7 December 2012

Floral Feast




Inspired by the season and the fact that I wanted to use some red berries I came up with this very easy and very quick arrangement. 

My local florist, Achillea, always has inspiring displays outside as well as inside their shop and this time was no exception. I picked some Ilex with red berries and some berried ivy. I also said that they didn't need to wrap it up, but as I turned my back for thirty seconds she had it all wrapped up in brown paper and matched the berries with red raffia!


The Ilex verticillata that I chose is a holly that is also called Black alder or Winterberry. At this time of year there are some other twigs with fruit or berries that you can use, like crab apples or rose hips. 


The berried ivy is just normal ivy, but it's only mature ivy that has berries. I have plenty of ivy in my garden but it is clipped every year so it never reaches a mature state and therefore no berries. I love the colour and texture of the berries combined with the glossy pointed leaves.


Just like with all cut flowers you need to condition both the Ilex and the ivy. Remove any branches and leaves that will sit below the waterline and cut the stems at an angle. You will need a pair of secateurs to cut any woody stems and you should also split the stem at the bottom to increase the surface area, to help the plant absorb water. 


I have used a large clear glass vintage apothecary bottle, a small glass container, a red and white enamelled candle holder, red raffia, some small mostly red vintage Christmas baubles and a torn strip of black & white fabric with a pattern of snow crystals. 



I put the Ilex in the big bottle and tied the piece of fabric around the neck.



I arranged the ivy in the little bottle and twisted the raffia around the top.


The vintage enamelled candle holder is made by the Swedish company Kockums. I put a partly burnt candle in the holder, I didn't want it to be too tall, and arranged the little vintage baubles around it.


I am hoping to be able to inspire you with more seasonal and very easy floral arrangements every Friday for the next few months.  


Have a lovely Floral Friday!

Thank you for visiting and I will see you back here soon.

xoxo Ingrid


6 comments:

martinealison said...

Une très jolie publication avec cette magnifique composition florale digne de noël... Merci de nous montrer l'évolution de sa création.

Gros bisous

Sanne said...

Dear Ingrid,

this really looks like christmas !!! At this time I even love red...

Wishing you a nice & cosy weekend,

Sanne

Frances said...

In the past week, I have been seeing lots of ilex for sale, and have been contemplating how I will arrange the branches I eventually will buy. Now, you've offered me some lovely inspiration...I think that the branches' red berries are so pretty, that it's good to leave the arranging rather simple, as you have done.

Your mature ivy's berries brought me some childhood memories, of my father's care in trimming the ivy that grew on brick walls around our house. He showed me, on a neighbor's home, how mature ivy sort of transformed itself into a very different plant.

(A sweet Christmas time memory...so many thanks to you!)

I'll be buying some greenery, ilex and paper white bulbs very soon.

xo

jacqueline said...

Dearest sweet Ingrid, so so beautiful! I am really loving the red this season! Thanks so much for sharing! Have a lovely merry happy friday and a wonderful weekend! Love to you!

Lisa Gordon said...

It is absolutely beautiful, Ingrid!
I love the wonderful simplicity.
Thank you so much for sharing here.
I hope you've had a wonderful weekend, and I wish you a bright beginning to your week.
xo.

geraldine said...

So beautifully arranged. Thanks for the inspiration. I think having that fabric tie really brings the vase and plant together. x

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...