Lori's Larks
Flower Power
Editor Lori K. Tate learns the ins and outs of flower arranging
by Lori K. Tate Photos courtesy of Lori K. Tate
I’VE ALWAYS FANCIED FLOWERS.
OCTOBER 2016
72 LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS
When we have dinner parties, flowers are always on my grocery list, and I often buy them just to cheer up our dining room during a hectic week. While I try to arrange them in interesting and beautiful ways, I’ve never quite nailed it. So when I heard about Blumengarten’s Flower Design Class, I signed up immediately. Carole Lambert, an advertising sales executive with CURRENTS, also joined in on the fun. Led by Emily Frank, the event specialist and designer at Blumengarten, the class was held at Sanctuary in Davidson so there would be plenty of workspace. Frank is a graduate of the Chicago School of Flower Design and has worked in the flower industry since she was 17, so our class of 10 was in good hands. Bo Uhlhorn, owner of Blumengarten, also helped with the class. Uhlhorn started in the flower industry at age 13 and is a graduate of the Rittners School of Floral Design in Boston. Again, there was no way we were leaving with ugly flower arrangements. All of our materials were arranged neatly on the table when we arrived, as they are included in the fee. The first step Frank taught us was taping the vase, which I soon discovered is the key to beautiful arrangements. We took ¼-inchwide floral tape and created a grid on top of the wide vase. Frank suggested not taping a
Above, Editor Lori K. Tate and CURRENTS Advertising Sales Executive Carole Lambert show off their floral arranging talents. Top and bottom left, Emily Frank, the event specialist and designer at Blumengarten leads the class.
piece down the middle, as we might want to put a large flower there. Once we completed our grid, we taped around the top edge of the vase to secure it. Next we had a lesson in blade cutting, which I never quite mastered and was luckily not injured. Frank taught us to hold the blade in a certain way
and cut the stems on an angle and pull up. Our first blossom was Israeli Ruscus, a plush green garland that we used around the perimeter of our arrangements. We were instructed to take the leaves off of the bottom of the stems, as you’re not supposed to leave leaves in the water. We then added red roses, Gerbera daisies, Fuji mums, yarrow, Hypericam Berries and scabiosa pods. Needless to say, these are not your grandmother’s carnations. As we continued to add flowers, our arrangements began to take shape and we learned little tips along the way. For roses, you need to peel the guard petals (outside petals) off before placing them. To prevent Gerbera Daisies from drooping, simply wrap and pin floral wire from the top of the stem to the head. “Every arrangement has a face. Once you’re done, you’ll see the
best side of it,” explained Frank, adding that she tries to emulate nature in her work by placing the bigger buds on the bottom and the larger ones on the top. Regardless of how we approached it, our class created 10 beautiful arrangements, and we had a great time getting to know each other while drinking wine during our floral adventure. The best part is that we got to take our arrangements home. Now that I know the tricks of the trade, I can’t wait to show off my new skills at our next dinner party. or more information regarding F upcoming Floral Design Classes, call Blumengarten at 704.892.7960. Blumengarten 20017 N. Main Street, Cornelius www.blumengartenllc.com