Dining tables that bloom
A Kiwi floral designer’s advice this Christmas is to deck the table with summery bright florals, writes Kylie Klein-Nixon.
Decorating the Christmas dining table has always been a bit of a tricky proposition in New Zealand. Traditional arrangements include holly, poinsettia, mistletoe, and blousy amaryllis – winter plants for what in the northern hemisphere is a winter festival.
They don’t reflect what’s going on in Kiwi gardens at this time of year when poppies, ranunculus, cornflowers, daisies, and roses are starting to put on a show.
Who has time for a poinsettia when big showy flowers such as dahlias, freesias, irises and rhododendrons are bursting out all over the place?
‘‘I think it is becoming a bit of a trend to go for colour, probably because a lot of people are getting back into gardening,’’ says floral designer Renee Bell, of Jardin Bell, who hosts floral arrangement workshops.
‘‘You can grow your dahlias and flowers like that really easily, and they’re always ready come summer time and around.’’
For Bell, fresh flowers are a must for the Christmas table, adding vibrant colour and bringing the whole setting together.
‘‘I use what I can gather from the garden, and some olive leaves, just bright and bold. I’ll use anything that’s in my summer garden, instead of the traditional red, green and white.
‘‘I guess that’s the benefit of having Christmas in summer time, more flowers, more colour.’’
She recommends a low table arrangement, so people can still talk to each other.
But there’s no need to be too demure. The trend towards big blousy-leaved indoor plants can be reflected in your floral arrangements, too.
‘‘Hydrangeas, both the leaf and the budding flower, are fun to use. It makes for a really good filler. Olive leaf is generally available all year round, but you’re getting the next lot coming in fresh from the spring.
‘‘Copper beech is a really long-lasting dark foliage. You don’t have to use it, but if you want to put something in to fill out an arrangement, that’s a good one.’’
And, when in doubt, there’s always your garden hedge.
‘‘Pittosporum is a great one that’s in a lot of hedges. It’s really long lasting. It’s bright green and often variegated, so that’s a lot of fun.’’
While many New Zealand natives are getting their colour on at this time of year, using the likes of po¯ hutukawa and ma¯ nuka flowers isn’t advised