Easter Flower Arrangements

Here are a few fun ideas for your Easter table (or spring table).

Tulips in a basket from Martha Stewart

Too cute with the bunny peeps peeping out!

Great wooden basket filled with tulips and eggs by Preston Bailey

These are just adorable--all by Preston Bailey--done with either fresh or silk flowers

Potted plants in eggs from Martha Stewart

Orchids in large egg shells by Carlos Mota

 

Colored eggs in a compote dish makes an easy centerpiece with the addition of a few flowers - BHG 

Different basket treatments from Martha Stewart--pussy willow and birch branches

Love this large blue hyacinths egg from Martha Stewart.  The directions made it sound soooo easy but I'm sure it would take some time and patients.  

Bouquets to Art - 2013

Spent last Wednesday in the city at the De Young Museum viewing all the amazing floral work for the annual Bouquets to Art.  More than 100 floral designers create arrangements that interpret artwork from the museum's permanent collection.  The event raises money for the museum to support conservation projects, education programs and special exhibits.

I also had the chance to attend two floral demonstrations by Cort Schwanebeck of Acres garden store in St. Helena, CA, and Laura Dowling, the current White House florist.  Watch for future blogs on their work.  

Here are a few photos of some of this year's Bouquets to Art creations.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to keep track of all the designers so can not give credit where it is do.

Simple Tulip Arrangements

Now that you know how to process and condition your just purchased tulips you will want to place them in an arrangement.  However, they can be frustrating to keep in line.  Tulips are very temperamental--like teenagers; they like to do what they want, when they want! 

Because tulips continue to grow (as much as 3-4 inches after being cut) and bend toward the light they can be difficult to arrange.  Here are a few simple arrangements to make them behave.  

This is super easy, just place three tulips at varying heights inside two different size glass cylinders.  You could do this with two, three, four or more vases of different sizes or all the same size.  Just make sure you check the water level every day as tulips are thirsty flowers. 

Gather tulips (here I used five each since the vase is small) keeping flower heads level and use a rubber band to hold stems in place.  Wrap the bottom of the stems with a tulip leaf and secure with decorative pin.  Cut stems straight across below the leaf.

Arrange tulips and grass in your hand (here I used bare grass but lily grass would work, too) and secure with rubber band.  Cover band with decorative ribbon or rafia.  Cut stems to correct length for your vase and angle over side of vase.