Floral Styling - Simple Flower Arrangement - # 2 - Ornamental Cabbage

Ornamental cabbage is such a great flower - or maybe we should call it plant - to use in flower arranging. They are easy to handle, lasts for ages, they are also cheep and they are fun because you can do so many things with them. They are only available during the autumn and my local farmers' market here in London has lots of them right now. 

They come in a variety of colours - green, white, pink and purple. But saying that - they are all variegated - meaning they are all multi coloured. Some are prettier then others but they are all interesting.

When you buy them they usually come with long bare stems. Condition them like you do with all flowers by removing any broken or discoloured leaves and cut the stem at an angle before putting them in a container with water. I read in several books where they suggest that you should have as little water as possible in the vase to prevent the stems from rotting. 

You can use them with other flowers - where they will bring a lot of depth and texture in a mixed arrangement. They have lovely crinkly edges and a rustic look to them and they make a great focal point as well - so they are perfect to use like I have done here - mostly as single stems. 

I have put them in all kinds of different shaped laboratory beakers as well as using a vintage Dundee marmalade jar, an old French mustard pot and a green milk jug from the 1930's.

If you use them as single stems cut the length of the stem so that the bottom leaves rest on the rim of the container. That way it looks more pleasing then having bare stem between top of vase and bottom leaf.

Also when any of the lower leaves turn yellow or go discoloured - don't throw the whole stem away - just take off the bad leaves and you can keep on doing that. In the end you will have a bunch of small rosettes of cabbage leaves that almost look like roses - mind you with quite thick stems! 

In some cases I have cut the stem really short and put them as a single stem in a low wide jar - in other cases I have left the stem as long as possible to use in taller vases. 

 Try some out and tell me what you think!

Have a lovely floral day!

See you soon again!

xoxo Ingrid