with your placement of the sisal to cover your mechanics and create a lovely bright nest to base your flowers. How fun!

STEP TWO: 

Now you are ready to create the hydrangea cloud to support the rest of your flowers. Gently break apart the branches of the Hydrangea into separate clusters. Insert these into the IGLU until all the foam is covered. 

Helpful tip: Dip each hydrangea stem in powdered alum (available at the grocer with the pickling supplies) before inserting into the foam. This will help the blossom last longer.

STEP THREE: 

Add a bit of vibrant spring green with lily grass to create unity and harmony throughout the collection. Just a loop and a twist and the design comes to life...just like the spring season. 

To create the lily grass loops, group three stems in your hand and insert into the foam. Repeat this with three additional stems on the opposite side. Wrap the grasses around and tie each to the opposite side.

STEP FOUR: 

Once the mechanics and the base cloud of hydrangea is set, the rest if fun and easy! Choose your favorite spring flowers and tuck them into the base looking as if they are sprouting forth from the hydrangea cloud. 

Sequence the smaller blooms at the top and the larger more open blooms at the bottom.

STEP FIVE:

Nothing says spring like butterflies! Add as many as you like to create a whimsical garden touch.

STEP SIX: 

For a final flourish to unify the components, insert a few pieces of lily grass into the taller arrangement and then bring one up and around the cloche securing into place with a UGlu dash. Then bring one down and around the smaller arrangement, again securing into place with a UGlu dash. 

Now, invite your friends over - you have a bold and bright centerpiece ready for Easter, a spring garden party or girlfriends get together. Happy Spring!

Thank you for for joining us for a festive Spring Garden party. If you would like to lean more, join us in the Classroom or Online and study the theories and techniques of design with the Floral Design Institute Instructors.