flowers | jane packer

you may already know that jane packer is one of my favorite florists in london.

i really wish that i would have taken a course at jane packer's flower school while my husband, bob, and i lived in england.

so now, i'm settling for the next best thing...a diy course using some of jane packer's floral design books.

jane packer | jane packer's flower course

photo credit paul massey 

my goal:  to learn how to make a hand tied bouquet

jane packer | jane packer's flower course | pages 22-25

photo credits paul massey

first stop:  the san francisco flower mart

to create simple, contemporary flower arrangements, packer suggests:

using no more than four types of flowers
selecting flowers with a monochromatic or tonal color scheme
choosing flowers with complimentary textures

i had already decided upon a white color scheme, because i love the way that white flowers look in our home.

so, i purchased:
(3) bunches of white hydrangeas
(3) bunches of white star of bethlehem
(1) bunch of mint

 


















photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace

first:
-i prepareed the flowers by removing the excess foliage

then:
i just followed the instructions...

step 1:
-use one flower as the center of the bouquet
-tie some string or twine to the stem of the center flower at the binding point
-hold the center flower in your left hand
-then, with your right hand, cluster several more flowers around the center flower, rotating the bouquet counterclockwise, and winding the string around the stems at the binding point

 


















photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace 

step 2:
-add flowers in layers around the center of the bouquet
-hold the center of the bouquet in your left hand
-then, with your right hand, add flowers by slanting the stems at an angle, rotating the bouquet counterclockwise, and winding the string around the stem of each new flower at the binding point
-you can add flowers individually, or in clusters
-continue adding flowers until the bouquet is the right size, or until you have used all of the flowers
-wind the string around the binding point several more times, then tie the string in a knot to secure the bouquet

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace 

step 3:
-cut the ends of the stems, so that they are all the same length
-cutting the stems at an angle helps the flowers to absorb more water, which helps the bouquet to last longer

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace 

step 4:
-tie some raffia or ribbon around the binding point to conceal the string

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace  

voila!

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace  

maybe i'll try making a hand held, instead of a hand tied bouquet next time.

don't you think that it would look more garden and less florist?