http://www.bridesmagazine.co.uk‘Use plenty of varieties of
owers and foliage for a
textural, exciting bouquet.’
Vic Brotherson
Try this now!
A
1 Choose flowers with fine
stems, as they are easy to
handle. Use plenty of varieties
of owers and foliage so you
get a textural and exciting
bouquet (A). Use however
many you would like; in this
example there are a couple of
aconitums and only one
dahlia. A mix of spires
(aconitums, delphiniums,
veronicas, etc) and rounded
shapes (roses, peonies, dahlias,YOU WILL NEED: STRING AND
SCISSORS OR A KNIFE OR
SECATEURS, IF PREFERRED
FLOWERS: GARDEN ROSES,
SCABIOUS, DAHLIAS, ACONITUMS,
MUEHLENBECKIA, COW PARSLEY,
SENECIOS AND ACHILLEASHand-tied
bouquet
etc) will give a rustic feel,
whereas all round-headed
owers will make a balanced,
dome-like bunch.
2 Chop the stems to around
30cm long and clear them of
thorns, leaves and painful
nodules, at least 15cm from the
bottom. Lay out the prepared
owers on a clear surface (B),
so they are easy to select.
3 Begin by choosing a
leading flower and hold it in
your le hand (reverse if you’re
le handed). Using your other
hand, add from the owers and
foliage on the table, holding
the owers in place in your
palm with your thumb and
fore nger. Your other ngers
grip in and release as more
owers are added. Every third
stem or so, turn the bouquet
using your free hand. Keep all
the stems facing in the sameB
C
direction – as they are added
the twist will become apparent.
As each stem is added, slightly
drop the height to achieve a
rounded shape. Finish with the
hardiest stems, as these will
prevent the string from cutting
into any so er stems and
decapitating the owers. Loop
the string around the bouquet
above your holding hand at
least once. Pull tightly, place
the bouquet on a surface and
tie in a double knot (C).
4 Trim the s tem s so they are
all a similar length. If you are
putting the owers into a vase,
test the height until the stems
touch the base and the owers
sit well in the neck. If using for
a carried bouquet, ensure the
stems aren’t too bulky and tie
lower down if necessary. For
a bouquet, stem length is
usually around 20cm. ¤94 BRIDES