Materials

Flowers and Casing
5 cherry blossom branches
bark strips, preferably from sustainable sources or a good florist

Possible substitutions include magnolia branches in bud for cherry blossom branches and hessian for bark strips.

Other Materials
column vase (24 inches high) or a galvanized garden bucket with chicken wire inside
shears
seagrass, rope, or garden string

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

How to Arrange

Treat the branches like woody-stemmed flowers: cut and split the stems and leave them in a bucket of water for an hour before arranging them.

Completely cover a heavy-based column vase in strips of bark. Bind the bark to the vase with lengths of seagrass secured in a knot. Fill the vase with water.

Recut and split the stems, taking off about 1 inch; the more water these branches can draw up, the longer they last. The lengths of the stems should be two or three times the height of the vase.

Place one branch in the vase and let it fall naturally at an angle. Arrange another branch so it mirrors the shape of the first branch. Position a third branch in the center so that it leans forward slightly to give a three-dimensional effect.

Add a few slightly taller branches to balance out the arranged branches; you want to achieve a pleasing mix of branches, blossom and air in between.

If you have small branches left over, arrange them in a small vase as a scaled-down version of the display.

This arrangement should last for a week.

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