Gloria B. Collins

A Beautifier of Life through Slow Home Living

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Sketchbook
    • Why I Sketch
  • Journal
  • Contact
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Privacy Policy

5 Tips to Create Stunning Garden Style Flower Arrangements

May 30, 2018 By Gloria B. Collins Leave a Comment

stunning garden style centerpieces for a wedding reception

Garden style flower arrangements make stunning table centerpieces.

Garden Style Flower Arrangements.

A good seasonal arrangement for me looks as if you just picked the flowers from the garden and placed them in a container without fussing. My arrangements are loose, airy and not fussy. This look is easy to achieve so long as you follow a few tips.

5 Tips for Stunning Garden Style Flower Arrangements.

When I begin any flower arrangement, I always start by thinking of my arrangement as a little garden. Each arrangement is a small landscape complete with trees, turf, bushes, and flowers. I make sure to capture all these elements to create a whimsical, eye-catching arrangement.

arranging freshly cut flowers on a garden table

Arranging flowers in my garden.

Structure:

First, look and see what you have growing in your backyard garden. Most American backyard gardens, in the North East, are landscaped typically with Azalea bushes, Rhododendrons, Spirea, Forsythia, Holly and Evergreen trees, etc. These all can be used to form what I call the “Structure.”  Cut these branches to begin establishing the foundation and perimeter of the vase.

cutting backyard garden flowers for flower arrangements

Using backyard garden flowers for arrangements

 

Garden Azalea for flower arrangements

Garden Azalea


Cut three or four beautiful branches with exciting curves to begin filling your vase. Place them to define your height and width.

Foundation:

The”grass” in your garden is its foundation. It frames the garden, right?  Well, consider the lip or base of the vase it too needs to be covered with a foundation green.

For these arrangements, I used Lamb’s ear growing in my backyard garden. It spreads rather quickly and looks pretty both in the garden and in vases. Bonus? Lamb’s ear is deer resistant.

Fresh herbs grown to use in flower arrangements

Herbs to use in my flower arrangements.

 

The goal is to cover the base of your container while adding texture to the arrangement with leaves. I honestly, like to use at least three varieties, but one works beautifully. Again look to see what is in your garden, maybe you are growing grasses, low growing evergreens that are bushy, Pachysandra, Periwinkle, or Ivy.  All of these last in water while adding a fantastic textural base to cover.

I find that most American homes are not landscaped to grow flowers. They are landscaped to be “low maintenance,” which means we’ve detached ourselves from growing flowers in our backyards.

So what about the flowers?

Garden Peonies

Garden Peonies

Focal flowers:

Your Focal flowers are typically your prize flowers. In this arrangement, I used Peonies.

So here is where you can begin growing your very own flower garden. When we bought our old farmhouse, I found a few peonies plants but not much else. I divided them every other year, and now I have a massive collection of big beautiful blooms. Another variety of flowers I’ve been adding are roses. I currently have over thirty-six rose bushes that I’ve counted so far this year.

It takes time to establish a perennial garden. So be patient with yourself. If you want to start growing flowers start with the ones that take longest to develop into cutting flowers.

If you intend to grow flowers and have a  “Fast American Landscaped backyard,” here are links that will help you get started.

5 Tips to Create Stunning Garden Style #FlowerArrangements

Flower arrangements inspired by the garden.

Filler flowers:  

These are flowers smaller in size to the Focal flowers, and I place them tucked in and out to frame the Focal flowers. For this wedding, I used Spirea the actual flowers from flowering bushes, which are in season.

The Final Touch:

The whimsical touches are what creates that sense of wonder to my arrangements. It warrants a second glance to see “what’s that flower?” Here I add locally grown Ranunculus and Sweet Peas as one of the delicate blooms peaking atop the arrangement. But my crowning glory this time was my garden Lily-of-the-Valley, which grows like a weed.

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley

 

Completed garden style flower arrangement

Garden Flower Arrangement

So there you have it a quick guide to how you can begin to think like an in-season flower designer. Use what is growing in your yard/garden even if you are not gardening flowers. You can find something to cut to bring in your home. A branch, a fern leaf even grasses. Bringing nature in the house is an excellent way to keep oneself in balance with the seasons and the moment.

I’d love to see your garden style flower arrangements. If you are on Twitter or Instagram be sure to tag me in your posts as I’d love to know if these tips were helpful to you!

If you haven’t already, please sign up for my monthly email newsletter where I share a behind the scenes look at how I’m working things out in life and in my garden. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Filed Under: Flowers

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My Social Networks

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Email Newsletter Signup

  • My newsletter is a genuine glimpse behind the scenes on how I'm working things out in life.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Connect with me!

gloriabcollins

Good morning. Beautiful day here in #newyork Hope Good morning. Beautiful day here in #newyork Hope you enjoyed my newsletter this morning.  The #newyear is here finally! Couldn’t come fast enough for us all! Hope you’re enjoying this slow time to reflect and #daydream This morning as I write in my #thegoodbyehellojournal  I began to set my intentions for perhaps a new home! What would it look like? Where would it be? Hmmm love #dreaming~  I wish you happy dreams today❤️ stay safe! 340,000. #americans to date. So sad😞
Must finish the newsletter for Saturday. Fun new Must finish the newsletter for Saturday.  Fun new reveals for the #newyear  Sign up from my web sight which can be directly linked to from above here on my Instagram bio. ❤️☝️
Wishing you the very best #Christmas you can have! Wishing you the very best #Christmas you can have!
I’ve always loved stickers as a child, now I jus I’ve always loved stickers as a child, now I just made her because why not have fun exploring one’s childhood loves!  Creating fun little #sketches  Do you think it’s a silly idea? I’d love my #gardengirl to inspire us all. I welcome your thoughts.
Hi from the #garden this #foggymorning it feels mo Hi from the #garden this #foggymorning it feels more like November. Wishing you all a peaceful day! ❤️
Instagram post 17881951459930138 Instagram post 17881951459930138
Hope you enjoy my newsletter today. During the #p Hope you enjoy my newsletter today.  During the #pandemic I’ve been sketching and sketching #garden girls.... every day working to learn more and more.  This helps keep me optimistic and centered.  So sad 278,000  #americans  we will never forget you!
Oh the cookies. The problem is they don’t seem t Oh the cookies. The problem is they don’t seem to be lasting. Recipe in this month’s newsletter. Sign up from my bio.
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.


Copyright© 2021 • Homepage photos by Randazzo & Blau Photography

WordPress Theme Customization & Hosting by Experience Farm

  • Email Newsletter Signup

    My email newsletter is a genuine glimpse behind the scenes on how I'm working things out in life.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.