Long Lasting Christmas Compote

Video Transcription 

Foam-free, long-lasting, fabulous. This Flower School video is sure to be a favorite. I'm Leanne Kesler, Director of the Floral Design Institute. And today, let's get started creating a wonderful design for the table. 

The mechanics, working with fresh water pre-mixed with flower food. To secure the stems, floral netting taped into place so that the whole thing will be sturdy and deliverable. Then evergreens, a variety of different kinds, plus variegated holly to add a little bit of brightness and color. Flowers, amazing parrot tulips and color-enhanced anthurium. You'll find the technique for this in your Tulip Tuesday Library. 

First step is the foliage base, cutting it down, stripping the ends so you don't have foliage in the water, and then inserting it down into the netting. Now, since it's in fresh water, the foliage is going to last the longest possible. And all you need to do is make sure and keep adding water so that it doesn't dry out. Using some noble and some cedar, even dropping in a bit of incense-cedar so you get the lovely pollen on the end. Letting that drape over the side, helping to break the line of the container. Then coming back, some of the holly. This has such great drape to it as well. Just sliding it in, making sure it hits the bottom of the vase so it will drink completely and not dry out. Coming in. Then just keep repeating with all the different varieties of foliage going into that central binding point until it's full and lush. 

When you get to this stage, stand back, take a look and make sure it's perfect because this is going to last for so long. Then when you add flowers, once the flowers fade, they can pull them back out and still have a beautiful arrangement. Then as I'm choosing my flowers, I choose things that will have a lifespan as well. Anthurium, those will big grand because they will hold so long. So, tucking those in, keeping them in the focal emphasis area so that when the tulips fade, the anthurium is still beautiful. Then going back, adding in the tulips, removing their leaves so that they'll fit in nicely and remembering that they will continue to grow. So tucking them in a little lower than you want them to be so that during the life cycle, they'll grow up and outward. And I'm going to go ahead and add the buds. Some tulips come in with buds, just an added bonus, makes it extra special. Add the tulips radiating all the way around so if they set this on a centerpiece, it still looks great. Then once you are finished, you can pull the tulips out as they fade and enjoy the anthurium and the foliage. 

As with everything at the holiday season, it's not done until it's overdone. So adding in Christmas balls, beautiful red, and just putting a bit of glue on the bottom. And gluing them directly into the design, letting them peak out from underneath. Others, go ahead and wire them, adding them to a wood pick, letting them come up a little bit taller and continue until you get it all decorated and amazingly fabulous. 

The recipe, start with any of your favorite evergreens, doesn't matter what kind. Gather as many as you can find and mix and match. Then variegated holly, two of the anthurium in the front and one more in the back. So three anthurium and then 10 of the parrot tulips. The balls, I did five clusters of the gold and seven of the red. Again, you can mix and match and do as few or as many as you would like.

The holidays are such fun, and even those of us that would be considered minimalist tend to go over the top when it comes to the decorations. For more creative inspiration, check out the website at 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? 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.