Go bold with a polychromatic color scheme.

Floral design, text and photos by Lea Romanowski, AIFD, CAFA, CFD

Designing on the Edge

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Presented by Oasis Floral Products

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My inspiration: my best friend, while lying in a meadow and looking outward, envisions spring arriving. Bright, vibrant flowers wondrously emerge after a long winter’s nap. For this design, I visualize five or more colors—polychromatic harmony. I think the new OASIS™ Petite Tray, which has a smaller profile, best suits this creation. I see this narrow, multi-based tablescape used at events, weddings, church alters and celebrations of life.

You can sell this as:

  • An S-Curve on a table using four small trays
  • Multiple pieces around an urn
  • Designs at the base of wedding arches
  • Multiple pieces down a wedding aisle, and then transferred to tables
  • Buffet table or credenza pieces
  • Coffee table designs
  • Narrow washroom counter designs

DESIGN TIP:

When designing more than one tray, layer in two or three botanicals at a time. Gently cover your base, and then design tallest to shortest placements. Water with a turkey baster or water tube bottle.

final design

STEP BY STEP

Step 1

Saturate the foam, and then cut in a wave pattern, writing facing up. Flip the top piece over so the two pieces make one long wave when the ends touch. Gently push the foam writing facing forward into the long tray. Repeat this step using only half of the wave cut block. This will fill the small tray. No need to secure with tape as the foam is a very tight fit in the petite tray.

step 1

Step 2

Place foam filled trays on a towel. With a glove on, rub all the surface and edges of foam until they are smooth and rounded. Make sure to rub off all the stamped writing and rinse bases with water. This technique gives the foam base a clean finished look that does not need to be fully covered. Design with the two trays touching end to end. This will create a larger seamless finished design.

step 2

Step 3

Insert clear water tubes in the foam, where very thirsty flowers will be positioned. Moderately cover the wave of foam with jasmine vine, extending some trailing vines past the container ends. Secure with OASIS® Naturals Bamboo Greening Pins, and then cover any mechanics with Dianthus.

step 3

Step 4

Insert all the taller and longer line flowers in groupings or a pattern. Choose your look.

step 4

Step 5

Next start basing with remaining flowers to ground the design, creating more depth.

step 5

Step 6

Finally, weave kiwi vine through the design for an interesting root-like dynamic line.  Add more jasmine vine, if desired.

step 6
close up
dinner table
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Materials

BOTANICALS

botanicals

• Actinidia arguta (hardy kiwi vine, tara vine, bower vine)

• Ranunculus asiaticus (Persian buttercup)

• Dianthus barbatus ‘Green Trick’ (hybrid nonflowering sweet William)

• Iris × hollandica ‘Blue Magic’ (Dutch Iris, fleur-de-lis)

• Gentiana spp. (gentian)

• Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Atlantic’ (hyacinth, Dutch hyacinth)

• Scabiosa atropurpurea × caucasica ‘Dark Cherry SCOOP’ (pincushion flower, scabious)

• Veronica acinifolia (French speedwell)

• Tulipa spp. ‘Columbus’ (peony-flowered tulip, Double Late tulip)

• Chrysanthemum × morifolium ‘BluOcean Jade’ (spray mum)

• Jasminum officinale, vine (common jasmine, white jasmine, poet’s jasmine)

HARD GOODS

• OASIS® Midnight Floral Foam Maxlife

• OASIS™ Petite Tray (10” and 19”)

• OASIS® Naturals Bamboo Greening Pins

hard goods