An Evergreen arrangement should be watered - just as you would a precious indoor plant. If you are diligent about this - your centrepiece should last you well into the New Year! You can simply change the flowers as they wither - keeping the evergreen base.
My fav flowers to use at this time of year are - amaryllis cut short - an interesting play on scale!, antique garden roses (my fav being White O'Hara), and at this time of year I enjoy forced tulips - it seems exotic to me to have tulips at this time of year - just as tangerines were for me when I was little.
Instead of berries - which are not always kind to animals and children - and heavens ! I have had them burst overnight and make a mess ! - try rose hips - they are full of vitamin C so if your kitty nibbles it won't hurt - and the rose hip will dry - so they continue to look terrific for seasons! ...also I like the berry-look of the seeded eucalyptus - and blue-berried juniper (the main source for gin actually!).
There are some evergreens that work better indoors - as they do not go brown nor do they drop their needles so you are not sweeping up throughout the holidays - here are some of my favs:
Nobe Fir, White Pine, Coned Cedar, Incensed Cedar, Blue-berrided Cedar, Boxwood
also try: Seeded Eucalyptus, Magnolia, Oregonia & Red Huck
Natural Birch Branches, Elder, Golden Curly Willow & Yellow Dogwood are my fav branches
Try co-ordinating the subtle colours of the greenery (some are a blue green, some a yellow green etc), with the berries, flowers and twigs - much as you would co-ordinate your fashion outfit - selecting things that go together to start with - make for a gorgeous arrangement. Later this week I will share some of own fav combos!
and my last bit of advice is - place or nestle the flowers into the interior of the arrangement as though they are growing on a plant - and set the same blooms together as a grouping - this has much more visual impact than dotting them around willy nilly !
if you have questions - send them to me elaine@fromthepottingshed.com
and Happy Holidays !!
