Materials

Flowers and Foliage
15 double orange tulips
15 blue hyacinths
15 orange ranunculas
15 salal stems
30 blue grape hyacinths

Other Materials
florist’s scissors
raffia or garden string

If you use hyacinths and grape hyacinths from your garden, cut the stems as long as possible; if they are much shorter than the other stems, reduce the number of flowers and cut their stems to make a posy. Consider substituting lilac freesias for grape hyacinths and ruscus or variegated pittosporum for salal if they are hard to find.

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How to Arrange

1. Divide the different flower varieties into separate piles. Hold a hyacinth in your hand at the binding point. This bouquet is compact, so keep the binding point just higher than halfway up the stem. Add another flower at an angle, twisting the bunch around slightly in one direction in your hand as you do so.

2. Add a stem of salal and one of each of the flower varieties; add the grape hyacinths in groups of three for a better effect. Recess the tulips slightly, as they will continue to grow. Check that you are happy with the arrangement, then add more stems at the same angle to create a spiral stem effect. Keep turning the bunch around slightly in the same direction as you work.

3. Arrange the last layer of flowers a little lower around the edges to give a slightly domed look.

4. Tie the bunch at the binding point with a length of raffia or garden string and secure in a knot.

5. Cut the stems at an angle so they are roughly the same length and will all be able to sit in water. If you are giving the bouquet as a gift, stand it in fresh water until you need it, then wrap it in paper and tie it with a ribbon to present it. This bouquet should last a week.

For more details on making a hand-tied bouquet, see our step-by-step instructions.

Contrasting Colors

Although these orange and blue (or purple) flowers vary in color and tone, they enhance each other when massed together. This is because they sit opposite each other on the color wheel.

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