October Flower Club

How quickly the months seem to fly around and lo and behold it was Flower Club time again!!  It was a man demonstrating this month so very different to norm, perhaps.  The last male demonstrator I had seen I hadn't really enjoyed way too OTT, at the Nafas Annual Show, but this man was much much better.  A very traditional set of arrangements and using some unusual if not very retro containers and accessories.  See what you think - one or two comments from me, of course!!  My first observation was that he was very quick and managed to put his arrangements together doing 7 substantial arrangements and finishing very promptly!!

His first arrangement below was a stunning almost aysmmetrical made using only aqua roses which looked fab (much better than the ones we used at college!!) they were big, long stemmed - really good quality flowers.  He was right when he said they really didn't need anything else just show the roses off to their very best advantage.  For this arrangement he used a child's seat as his base, securing his container onto the seat of the chair, and unusual idea - but shows that really you can use just about anything you want to make an arrangement.

 Next was a two tier arrangement (I am currently trying to type this with a cat sat on my wrists - not easy!! but every time I put her on the floor she jumps back up again!!) using leucodendron to give height and some exotic flavour to the arrangement.  Some simple lines of pink carnations which mirror each other in the top and bottom arrangements. In this sort of arrangement you would always have them at opposite sides on the top and bottom to give movement and contrast between the two.  Movement also comes from the two arrngements flowing into and out of each other which gives an overall oneness to both arrangements.  Personally I may have added something to the base of the foliage area something darker pink or light red to bring the other two elements together.  Still nice to see a different Leucodendron, as more often than not it is Safari Sunset a much darker Leuco that is used.

 The most modern arrangement that he did, and one I like as equally as the roses above, a monochromatic colour scheme, some leaf manipulation, big bold flowers and bold leaves to match, quite simple but very effective.

 The design below is very similar to one from last months flower club (click on the link to see that one), but I feel this one has more impact - the anthurium are the same but this design seems to have more wow with the white carnations than the white chrysanthemum - it is a more expansive design too which  perhaps suits the size of the anthurium - but the anthurium were a lovely quality and such a lovely subtle shade.  I can just imagine these being used in a very simple sheaf style bridal bouquet to suit a sheath style wedding dress.

 The gerbera were a much nicer colour than comes out here, but a nice design, this time a two tier design which doesn't blend into each other but are very separate and distinct from each other.  In a design like this it is very important to ensure all the gerbera are facing in slightly different directions which gives lots of movement to the design.  As the gerbera are quite a flat flower if they all faced in one direction it would be too much of a mass of cololur and shape - but allowing them to almost do what comes naturally means they can add movement and rhythm to the design.

 This design was a very 'fresh from the garden in which the demonstrator used a selection of items he had taken from his own garden and was able to produce a lovely design.  He added in some spectacular alstromeria, which were lemon and pink - lovely.

 I really love the colour scheme he has used in this design with various shades of pink and picking that up in the dark red foliage of the smoke bush.  Really quite simple in one way a bunch of chrysanthemum and a bunch of lisianthus and some garden foliage and there you are.  Well you're on your way, this design would work very well in a church window.  You just may also be able to spy the little gnome in the middle right of the arrangement, very much a retro feel to the container.  And the demonstrator behind the arrangement

 Again a very enjoyable evening, as always and lovely to see a male demonstrator - of which there are a lot at national level - one of which we are off to see in early December - should be fun.

Ciao

Sue

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Reading challenge 15/16 - 1 remaining of list but currently reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown not on the list