Matching Mix: A Cream Flower Basket

Materials

Flowers and Foliage
5 white Solomon seal
3 cream stocks
3 white stocks
2 long garden viburnum stems (cut into smaller-stemmed sprays)
8 marguerites
6 'Vendela' cream single roses
6 'Avalanche' white single roses
10 lady's mantle
7 hosta leaves

Possible substitutions include veronicas (for stocks), peonies (for single roses) and spray roses (for marguerites)

Other Materials
enamel basket (12 inches long)
1-2 blocks floral foam or chicken wire
florist's scissors

Optional Materials
plastic tray
florist's tape

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Fresh Flower Arranging © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited

How to Arrange

Place a block or two of soaked floral foam inside the basket. If your container isn’t waterproof, tape the block to a plastic tray before you put it in position. The foam should sit about 1 inch above the rim of the container so that you can angle the lower stems downward to cover the rim of the basket. The combination of downward and upward angled stems helps to give a unified effect to the domed arrangement and container.

Trim the viburnum and hosta leaf stems so they are roughly twice the height of the basket. Press them into the foam at an angle.

Add the stocks next, to will help to create the overall shape of the arrangement. Space the stocks evenly throughout the foliage frame.

Add the roses next, and lastly the marguerites, as they have the most delicate stems. Keep these stems a little taller than the others to soften the domed contour of the arrangement.

The arrangement will last up to seven days if you mist the flowers regularly and keep the floral foam stays wet.

Oval Baskets

Look out for different sizes of these useful oval-shaped baskets to suit different locations. They also work well when potted up with bulbs as spring arrangements.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Fresh Flower Arranging © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited