A hanging flower cloud - Part 1: The materials

A Hanging Flower Cloud - Part 1: The Materials

A floral hanging makes a great statement piece for a dinner party, but it can also work well as a seasonal feature for any living space.

By creating a flowing and organic installation using a mixture of fresh and dried materials, you can create a piece that will change over time, bringing a softness to your home.

For this piece, I used materials that I have foraged from my local hedgerows, many of which will dry in situ as the installation ages.

Materials You'll Need:

• vines (I used honeysuckle)
• chicken wire
• metal wire
• plant materials of your choice
• secateurs

For This Project, I Chose:

• Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
• Hops (Humulus lupulus)
• Old man's beard (Clematis vitalba)
• Sneezewort 'The Pearl' (Achillea 'The Pearl')
• Statice (Limonium sinuatum)

Putting Together the Structure

I've chosen honeysuckle vines for my structure as they grow wild in my garden, but any twisting vine will work, so it depends what you can find locally.

1. Twist together two lengths of vine and then secure them with some twists of wire.
2. Loosely wrap your wire around the two vines to give your frame added strength so that it can support your plant materials.
3. Wrap your chicken wire around the middle section of your vines and then scrunch together – aim to create a good number of spaces to ensure you can slot all your plant materials in place.
4. Make sure any jagged edges of the chicken wire are looped in on themselves to avoid injury as you create your piece.
5. Hang your structure in situ before you start building your display – building your work in its end location will make the whole process much easier and means you will be able to respond to the size and shape of the space as you work.