Living Coral Centerpiece

Welcome to the flower school .com video library. I'm Leanne Kesler, director of the Floral Design Institute and today, I'm here to share with you a luxurious center piece featuring the Pantone Color of the Year: Living Coral. 

All the materials are from FiftyFlowers.com. They make it so easy. You log in and you can shop by color so I pulled up coral and how many beautiful things. The rose, so full and luxurious, it's called Amsterdam. Perfect coral hue. The ranunculus, huge and fabulous. The Hypericum, it's called Peaches and Cream but so wonderfully coral. And then I got the assorted box of eucalyptus cause I wanted a little bit of everything. I have seeded eucalyptus, spiral eucalyptus and silver dollar eucalyptus. This is going to look great together. 

The base, a classic compote. Then filled with floral netting, taped in place with anchor tape then filled with water already mixed with flower food. Notice how much water it holds. This will give us a great resource for the flowers to last a very long time. 

The first step is the eucalyptus, I want to create a base nest of all the different foliage just to make it look fabulous. Placing things in, radiating from a central binding point, starting straight into the netting, sliding it down, repeating that. As long as you radiate everything from a central binding point, it will look organized, planned, beautiful. Coming back with a bit of the silver dollar. Removing the lower bits, you don't want them down in the water, giving it a cut then placing it in, radiating from one side over to the other, repeating. Making sure I go in from the front and the back, both sides, and coming back, the spiral eucalyptus, breaking it down, stripping the edge, give it a cut then setting it in, just repeating this to have a luxurious nest. 

When you're finished with your nest, it should be beautiful all on its own. It includes the elements and principles, the textures, the line, a focal emphasis. You could stop here and do an entire foliage centerpiece and have it be fabulous. But I love the pantone color of the year and I love the Amsterdam roses and the ranunculus so of course, I'm going to add more. We're going to start with the Hypericum, enhancing that base nest so that the flowers will be on the very top. Coming in with the Hypericum, radiating around. Again, some all the way towards the bottom, starting very low then into the mid-level, bringing it up towards the top, then repeating that from side to side and front to back. 

Once again, complete this to where it's beautiful. Then move on to your flowers and when I place the roses, I place them at different levels. You want some tucked low and some a little higher so they give you a little depth in the design, pull your eye inward. Tucking it down, pulling it way into the arrangement and then bringing out another, leaving it longer, creating movement from the outer levels to the inner levels of the design. Then radiate central binding point, you've had flower school, you know the binding point is everything. Just keep adding, thinking about front and back, bringing in the ranunculus, they're so delicate and gorgeous, letting them shout out. Then repeat that until it's full and luxurious. 

As you finish take a moment and look at it. Look closely, make sure that all the mechanics are hidden, make sure that it's balanced. Maybe you'll find a bald spot, something that doesn't look as fully enhanced. Going back and adding a little bit more to make it look fuller, turning it, maybe one more. Then for a light and delicate touch, bring back to the ranunculus. Many of them came with buds, they're small, they're sweet, they're delicate. They add a wonderful lightness to the design just peppered throughout. 

The Pantone Color of the Year: Living Coral is such a flower friendly color. Sure to be a favorite. I know it's a favorite of mine and purchasing that color from FiftyFlowers.com is so easy cause you go on their site and you search by coral and it lists all the flowers. Makes it so fabulous. Now for more creative inspiration, check out the website flower school .com. You'll find a bridal bouquet using Living Coral that is a fave. If you have questions, you can reach us through there or pick up the telephone at 503-223-8089, and of course, I'd love to see what you create using Living Coral, the Pantone of the Year. Take a picture, post in on social media and tag Floral Design Institute. That way we all can see your creativity as you do something you love.