The flowers are arranged as a spiral hand-tied bouquet without being tied, which would make the blooms look too tight. Instead, they are placed straight in the pitcher to fall naturally in a loose arrangement.

Materials

Flowers and Foliage
7 lilac stocks
6 lady's mantle
5 spurge euphorbia
12 French lavender
7 ageratum
5 lilac

Possible Substitutions
Antirrhinums (for stocks); spray roses (for ageratum); phlox (for lilac); marguerites (for French lavender); cultivated guelder (for euphorbia); eucalyptus (for lady's mantle). Foliage with an attractive color and shape, like lady's mantle or eucalyptus, can be treated like a flower in a display.

Other Materials
enamel pitcher (8 inches high)
florist’s scissors

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

How to Arrange

Arrange the different flowers into separate piles. Hold the stem of a flower in your hand and add another variety of flower to it at the binding point, twisting the bunch around slightly in one direction in your hand as you do so.

Add one of each of all the flowers alternately at the same angle to create a spiral stem effect, turning the bunch in the same direction as you work.

Check that you are happy with the arrangement, then add the remaining blooms and arrange the last layer of flowers at a sharper angle so the flower heads sit a little lower around the edges of the bunch and create a domed effect.

Holding the bunch in one hand, cut the stems at an angle so they are all the same length. Place the flowers in the pitcher and adjust them slightly if need be to make an all-around display. Fill almost to the brim with water.