Design, words and photos by Katya Hutter Floral Design, Amsterdam, Netherlands
An artfully crafted display of flowers designed for art-world aficionados
I created this centrepiece, featuring late-spring flowers and crafted in a creative garden style, for a private dinner hosted by my client, Colnaghi—one of the oldest and most prestigious fine art galleries in the world—during the renowned The European Art Fair Foundation (TEFAF) Fair in Maastricht, Netherlands last spring.
Given the artistic occasion, I chose an unconventional colour palette, blending jewel tones with pastels. Drawing inspiration from magnificent spring blooms, I wanted to create a cheerful and artistic centrepiece using sustainable techniques, set within a glamorous golden planter that served as an exquisite frame.
INGREDIENTS
Low round gold planter
OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media
OASIS® Pin holders
OASIS® UGLU™ Adhesive Dashes or OASIS® Fix Adhesive Tack
OASIS™ Florist Netting (chicken wire)
Fritillaria persica (Persian lily)
Tulipa spp.—Single Late/Cottage Tulip Group (French tulip, cottage tulip)
Ranunculus asiaticus ‘Romance™ Perigord®’ (Persian buttercup)
Ranunculus japonicus (Japanese buttercup, mao gen)
Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea)
Viola tricolor var. hortensis (wild pansy, field pansy)
Hypnum spp. (sheet moss, plait moss)
STEP BY STEP
Step 1
Adhere pin holders to the inside bottom of the planter using adhesive floral clay/putty or adhesive dashes. Soak two bricks of TerraBrick™ Floral Media (one full square brick and one cut in half) in properly proportioned cut flower nutrient solution. Next, place them into the planter, filling the base of the vessel, pressing them down over the pin holders. Form a length of chicken wire into a half circle (arch), and place it around the inside rim of the container. Finally, fill the container with properly proportioned flower nutrient solution.
Step 2
Arrange stems of Fritillaria using Fibonacci/Golden Ratio (3:5:8) proportions, forming three groups: a large one in the centre, a smaller one to one side, and a medium-sized group on the opposite side, to create an asymmetric shape.
Step 3
Next, arrange stems of French tulips using the same proportioning method. Then arrange Japanese and Persian Ranunculus in groups, by colour, to create colour blocks. Arrange the Ranunculus on three levels: full stem length, one-third stem length and one-fifth stem length.
DESIGN TIP: TerraBrick is denser than floral foam, and you may need to “drill” a hole in the media with a knife in order to fully insert soft-stemmed flowers.
Step 4
Arrange pansies and sweet peas into the chicken wire armature inside the rim of the planter. Ensure that all stems are in water.
Step 5
Tuck moss around the base of the design to cover the chicken wire and fill in any open spaces.
DESIGN TIP: Consider incorporating other delicate spring flowers, such as lilies-of-the-valley or bluebells (Hyacinthoides), into the base of the design, ensuring that they are harmonious with your chosen colour palette and design theme.
