Foam Free Autumn Compote

Amaranthus, sedum, and baby acorns -- OH MY! So many beautiful materials at this time of year, it's a challenge to know where to start. In this Flower School How-To Video Leanne turned to our friends at Florabundance.com. for inspiration, and found some fabulous new floral treasures including "Barista" roses, foxglove, dill, sedum, grevillea, and amaranthus. They all combine beautifully in this foam-free compote design. Enjoy!


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Video Transcription 


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Foam-free? Yes. Fabulous? Yes, to that, too. And the little baby acorns? Oh, my goodness. Let's get started with this tutorial. 


For the materials, I turned to our friends at Florabundance.com and went through the website, and I found these roses, called Barista. It's one of my new favorites, and I thought, "How perfect for autumn." And then I just looked for things that would coordinate. The foxglove, perfect color. Dill, sedum, grevillea, amaranthus, artichokes. There was so much to choose from, and I just got a little bit of everything. I love the mixed box, because you don't have to have thousands of one item, you can do one of these, one of those, and it all started with the Barista rose. The mechanics, then, a compote, coordinating color. Floral netting taped into place, and then water, pre-mixed with flower food, and you're ready to go. 


To begin, starting with the grevillea. That color is so grand. Breaking it down and using both parts to get full value that way. Let it extend, placing it into the floral netting securely. Save little leaves that are below, because they'll dry and look beautiful, so you can go back and add them into something else. But I start with the larger pieces, giving myself a good base to build into. Letting it extend and bring it out to the front. I've built a nice nest, then, that will support all of the flowers. A little bit of sedum. Its stem is so large, I tend to put it in first, just to be able to get it in securely. Make sure that it stays put. Maybe group a couple. Repeating it on the opposite side, so that I don't end up with a flat design, I want it to stay all the way around. Then dill. So grand. Little bit lighter, letting it extend. A little taller and out to the sides. And then thinking about the materials you want to use, making sure you leave enough space for all the beautiful blooms. 


As you design, think of your elements and principles and place things strongly, to get a nice emphasis point. These artichokes, they truly make a statement. Finding a spot that I can fit that large stem and tucking it down low. It could be a little bit shorter. And then feeding it in. Then repeating that with a second. Pulling your eye into the center of the design, creating a strong emphasis. Little shorter there. Then the amaranthus, letting it extend outward, draping over the edge and repeating. Coming through on a diagonal. Maybe one more, for a little stronger flowing movement from the center to the side. 


The foxglove gives you a wonderful line so you can add it in, extending it outward, ensure it anchors in well. And repeat that. Bring it out the opposite side, drawing attention back to the emphasis area, and repeat again. Then packing in a bit towards the center so that it draws the color through, it doesn't leave it just on the perimeter. And then of course, the marvelous Barista roses, tucking them in to carry that color through and create a line through the arrangement. 


To finish, adding a little more dill to brighten and add some lightness. Tuck it in, letting it be a little taller. And then for grand fun, baby acorns. Yes, Florabundance had these baby acorns, they are so amazing. Just go ahead and cutting them down and then placing it in, letting it be a little taller so that it shows well. I'm bringing in another stem, or two or three. And letting them come out. That will certainly be a conversation starter in this bouquet. 


The recipe, everything came from Florabundance.com. They make it easy. You can shop by color, you can shop by season, you can shop by variety. So, I started with the seven Barista roses. That was where this all began. So, I used seven Barista roses, then seven of the coordinating foxglove. Two of the artichokes tuck down low. Three of the amaranthus. And then I used sedum, grevillea, dill, and then my favorite, half a bunch of the little baby acorns. 


Autumn is a season of abundance and there's so many wonderful materials to work with and so many events that come up that demand flowers. You'll find more creative inspiration at our website, Flower School .com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there. Now it's your turn. Gather your most favorite autumn blooms, create a design, take a picture, post it on social media, and hashtag Floral Design Institute. That way we all can see what you do as you do something you love.

  • Fresh Flower Food Individual Pack 10 ounce tub
    Fresh Flower Food Individual Pack 10 ounce tub
  • Crowning Glory Individual Pack 32 ounce spray bottle
    Crowning Glory Individual Pack 32 ounce spray bottle
  • Quick Dip Individual Pack One Pint
    Quick Dip Individual Pack One Pint