A dynamic suspended design for seasonal occasions and events
Floral design, photos and text by Paulina Nieliwocki
Blue Jasmine Floral
Berkeley Heights, N.J.
The soft curves and blended textures in this suspended floral design celebrate the autumn season’s bounty and beauty. Comprising some of fall’s dominant blooms, primarily marigolds and Chrysanthemum, this fanciful design evokes the season’s duality of saturated and muted golden hues. For the coming seasonal holidays, occasions and events, it offers myriad applications, particularly as décor above dining and buffet tables, in foyers and entrance spaces, and anywhere a dramatic floral statement is desired.
STEP BY STEP
Step 1
Cut a length of chicken wire to the desired length, and lay it on a long work surface. Place piles of dried organics, such as moss, twigs, leaves, grasses, raffia fiber and the like, in the center of the chicken wire, spanning the entire length. Tightly roll the chicken wire into a “tube,” encasing the dried materials within, and bind the tube closed with short zip/cable ties. Shape the design mechanic into the desired form.
Step 2
Hang the structure from a sturdy source, such as a hook anchored into a ceiling, a celling beam, etc.
Step 3
Arrange marigolds, in groups, into the structure. Surround the tubular mechanic to create equal weight distribution.
DESIGN TIP: Marigolds are hardy enough to last throughout an event without a water source; however, you can insert stems into anchor-pointed or spiked water picks filled with properly proportioned flower nutrient solution, if desired.
Step 4
Arrange stems of spray Chrysanthemum, Freesia and Limonium into the structure, fully covering the structure and creating additional dimension and depth.
DESIGN TIP: I recommend placing the stems of spray Chrysanthemum and Freesia into water picks.
Step 5
Pepper in some stems of dried grasses for an additional seasonal touch and to create additional movement and dimension.
Materials
BOTANICALS
• Tagetes patula (French marigold)
• Chrysanthemum × morifolium (spray mum, Decorative bloom type)
• Freesia spp.
• Limonium sinense/sinensis (sea lavender, statice, caspia, marsh-rosemary)
• Dried organics (e.g., grasses, moss, twigs, leaves, raffia fiber, etc.)
HARD GOODS
• OASIS™ Florist Netting
• Aquapic® from Syndicate Sales
• Zip/cable ties (short)
• Spool or picture-hanging wire
