A show-stopping urn arrangement - Part 1 - Creating structure

A Show-Stopping Urn Arrangement - Part 1

Creating Structure

A large, oversized arrangement is a great way to highlight a focal point at your event; it could be placed on either side of the aisle at a wedding or at the entrance to a party. When working on this scale, it's important to get the framework and structure right.

You Will Need:

• A large watertight vessel - stone urns work well
• Bucket or bowl that fits within your vessel
• Chicken wire-coated or galvanised will be easier to work with
• Wire cutters
• Protective gloves
• Pot tape
• Water to fill your vessel
• Branches and stems of foliage
• Secateurs

Flowers & Greenery I Am Using

• Ammi
• Beech - at least 5 large branches
• Larkspur
• Mint
• Philadelphus / Orange Blossom
• Physocarpus
• Saponaria

Creating Structure

Step 1

Place the bucket inside your vessel or urn.

Step 2

Cut a length of chicken wire, and scrunch it up roughly into a ball shape. Don't compact it too tightly - it should be airy and loose.

Step 3

Push the chicken wire ball down towards the base of the bucket and then manipulate it to fill the bucket evenly. The higher the chicken wire sits within the bucket, the more support it will provide and the taller you will be able to make your arrangement.

Step 4

Fill the bucket with a generous amount of water - making large arrangements means a lot of thirsty stems, so be sure to top up the water periodically.

Step 5

Condition your stems and branches carefully; when working with chicken wire, thorns and burls can make your life difficult. Removing unnecessary leaves is also a good way to extend the vase life of a stem.

Step 6

Begin with the foliage, and select the largest, straightest piece you have. Look at the shape of the branch, and assess if it needs to be trimmed or cut back to achieve the look you want. Push it down into the chicken wire to start your arrangement.

Step 7

Continue to select foliage stems and feed them into the chicken wire to build the overall shape of your arrangement.

Step 8

Periodically stand back to assess your arrangement from a variety of distances and angles to make sure it is working from all viewpoints.

Step 9

When you are happy with the amount of your initial foliage and the shape it has created, you can start to add in additional stems.

Spring Recipe:

• Forsythia or cherry blossom branches for height
• Lilac
• Tulips
• Hellebores
• Ranunculus
• Solomon seal, foxgloves
• Fritillaria

Autumn Recipe:

• Dahlias
• Roses
• Tall rose hip strays
• Japanese Anemones
• Cosmos
• Hydrangeas, guelder rose, ammi, hollyhocks

Sourcebook

Floristry Prop Hire Rob Van Helden