...OF SPRING AND SUMMER...: A Bunch for the Weekend - # 37

This week on 'A Bunch for the Weekend' - I'm featuring an arrangement with some pretty pink roses from the local flower stall and three different foliage from my garden.

While on my rounds looking for flowers for a completely different project - I came across these very pretty pink roses.

I didn't get any foliage to go with them as I was hoping to find something in my own garden. Sure enough there was plenty to choose from. I cut a few sprigs from the shrub Pittosporum, this one has variegated leaves in two different greens, a few sprigs of rosemary and some Arum leaves.

You'll need:

- 7 stems of pink roses

- 3 stems of Pittosporum

- 3 stems of rosemary

- 3 leaves of Arum italicum

- a medium sized container - I have used a clear glass jar

- 3 ribbons in matching colour to the flowers

For conditioning the flowers - you'll also need:

- florists snippers or scissors

- a florist bucket

As always - you need to condition the flowers - remove all the lower leaves that would end up below the waterline in the vase. Cut the stems at an angle - to increase water absorption. Put in a clean container with fresh water and leave in a cool place over night or at least a few hours before making the final arrangement.

You might have to re-cut the stems while making the final arrangement to suit the size of the vase.

Start with the foliage - put the Arum leaves around the edge of the container, add the Pittosporum evenly throughout and lastly the rosemary leaving them a little bit longer to show up above the other foliage to give both height and texture.

Add the seven roses fairly evenly throughout the

arrangement. Measure the length of the rose stem against the side of the container before you make the final cut - just to make sure you achieve the right height. Vary the height with a few shorter around the edges and a few taller ones in the middle.

Finally I tied three ribbons around the neck of the container - two pink with white stitching and an off-white one with pink stitching. The pink ribbon picks up the colour of the roses. I left the long ends of the ribbons trailing - they add a bit of texture and also hides the stems in the vase.

The pretty ribbons are designed by Jane Means. I'm part of Jane Means' Blogging Team and I feature her ribbons on my blog.

The combination of the pink roses and the light green variegated Pittosporum gives a spring like feeling and the dark green of the rosemary and Arum leaves adds texture and contrast.