Reclining Tulips
Top o' the mornin' to ye, and a grand St. Patrick's Day it is indeed! On this day we celebrate the wearin' (or designin') o' the green. In this Flower School How-To Video Leanne creates an elegant foam-free design featuring bi-color green tulips accented with Green Trick dianthus, green hypericum, lily grass and a single fatsia leaf. Embrace the spirit of the Emerald Isle this St. Patrick's Day with this contemporary take on tulips -- a favorite flower here at Floral Design Institute. Enjoy!
Video Transcription
Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of us at Floral Design Institute. Today celebrating with reclining tulips. Let me show you how it's done.
Tulips are such fabulous flowers and unique in that they continue to grow and they'll grow towards the light. They also try to grow against gravity, but their heads are so big and heavy when they are in season that sometimes they still are going to droop and designing can be tricky, but if you pick the proper vessel, something long and narrow, you can work with that movement. Just go ahead and add water. Have it pre-mixed with flower food. Then as you place your flowers, work with the drape. Remove any foliage that's going to be in the way, give them a cut and let them slant and recline.
Continue placing your tulips in a parallel fashion. Don't cross the stems, just slide them in thinking about their head size. Larger ones come in a little bit shorter, smaller ones, little longer, but remembering they're all going to continue to grow, so work with that placement and let them relax and recline beautifully.
To finish, adding a bit of texture and a little bit of visual weight to the back. Maybe some green trick dianthus, letting it just sit upright. A little bit shorter so it just nestles right in. Maybe a fatsia leaf, letting it come out to the opposite direction. A little bit of hypericum. Again, tucking it down. Then lastly, small amount of lily grass, letting it come out to the side with the tulips, giving you a little more elongation and carrying the darker green from right to left.
You could stop here and use it year around, but today, St. Patrick's Day, let's go ahead and add a little luck of the Irish. Maybe add one shamrock right down. Finding a spot to go through, with a little spin, some movement, and then bringing in another, maybe a little shorter, tucking it right down in front to enhance the design.
The recipe, 10 fabulous Parrot Tulips, a full bunch, five strands of Lily Grass, one Fatsia Leaf, three Green Trick Dianthus, and three green Hypericum. Then for fun, the two glittered shamrock picks to finish it off.
As florists we get to celebrate all the holidays. You'll find more creative inspiration on the website, flowerschool.com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there, but now it's your turn. What are you going to create for your favorite holiday? Find tulips. Find an accent. Make it up, beautiful. Take a picture, post it on social media, and #FloralDesignInstitute, that way we all can see what you do as you do something you love.
