Orchids, Roses, and Protea! Oh My!

Video Transcription 

Valentines, from the exotic to the luxurious to the traditional roses, at Floral Design Institute, we have it all. In this Flower School video, you're going to see the mechanics for creating a fabulous luxurious design for your favorite valentine. 

The mechanics, a bowl filled with water premixed with flower food. For support, floral netting in an armature, but you certainly don't want that to show. What I do, taking aspidistra leaves, remove the lower stem and then place that into the bowl, letting it slide against the side. The water will help hold it in place, and repeat that over and over until you get everything concealed. Overlap them all the way. Then once you have all the leaves in place, go back, add your armature, and then tape that down so that it's secure. 

Maybe philodendron leaves. They're so graceful. I love the splits. A little bit of sumac. It's so woody, rather than trying to use the knife, this is something you'd go ahead with your clipper. Setting it down into the armature, letting it drape over, thinking about covering up the tape lines. You want to make sure that it's not going to show. I've got sumac, philodendron and then some salal, giving a little different leaf growth pattern. Contrast in color and texture. Giving it a cut, setting it in, and then finish filling the bowl until it's full and lush. 

Now, it's beautiful but, of course, we need flowers. Adding in the protea, another one that's very woody so better to go ahead and use your clipper so that you don't risk cutting yourself. Setting that down in, creating a focal emphasis. Repeating. Shadowing it right behind, finding a perfect spot in the armature for it to go in. Then, coming back with the roses, the Heart in the deeper red. Crossing through. Nestling in, and the lighter red with the Freedom. Everything radiates from the central binding point, bringing some down low, some towards the top, out to the front, out to the back, so that you get nice, wonderful symmetry from side to side and front to back. 

Now, to add a final touch of luxury, the cymbidium orchids. Cutting them down off of the stalk, starting from the bottom so that you save the top ones for later, because you can always use the whole top in an arrangement. Start at the bottom, removing them, then giving them a cut, placing them into a water tube so that they're long enough to drink. And then, each tubed orchid, just a small amount of cold glue on the side of the tube, tuck that right down into the arrangement. 

The recipe. I started with 10 aspidistra leaves, then five of the Split-Leaf Philodendron and half a bunch of salal tips. I used the entire bunch of sumac because it was a small bunch, then three stems of the protea, and then six each of the Freedom roses and the Hearts roses. Lastly, I used the entire stem of cymbidiums because I wanted it fabulous. 

Luxury, exotic, and yet traditional with the roses. It's a perfect gift for that extra special valentine. You'll find more creative, inspirational ideas at our website, Flower School .com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there. But, for now, it's your turn. What are you going to create for that extra special valentine? Be sure to take a picture, post it on social media, hashtag Floral Design Institute. That way I can see, and we all can see, what you do as you do something you love.