Patriotic Flowers

	Guest Dale Rohman shares flower-arranging secrets for these Fourth-of-July showstoppers.

"America's Flower Man" Dale Rohman shows how to fashion Fourth-of-July floral arrangements.

Patriotic Pot Arrangement

Materials:

clay pot and saucer
white spray paint
1" paintbrushes
latex enamel paint in red and blue
container or bowl that sits just inside the pot
block of floral foam to fit inside the container (Presoak in water for approximately 30 minutes prior to use.)
warm water
five stems of blue hydrangeas
four red peppers with stems
wooden skewers
cooking oil spray
galax leaves
stalk of blue (almost purple) delphinium blossoms

Steps:

1. Spray paint the clay pot and saucer with white paint, covering the pieces evenly. Allow to dry.

2. Paint the rim of the pot with a clean, one-inch paintbrush and blue enamel paint.

Figure A

Using a second clean one-inch paintbrush and red enamel paint, brush bold, vertical red stripes at approximately 1-1/2-inch intervals (figure A).
* Note: This measurement is arbitrary--just space the stripes evenly. Set aside and allow to dry.

	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

Leaving the rim of the saucer white, paint the inside of the saucer with blue enamel paint and the outside of the saucer with red enamel paint. Set aside and allow to dry, then place the pot inside the saucer (figure B).

Place floral foam inside the bowl or container selected to fit inside the pot.

Add a small amount of warm water on the foam and inside the container, then position it inside the pot (figure C). The container and foam should sit slightly above the pot so the arrangement stays high up in the pot (figure D).

Cut the stems of the hydrangeas diagonally, leaving a short stem (figure E). The angle cut will provide a wider space in the stem, allowing it to draw water better. Short-stemmed arrangements tend to last longer, since the water doesn't have to travel up a long stem to hydrate the flower.

Figure F

Holding a hydrangea stem with the blossom out and slightly up, insert it into the floral foam edge (figure F), centering one on each side of the foam block.

Position the last hydrangea blossom upright in the center of the foam block.

Figure G

Skewer each pepper with the pointed end of two wooden skewers set closely together. Shorten and angle the ends of the skewers with scissors (figure G) . Make sure to angle when cutting to skewer to create a point on the end. The point will keep the skewer firmly in place once it's placed in the foam.

Working with one pepper at a time, lightly coat the pepper with cooking oil spray, rubbing it with your hand to give it an all-over sheen.

	Figure H
	Figure I
	Figure J
	Cranberry vase arrangement

Randomly insert the skewered peppers into the floral foam, adding the them in between the hydrangea blossoms (figure H).

Nestle galax leaves under the blossoms and around the peppers (figure I) to accent the arrangement with green foliage.

To finish, cut four sprigs from the delphinium blossom stalk and position them into the arrangement, adding blue accents (figure J).

Cranberry Vase Arrangement

Materials:

two, clear cylinder vases (one smaller in diameter so it sits inside the other)
cranberries
block of floral foam to fit inside the smaller diameter vase (Presoak in water for approximately 30 minutes prior to use.)
three agapanthus blossoms
three red Torch Ginger blossoms
dendrobium spray orchids--five white, three purple
several stems of purple phlox
several stems of St.John's Wort (hypernicum)
several tall, glittery twigs

Steps:

1. Place the smaller vase inside the larger one, creating a ring of void space between the two.

Figure K

Fill the void space with cranberries (figure K).

Position the floral foam block inside the smaller vase.

	Figure L
	Figure M

Cut the stems of the agapanthus blossoms on the diagonal (figure L), keeping the length of the stem long. Insert stems of the cut flowers into the enter of the floral foam block, arranging them in a triangle formation.

Cut the foliage off the Torch Ginger flowers, cut the stems off diagonally and insert into the floral foam (figure M). Leave them about half the length of the agapanthus stems.

Insert the Torch Ginger flower stem into the foam, situating it in between two agapanthus stems. Position the leaf beside the Torch Ginger blossom.

Repeat twice, turning the container as you work to insert the ginger between the agapanthus.

Insert a white dendrobium spray orchid between each agapanthus and Torch Ginger flower, then add one to the center of the arrangement. Randomly insert purple color as well.

Cut the stems at an angle and add in short stems of phlox and long stems of St. John's Wort.

Insert several long, glittery twigs into the vase as a finishing touch.

Resources
OUT OF PRINT (from Beyond Concepts Inc.)--"A Time for Flowers," by Dale L. Rohman
by Dale L. Rohman
This title is no longer being printed. However, online booksellers can search used bookstores for the selection.


Proflowers.com
Proflowers.com is a website offering delivery of fresh flowers, live plants, holiday arrangements and preserved florals. The company offers next-day delivery, flower tips, flower encyclopedia, promotional specials and a reminder service.
Proflowers.com
Toll-free: 800-776-3569
E-mail: WeCare@ProFlowers.com
Website: www.proflowers.com

Tricks of the Trade
by Dale Rohman
This booklet may be ordered through Dale Rohman's website, www.americasflowerman.com

Beyond Concepts Inc.
7212 Kingsbury Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63130
Phone: 314-725-2522
Website: www.americasflowerman.com
Guests
Dale Rohman
Entertainment and Floral Expert
Website: www.americasflowerman.com
Also in this Episode

Our Place : Episode OPL-470
•	Patriotic Flowers
•	Party Decorations
•	Sparkling Throw Pillows
•	Trade Secrets