Take one step into The Southern Table’s space at 2524 Converse Street and you’ll wish you were getting married. No shame… it’s just that fun in there. The floral design company shares a space with the equally chic/adorable Southern Fried Paper, Layered Bake Shop, Birds of a Feather Events and Ben Q. Photography creating a sort of wedding super squad whose shared aesthetic is what Pinterest dreams are made of.
While I don’t plan to walk down the aisle any time soon (as far as I know, Ryan Reynolds is still involved with that Blake Lively chick), spring is on its way. And since there’s no better way to welcome the season than by decking out your home in fresh blooms, we turned to The Southern Table’s owner and head designer Maxine Owens to show us how to put together a little something lovely.
Step 1 – Cut & Condition
Remove any thorns and strip your flowers and greenery of any leaves. {You don’t want any leaves to sit below the water line; this can cause bacteria.} Cut your stems at a 45-degree angle. This will increase the surface area so the flowers can absorb the most water.
Step 2 – Prep Your Vase
Ball up a piece of chicken wire and wedge it inside your vase to create an anchor. If you don’t have chicken wire or if you’re using a clear vase, you can crisscross the stems of the greenery to create an anchor.
Step 3 – Greening
Maxine prefers to use greenery with various colors and textures that will flow together. Just some of the greenery pictured here is Italian Pittosporum, Myrtle, and Camellia. Move from one type of greenery to the next as you place them into your vase. Be sure to leave spaces for your flowers!
Step 4 – Statement Blooms
Maxine placed her statement blooms (pink Keira garden roses, yellow garden roses and pink standard roses) in the pockets of the greenery. Try to place them all at different heights and directions as you move around the arrangement. Don’t forget to leave pockets for your secondary blooms!
Step 5 – Secondary Blooms
Maxine used hellebore flowers that hung gently over the side of the vase and lisianthus to create height. Orange French Parrot Tulips were added for a pop of color.
Step 6 – Tertiary Blooms
Or “fairy dust,” as Maxine called them. Ranunculus and yellow poppies were added last for a delicate accent.
Step 7 – Enjoy!
{Tips + Tricks from Maxine}
- To Make Your Arrangement Look Effortless
- For a more natural look with lots of movement (not condensed into a ball or square shape), be sure to balance the color and height of the flowers as you make your way around the arrangement, turning the vase as you go.
- To Make Your Arrangement Last
- While shopping, look for healthy flowers that have yet to fully bloom (they’ll look a bit closed up).
- Change out the water every day. No need to use flower food. It’s not great for the environment anyway!
- Take pieces out as they die and fill in the empty spaces with fresh flowers. The greenery should last and maintain your anchor for some time.
- Don’t keep the arrangement in your kitchen refrigerator (it’s too cold). Also, keep flowers away from fruit. Fruit gives of ethylene (a hormone that promotes aging) that is harmful to flowers.
*Be sure to check out The Southern Table’s upcoming class and workshop schedule {hint: they make for GREAT gifts!}: http://southerntabledesign.com/workshops-and-classes/
