Grassy Winter Meadow

This flower design concept that can be utilized for myriad occasions, from photoshoots to weddings and events.

Floral design and text by Molly Lucille (@fae.floral)

Photos by Bud Kibby, TINYuproar

My creative practice is deeply inspired by the wildness of nature. I love going for long nature walks and foraging materials to inspire my designs, so for this installation, I utilized some foraged winter botanicals to create an immersive indoor strollable grassy wildflower meadow for an editorial photoshoot; however, this concept is on trend for wedding ceremonies, and it could also be used to create a wildflower meadow at the base of a sweetheart table or a cake table, or for other events and even retail displays.

For the flowers, I chose cold-weather-loving blooms, including paperwhites, hellebores and Ranunculus, among others, to add a touch of life to the dried foraged materials. This type of design is a great exercise in letting go of perfection (a bit of wabi-sabi) and embracing the wild.

NOTE: When foraging materials, make sure to obtain permission, and learn which plants are invasive in your area so that you do not inadvertently spread seeds of invasive species (for help in the U.S., visit the USDA’s Natural Invasive Species Information Center’s website, invasivespeciesinfo.gov/subject/lists, where you can view lists of invasive plants by region or by state).

STEP BY STEP

Step 1

Place rolled chicken wire into each of five containers (I used three rectangular plastic storage tubs and two plastic bowls). Make sure you create a minimum of three layers of chicken wire in each container (the more overlapping layers, the sturdier each base will be). Secure the chicken wire into the containers with waterproof tape, and then fill the containers with properly proportioned flower food solution. Place the containers in the formation you desire for your “meadow” (I created a semicircle).

Step 2

Cover each container and the spaces between the containers liberally with Spanish moss, taking care to cover camouflage all mechanics.

Step 3

Arrange half-handful-size clusters of tall Chinese silver grass into each of the containers. This will ensure that you maintain a “wild” look; if you place one stem at a time, you’ll lose the natural grassy “meadow” aesthetic. Keep in mind weight distribution as well.

Step 4

Arrange stems of tall dried wild Queen Anne’s lace, to introduce additional color and texture.

Step 5

Next, arrange tall linear flowers (I white larkspur and stock) at various heights, to introduce “wildflowers” into the grassy winter meadow. Finally, arrange smaller and shorter blooms, taking care to include groups of blooms and textures and to insert stems at angles to round out the shape of the meadow.