Collaboration with The Farmer’s Daughter

Ingredients: 

Method

Step 1 – Prep your flowers & foliage

Separate each of your stems and cut or trim to create good single pieces to work with. Strip the stems. We want to ensure that all foliage on the bottom third of the stems is removed. This is basically anything that would be in the water once you add to the vase.

Step 2: Creating a hand tied bouquet

Using a traditional spiral technique, we build the bouquet starting with the foliage as the base. Holding the first piece upright in your supporting hand (left), take the second piece of foliage and place left to right in a downward diagonal direction using your working hand (right). Next, rotate the bouquet clockwise slightly and repeat to add each piece of foliage. Leave one or two pieces aside for the finishing touches. 

 Step 3: Adding the flowers

Start with the large focal flowers and one at a time, place them through the foliage base. Remember to place each flower diagonally left to right and rotate the bouquet with each addition as we did with the foliage. You’ll see the stems take a spiral shape in your supporting hand. Continue with your smaller feature flowers and finally add the tallest upright flowers last.

Work back through the varieties and remaining foliage from earlier, placing each to the outer edge of the bouquet. This creates a natural and modern shape. Remember to always keep you supporting hand loose, so that the bouquet is not too right and over-formed, let the flowers do the work! 

Step 4: The final seasonal touches

It is always a lovely personal or seasonal touch by adding a special feature to finalise the bouquet. The Farmer’s Daughter is Australian based, where it is currently winter and so here we’ve used a magnolia branch in bud. We place them on the outer edge of the bouquet, low and towards what we intend to be the front of the arrangement. 

Step 5: Finally, we are ready to tie off!
Cut the stems down to fit the vase by measuring against the kitchen or outdoor bench, working with the bottom of the vase. Hold the bouquet and position the base of the flowers and foliage to meet the vase height. Thread the tie sting or ribbon through your index and middle fingers of your supporting hand. Next, wrap the tie around the bouquet a few times – high and tight is the motto. Finally, trim the bottom of the bouquet, place into the vase and find a beautiful spot in your home to display.

The Farmer’s Daughter is a Victorian-based local and seasonal florist in Melbourne, Australia. Check our her Instagram and website for your next arrangement, event or special occasion.