Floral designer shares latest trends
Want to give your floral arrangements the pizzaz that only seems to come from a professional's hand?
World-renowned floral designer Deborah De La Flor will reveal new trends and share other tips for creating unforgettable florals at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show, presented by Mariano's, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at Navy Pier. The show will run through March 23. For more information, visit chicagoflower.com.
De La Flor shared a few of her tips for a sneak peek into her workshop.
ADD INTEREST WITH TEXTURE: Choose celosia that has a velvety texture, with a hydrangea that has florets. Hypericum berries, or St. John's wort, center, come in peaches, reds, browns and whites. Decorative kale, upper left, attracts you with its color, but the texture draws you in. Seeded eucalyptus, lower right, rounds out this arrangement.
Courtesy Of The Chicago Flower & Garden Show
Fasten calla lillies around a clear cylinder with rubber bands.
Courtesy Of The Chicago Flower & Garden Show
When your vase is too wide to hold the bouquet tightly in place: Use a nylon zip tie, wrapping it around the bouquet's stems and cutting off the tie's excess length. In order to hide the tie, either use ribbon, or try fresh, Aspidistra foliage. The large leafs can be 2-3 inches wide and do well under water. Simply cut the stems off and loop the foliage around the vase.
Courtesy Of The Chicago Flower & Garden Show
PETAL-LESS PODS: When sunflowers lose their yellow petals leaving a dark center or pod, tuck the pod into a design and create a different look. Or, try this with black-eyed Susans or coneflowers. You might even place these with some of the same flowers that still carry their petals. Or, pair these pods with a nice branch of magnolia foliage, seeded eucalyptus, gerbera daisies, roses or zinnias.
Courtesy Of The Chicago Flower & Garden Show
SAY IT WITH COLOR: Choose colors based upon the meaning you want to get across, the effect you wish to have on someone else. Deep purples are seductive; red stands for love, passion, power, strength, respect; oranges mean sensuality, creativity and happiness because it's bright. Sun colors - yellow - are always warm colors.
Courtesy Of The Chicago Flower & Garden Show
THINK OUTSIDE THE VASE: Put the flowers outside the container and get a cool, columnar design. Using a cylinder-shaped vase, 4 inches wide and 10 inches high, place two rubber bands horizontally around the cylinder. Slide calla lilies between the bands and vase. Put foliage band or ribbon band to conceal the rubber bands. Place vase into a clear dish to keep the calla lilies hydrated.
Courtesy Of The Chicago Flower & Garden Show
COLLECTIBLES AS CONTAINERS: Little antique bottles from yard sales, old milk bottles and old pitchers will stand out in arrangements. Put several of these containers on a tray with a single flower in each - perhaps a rose in one, a hydrangea in another - creating a tablescape across your dining table.
Courtesy Of The Chicago Flower & Garden Show
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