A stunning flower arch - Part 2 - Adding foliage

Adding Foliage

Foliage forms the base of your flower arch and is really useful for defining the shape.

Flowers & Greenery I Am Using

• Apple of Peru
• Beech
• Pysocarpus

Adding Foliage

Step 6

Select your foliage - I find it looks most effective if you stick to around 2 varieties so that your base feels cohesive. Lay out the stems in front of you so you can see what you have to work with, and can begin to work out which shape will suit which area.

Step 7

Starting with your biggest foliage first, insert branches into the buckets at the base of the arch. You can use cable ties to encourage the branch to sit against the arch in a certain way or weave the stems around the framework. This will also help to preserve your work in windy conditions.

Step 8

Work your way around the arch, adding in foliage to the cones and vials. Allow yourself to be guided by the natural shape of the branch - you'll find some to be the perfect shape to curve over the top, while other straighter branches will work well to cover up the sides.

Step 9

With a flower arch, it's vital to stand back and see how it's looking right from the beginning. Check from various angles, and assess how the shape is building. You can always trim the foliage into shape.

Step 10

Continue adding greenery and foliage until you feel you have a really good base; I like the greenery to form around 70% of the arch.