This week I’m sharing another demonstration design. This was part of a two day competition and education activity in a regional area, so lots of the audience have limited exposure to floral design techniques although their gardens are magnificent (and well renowned).
I wanted to showcase a couple of techniques that can be used to feature a minimal amount of plant material without looking too much like ikebana which was another of the demonstrations being presented.
On a base of timber (offcut from the local hardware store), I have secured a round of perspex by making a groove in the wood for it to sit. It was also glued in but could be secured by screws as well.
Prior to placing it in the timber I have wound some white and black wool in a random pattern around the perspex. I chose black and white so that the plant material/colour would be the feature of the design, not the embellishments (or non plant material).
Another technique used in this design is based on the stocking technique (click here for instructions). One of the advantages of this technique is being able to use coloured stockings to match your design. I found these white one with black dots on them in a charity store. I have used a small branch as the main part with perspex rods pushed though holes on the branch – making it somewhat plant based!
It is then simply a matter of placement of the plant material, in this case pineapple lilies (Eucomis). These come with wonderful twists that add to the movement in the design. Placement should repeat the placement of other material – height, line. They don’t need a water source for the short duration of this demonstration but could be placed in tubes covered in the white and black wool or the stockings if required.
The design was raffled off afterwards and I have seen the winner use the structure in different ways over many competitions since! Think about making or finding structures you can adapt so your focus can be on the plant material for your designs.
