Designing with Spring Flowers

Welcome to the Flower School .com video resource library. I'm Leanne Kesler, director of the Floral Design Institute, and today I'm here to share with you Spring flowers. Now that the new year has begun, the holidays are over, you're probably kind of tired of red and flowers. How many centerpieces? You can call them a sexy center but it's one more round arrangement. How many did you do? How many red things? Red tulips will be back. Valentine's Day is on the way. But right now, with the new year and new beginnings let's look at a little bit more subtle design, meditational, purifying; perfect for the new year. 

For blooms, I went to Spring bulbs. Tulips, of course, but switched to yellow. Iris, the compliment with purple and yellow. Then hyacinths and paperwhites for fabulous fragrance. Then for the vessel, I went through my cupboards and just found favorite vases. All different sizes and shapes. Gather them on a tray and I'm ready to design. 

All of the flowers have been processed. If you saw tulip Tuesday you know to leave your tulips wrapped while they hydrate. The hyacinth, don't cut off the bottom. The bulb is important to keep. The iris, just cut and let them begin to open. Paperwhites, same thing but think about flower school. The whole narcissus family gives off a poisonous sap. Poisonous to other flowers, not to humans. So, they need to process separately for at least two hours before you begin designing. 

As simple as it is to assemble little vases, you still want to include all your elements and principles. Otherwise, it'll just look like a mess. So, I have a triadic color harmony. I think about line. I think about form, space, texture; all of that. Starting with the iris. They'll give me a wonderful line coming up through the top. Giving it a cut. Letting it be tall. Maybe adding in the focal emphasis with the boldness of the hyacinth. Now that they've hydrated, leaving the bulb intact, I can cut them down and set them right into the vessel. Then coming over with a little bit of color with the tulip, knowing they will continue to grow so placing them low so that they have room to grow. Tucking it down in and maybe even another one even lower so it draws your eye down. It's still a little long so I'm going to cut it just a bit. There we go. These two are just nestled into a little cordial glass. 

Then, coming back, thinking about what other colors I have, what I want to do. Maybe pulling the eye all the way down with another hyacinth, enhancing the line and then coming in with the paperwhites and another iris, letting it be even taller. Thinking about sequencing and then dropping in. Once the paperwhites have hydrated, it's okay to mix them with other flowers but you do have to wait until they're fully hydrated. 

As I finish, again I think about my line and my focal emphasis. I carry the iris on down, bringing that purple down to the base to add a focal emphasis. Then, when you think about new years and new beginnings, meditation and purity, you also think about grounding; centering yourself. We need to do that for the design. A few galax leaves just tucked in to add a basing level to carry the eye down and ground the arrangement. 

The simple beauty of Spring flowers. Now it's your turn, gather your favorite flowers. Gather your favorite vessels and create your own meditation design. You'll find more creative inspiration on the website at Flower School .com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there or pick up the telephone and give me a call at 503-223-8089. Now, as you create I'd love to see, take a photo, post it on social media and tag Floral Design Institute. That way we all can see as you get started and do something you love.