Just home from a winter week in Paris at the Catherine Muller Flower School. The ‘Concepts and Creations’ course focused on creative designs and included several designs working with rooted plants. On April 12 at Longwood Gardens my class “Spring Pot et Fleur” will include some of the new ideas and techniques learned in Paris along with some techniques shown in my May 2020 website blog.
Vegetal structural arrangement
Each day included three designs of varying sizes. Day 1 included a smaller design titled
“Vegetal structural arrangement” which wrapped olive branches, mimosa, and jonquil bulbs around a cylinder vase. Several bunches of narcissus blooms and two stems of opulent white hellebores fill the vase of water.
Great spontaneous flowers and plants arrangement
The second day’s lessons included a stunning, large design of all rooted plants. It begins by laying a large kalanchoe and hanging lipstick plant side by side on chicken wire and binding them together. The kalanchoe was turned upward the aeschynanthus turned down. The root balls were the support for the additional plants which were staked and/or wired to the existing wired plant roots.
- Kalenchoe pinnata
- Aeschynanthus, hanging lipstick plant
- Adiantum, maidenhair fern
- Pilea, money plant
- Plumosus, Asparagus fern
- Pepperonia,
- Oxalis
- Monstera, mini cut-leaf
- Succulents
- Moss
How many plants can you think of that would be good to create your own towering pot et fleur?
Vase en Vogue
The last day of classes approached the pot et fleur design using a large glass compote vase with a smaller cylinder inside to hold water for fresh viburnum branches. Fresh plants were added to the vase with their bare root balls and extra soil filled the vase.
- Cactus, hanging rhipsalis
- Adiantum, maidenhair fern
- Stipa, grass
- Soleirolia, baby tears
- Jasmine
- Ficus
- Viburnum blossoms
- Primula, two varieties
This stunning design used hanging rhipsalis cactus and feathery stipa grass to create asymmetrical balance. Two varieties of primrose were removed from their pots and staked to the roots of the cactus and stipa. Adiantum, jasmine, and ficus plants were added with stakes and a mass of soleirolia (baby tears) was staked to cascade opposite the cactus. The result was stunning and I now wish I had wrapped the cactus into my suitcase so it would be here with me in Pennsylvania.
Extravagant Arrangement
Our third day of class began with an extravagant design using branches attached outside the container.
Cherry and prunus branches are bound with cross pieces to create a vegetative structure.
Mimosa stems are added first to support stems of white delphinium, lilac, daffodils, and daisy blooms. Ivy vines add movement through the branches.
A close-up picture shows the binding of branches at the base of the pot to support the taller branches.
These are just a few of the “Concepts and Creations” we completed in our wonderful winter flower week. I will share more of them in later writings. Look for my Pot et Fleur class and other classes at Longwood Gardens, under Continuing Education.
Stay warm. Spring will be here soon.
