centrepiece style

According to Home & Garden director Sarah Gunn, no table is complete without flowers. Creating an arrangement from scratch allows you to customize the size, colour palette and flower selection.

1 ALL ABOUT THE BASE Choose a footed bowl ( you can also use a cake stand in a coordinating colour for a fresh alternative to a traditional vase) to house the arrangement. Think about the width and height of the bowl—you don’t want it to be too tall, blocking people from chatting across the table. The height of the centrepiece should be about 12 inches. 2 SO A KIT UP Cut the floral foam to size so it will sit firmly in the bowl. Set the foam in a sink filled with water; once it’s saturated, place it back in the bowl. Insider tip: Check if your florist has foam for sale. It’s much better quality than what’s available at a craft store, so your blooms will last longer. 3 SORT IT OUT Trim and insert several of the largest flowers on each side and on top of the floral foam. Fill in with the medium- size style. Keep stems short but allow a few of the blooms to drape over the side of the bowl. Place greenery to fill in gaps, add height and break up the colour. Set the arrangement on the table to assess the height and width, trimming stems further if needed. Check the foam every few hours; if it’s dry, add water. Use extra flowers and small vases to make simple arrangements to scatter on the table.

To keep your centrepiece from wilting, aim to create the arrangement the night before or the morning of your dinner party, which will give you plenty of time to test it on the table while still ensuring that your blooms stay fresh.