Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
1. Base layer. Commonly treated as a filler layer, the base is actually the keystone of the arrangement and should be treated as an overall enhancement to the arrangement. When gathering materials for the base layer, look around your neighborhood as well as the store — beautiful branches and flowers with sturdy stems will hold the rest of the arrangement in place.










Try:
  • Deciduous tree branches
  • Smoke tree
  • Chokecherry
  • Scented geranium
  • Amaranthus
  • Sedum
  • Kumquat
  • Rosehips

This layer goes into the vase first. Studio Choo's Jill Rizzo suggests using 6-10 stems. For a simpler arrangement use less variety, while choosing many different plants will create a rich and layered arrangement.
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Amaranthus, deciduous tree branches
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Oak and Chinese Pistache tree branches, chokecherry
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Scented geranium, kumquat, chokecherry
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Sedum, rosehips, scented geranium
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Amaranthus, sedum, deciduous tree foliage, rosehips, scented geranium, kumquat, chokecherry
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
2. Focal flowers. Use focal flowers as accents and to direct your eye around the arrangement. Begin with the largest and most prolific blooms with the strongest stems, followed by smaller flowers.

Try: Peony ‘Coral Charm’, snapdragon, echinacea pod (coneflower), tree peony, parrot tulip, ranunclus, anemone, roses.

Cluster and orient the buds around the arrangement depending on the directions from which it will be viewed from once finished. Don't focus too much on uniform spacing or size. There is no prescribed number of stems needed, but Rizzo suggests sticking to odd numbers.
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Echinacea pod
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Peony ‘Coral Charm’, parrot tulip

Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Peony ‘Coral Charm’, snapdragon
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Echinacea pod
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Echinacea pod
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Peony ‘Coral Charm', parrot tulip
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Ranunclus
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Ranunclus, echinacea pod, anemone
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Peony ‘Coral Charm', snapdragon, ranunculus, echinacea pod, anemone
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
3. Bits and pieces. Following the base layer, feel free to add succulents and even fruit to the arrangement using wooden skewers and floral glue. The shape and texture will create a beautiful and unusual arrangement and definitely emphasize the seasonality of it.

Try:
  • Persimmons
  • Succulents
Use vines and delicately stemmed flowers to finish up and fill out your arrangement. They add a lightness and softness to the arrangement and will break up density.

Try:
  • Bittersweet berries (keep away from kids and pets as these can be toxic if ingested)
  • Grasses
  • Viburnum berry
  • Heuchera ‘Peach Melba’
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Tree peony, roses, grasses, viburnum berry, bittersweet, Heuchera ‘Peach Melba’, persimmons
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Succulents
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Persimmons, bittersweet
Fall Floral Arranging Class 2011
Viburnum berry, bittersweet, persimmons, Heuchera ‘Peach Melba’, ranunculus

More: How to make a bouquet with these flowers, branches and leaves

Comments

yellowbootsandsnowshoes Thanks! perfect article for a November day!
18 months ago ·
candie wu Wow I like it
18 months ago ·
oldunc I'm not sure what's meant by wild- certainly there are no wild peonies in this area, and if there were they wouldn't look like that.
18 months ago ·
DUEALBERI Fantastic flowers, thank you for sharing them!
12 months ago ·
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