Winter Transition

Video Transcription 

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 fun, simple, yet fabulous arrangement, perfect for the transition to winter. 

The container, a classic compote urn, filled with floral netting so it's a foam-free design, then water and flower food. A variety of greens. Green as in the hue, both foliage and flowers. So I've got salal, mini hydrangeas, and green trick dianthus. Then to update to winter with that deep burgundy, the classic ranunculus. 

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have an abundance of cones. Yes, fabulous, aren't they? We just pick them up right outside the door. They also shout out winter. So gathering those and wiring them with an 18 gauge wire and then placing them in first, creating a base layer that creates interest, texture, and shouts winter. 

Next comes the green, both foliage and flowers. Salal leaves, so long lasting, giving it a cut and then just sliding it right down in. Coming out in a radial fashion, so that it breaks the line of the container and ties it all together visually. Make sure it's in there deeply. Repeating, coming up through the center. Then the mini hydrangea, cutting and tucking it down into the wire, between the pine cones, up through the center. You can see the colors, the green against the brown. So wonderful. Turning it. Making sure you break the line on the container and have it look great, front, back, side, side, all the way around. 

The green trick dianthus, brings in a deeper hue of green and adds texture. So tucking that in to create that interest. Then coming back lastly with the ranunculus, bringing in that deep burgundy, the direct compliment to the green, to make it truly shout winter. 

The recipe for this bouquet started with the pine cones and I used five of them. Then six of the mini hydrangea, six of the green trick dianthus, six of the ranunculus. And then just one stem of the salal tips that I cut apart, because it was nice and full. And it gives me a lovely round bouquet. 

One of the greatest joys is the seasonality. When you're a florist, it's always changing, and the transition can be a fun challenge. Combining autumn to winter, working with colors, so it really doesn't shout one or the other. It can really cross over both seasons. You'll find more creative inspiration at our website, Flower School .com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there or pick up the telephone and give us a call at (503) 223-8089. 

Now, it's your turn. What are you going to create to transition the seasons? Be sure to 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.