American Style Flower Arranging (part 5)

This is another example of American style to place big flower/leaf on top, which is not common at first, while in European style, the biggest material is usually placed at the bottom and the smaller at the upper. But as long as the small flowers/leaves are laid in grouping or you can also use terracing technique, so overall they will be looked big because they’re viewed as a unity and not per stem.  So, no problem with placing big material on top, right? It will even make the design look special and not customarily. We personally like this one. It’s unique!!

Close up look 

Here they are how to make this beautiful unique American-style flower arrangement step by step.

Step 1 Prepare a high acrylic vase. Fill the container with wet foam, leave 2-3 cm from top of the container then trim the edges of foam.

Step 2 Take 2 stems of big marble philo, attach the stems with wire. Then  by using sheltering techniques place  both leaves in the middle, not upright but slightly to the right.

            Take some ivy leaves. Hang them down opposite to philo leaves.

Step 3 Take 2 stems of orchid. Attach the stems with silver or copper wire, then place them on the right side.

            Take some statice then put on the left side to balance the orchid.

Step 4 Take 3 stems of gerbera, attach wire. Place them by using terracing technique starting from the middle to the left side. Arrange all the flowers facing above.

          Take 2 lemons, cut into 2 then prick the half lemon with skewer but careful, do not penetrate the other side. Then put them as focus by using terracing technique.

         Note: Do not use wire to prick the fruit, because fruit contains acid. If wire in contact with acid it would become rust which can change the fresh fruit into rotten as well as dangerously to be eaten.

Step 5 Take 4 croton leaves. By using terracing technique place 2 of them under the gerbera and the other 2 beside the orchid.

            Take some purple roses. Cut them short and place them between the croton leaves, above ivy leaves and statice.

            Take some ruscus. Cut them short, leaf by leaf. Then use them to fill the empty area so that no foam can be seen.

Step 6 Finished

The design looks like as if there was effect of rain or hot sun. Then the flowers would be covered by big leaves.  Just like umbrella protecting us from the scorching sun. Gorgeous!!

Note:

Pictures taken at the workshop by Andy Djati Utomo, S.Sn, AIFD, CFD, on May 16^th, 2012 in Bandung, West Java.