Deck your halls with a blooming beautiful festive flower display
Expert Vicky Wilson offers a step-by-step guide to using foliage and berries from your own garden for a stunning Christmas arrangement
Festive flowers are a must in the run-up to Christmas, but how can you make the most of what you have in your own garden to add interest to a rich display?
A variety of foliage and berries foraged from your own plot can add a seasonal accent to Christmas flowers.
Vicky Wilson, product design manager at Interflora, said: “With just a few winter blooms and some foraged foliage, it’s easier than you’d think to transform your hallway, living room or anywhere else that’s in need of a few good tidings this season.”
Here, Vicky shares a step-bystep guide for a showstopping Christmas floral display... What you’ll need 3 red roses 1 red skimmia 2 pink snowberry 2 red spray roses Scots pine clippings 1 eucalyptus 3 salal tips (also known as Gaultheria Shallon)
Usually the pine, eucalyptus, skimmia and snowberries can be foraged from a garden but you might need to call on your local florist for the roses, which will be the signature blooms. 1 Prepare your stems Lay all the stems out on a table you’d like to use and prepare the stems by removing any leaves and thorns on the bottom half.
2 Where to start
Take a foliage stem in your hand, holding the stem roughly halfway up, and one of your focal flowers. This is the start of your arrangement.
As you pick up and add more stems, hold each at a slight angle, so your bouquet starts to build in a natural way. 3
Alternate your flowers and leaves, adding a flower stem and a foliage stem, turning the bouquet each time you add one.
Make it even 4 Make flowers the showstopper
Make sure the flower heads are positioned slightly above the foliage, so they really show themselves off. For a really stunning arrangement, add flowers in a triangular pattern. It might sound strange but this means each flower type is evenly distributed through the bouquet. 5 Secure the bouquet Once you’ve added all the flowers and foliage, tie the bouquet exactly where you’ve been holding the stems.
Once you have secured the bouquet with string, cut each stem at a slight angle using a pair of sharp scissors or secateurs. Hold the bouquet up to the vase to help you determine how much of the stems you need to chop off.
Fill a clean vase with water and pop your bouquet in. You may want to tweak it slightly if there are any wayward stems or foliage that aren’t quite in the right place, before finding the perfect spot to show off your efforts.
For more ideas visit interflora. co.uk