Flowers are essential for creating a warm and inviting backdrop for any table setting.
Durban floral artist Karen Morgan givessome blooming fresh ideas on how to put together simple arrangements that are sure to impress your guests
‘I love to mix different textures, fragrances and shapes that will bring a rich and colourful mood to any special occasion,” says Karen. “Have fun with flowers and do not be afraid to experiment with what nature has to offer.”
Casual Lunch
You will need a variety of small terracotta pots, potting soil, aromatic herb and leafy vegetable seedlings, dried twigs, moss and a few stems of shapely succulents.
Fill the terracotta pots with potting soil. Plant a mix and match of green and aubergine leaf shades in each pot. Place pots along centre of table and decorate open spaces with dried twigs, moss and succulent stems. When your guests leave, give the planted pots as gifts.
Delicious Afternoon Tea
You will need one block oasis, one stem cymbidium orchids, a collection of colourful vintage tea cups or dark wine glasses, any soft greenery and a few roses.
Snip the orchid blooms individually, leaving a 3cm stem. Soak and cut oasis to fit containers. Put three blooms in each container. Use small pieces of greenery to cover visible oasis. Decorate plates of eats and chocolate cake with leftover orchids. Finish off this dreamy teatime look with a sprinkle of rose petals across the table.
Elegant Dinner Party
You will need a decorative urn, one block oasis, standard bunch of 20 big-headed red roses, wide bold green leaves, moss, black feathers, fine silver wire, thin black ribbon and a square or round mirror.
Urn arrangement: Soak and cut oasis to fit urn with rounded shape on top. Cut the stems of 14 roses to approximately 4cm. Press into oasis to form a rose-shaped dome. Add bright green leaves, black feathers and criss-cross roses with silver wire.
Single roses: Soak and cut oasis into 6 blocks (4x5cm). Wrap blocks with any bold green leaf and secure with fine silver wire or thin black ribbon. Cut stems of remaining roses to 4cm. Push single bud in each block. Cover visible oasis with moss. For a final touch of drama, arrange the urn and single roses on a square or round mirror in centre of the table.
Fresher for longer tips
To keep cut flowers fresh, change water and cut off a small piece of stem every day.
If stems are hard and woody (roses), crush ends to encourage water absorption. If you can’t change the water every day, put a piece of charcoal or a copper coin in the water with flowers. Remove lower leaves from flowers so they do not trail in water. If left in the water, they will rot and the flowers will not last as long as they should.
* Karen Morgan – Petals and Twigs, Westville Mall