‘A Gatherer's Bounty’ Florals
For my second floral class with Thompson + Hanson, I taught students to create a beautiful fall centerpiece. I love the idea of creating a larger scale piece that could be placed anywhere in the home, whether it’s a focal arrangement on a foyer table or styled amongst a vignette of autumn-themed objects atop a fireplace mantel. In addition to creating a more impactful arrangement, there’s something special about seasonal Bosc pears and the fall season. It’s one of the few fall fruits that often come stemmed and is sculptural in nature. A tip for picking Bosc pears to incorporate in arrangements, choose unripe pears with a sturdy stem. A sturdy stem is essential in the staking process and there’s something special about letting the pear ripen within your arrangement and at the end of its life, being able to harvest and gather the pears to slice and enjoy.
When I think of fall arrangements, I find most people lean towards pumpkins and tones of brown. While I do appreciate the natural aesthetic of tans and browns, I knew I wanted to add a few unique pops of color to create vibrancy and intrigue. For this particular arrangement, I incorporated stems of golden mustard garden roses and peach anthurium. I’m a huge fan of golden mustard roses because of it’s illusionary structure. As a bud, the exterior guard petals read more of a blush and peach tone. As you peel open the petals to reveal the inner layers, a stunning golden-bronze tone bursts onto the scene. The golden mustard roses played an essential role as a color bridge between the more muted quick sand roses and the vibrant peach anthurium. All in all, this arrangement is a stunning take on autumn tones and I think my floral students would resoundingly agree!
‘A GATHERER’S BOUNTY’
FLORALS + SUPPLIES
Ceramic vase (9-10” height, 5-6” opening)
Floral snips
1 bunch of camellia leaves
2-3 branches of pin oak, fresh cut
3 stems of green hanging amaranthus
3 Bosc pears with sturdy stems
6-7 stems of quick sand cream roses
6-7 stems of golden mustard garden roses
1 bunch of white wedding gomphrena
1 bunch of queen anne’s lace
3 stems of peach anthurium
STEPS
Fill the vessel with water so that all stems placed into the vessel will be able to hydrate.
Snip a 12” x 12” section of chicken wire and mold the wire to create a structural shape that fits into the opening of the vase. This will allow your stems to be placed further away from the base of the arrangement to create placement flexibility.
Start with 2/3 of your camellia bunch and create a greenery base for your arrangement. Place a few stems closer into the wire structure to help hide the wire and a few stems further away to build the final shape of the arrangement.
Using the pin oak branches, place them strategically to create interest with a few closer in and one or two stretched out as a focal point.
Arrange 5-6 stems of the quick sand cream roses and golden mustard garden roses throughout the arrangement. Set aside a few of each of the roses for final placement at the end.
Place the green hanging amaranthus along the outskirt of the arrangement and allow it to drape down the sides as well as above to create a natural and flowy aesthetic.
Layer in the white wedding gomphrena and queen anne’s lace throughout the arrangement to add a beautiful wildness to the arrangement.
Add in the remaining camellia leaves to fill any holes.
For the anthurium and remaining roses, you may find it difficult to insert the stems into the vase. Use the floral tubes to keep those stems hydrated. This will also give you the flexibility to place those stems further out to create focal point impact.
Take a few of the stem and leaf clippings from the roses to attach to the Bosc pears. Using the floral tape, wrap the stem of the Bosc pear to the rose stem and secure together. Add a few rose leaves to the stem to create a naturally picked look. Place the Bosc pears throughout the arrangement.
For the finishing touch, spritz the arrangement with water to help hydrate the petals.
