Study level 2 and 3

Style: Decorative

Description:
Valentine day on February 14 is a day to pay attention on friendship. The source we can find in Italy were, as the story told us,  the monk Valentine around 230 till 270 after Christ was well known as a positive man. He grow flowers and gave them away to people who came for advice. The flowers became flowers of love, happiness and friendship. More Valentine stories are known.
In the Netherlands the color red is most important. Also the hart as a symbol belongs to Valentine. Red and white is also a used combination. Many other combinations in colors and flowers are possible, but the red rose in favorite in Holland. Decorative elements such as ribbon and attributes with a heart are perfect for a Valentine arrangement.
In this arrangement we use a mixed combination in ajour, what means with an open structure. A special element are the Anthurium-flowers and the Anthurium-leaf who have a nice shape of a heart.

We need for this lesson:

• A vase of about 15 till 20 cm. high.

• One peace of Oasis.

• A few meter ribbon.

• 2 Anthuriums and 1 Anthurium-leaf.

• 10 Rosa, red.

• 7 Skimmia japonica.

• 7 Echinacea purpurea.

• A few Rhododendron stems or some Hedera-leaf.

• A few branches of an conifer such as Chamaecyparis or Thuja.

• 20 Xerophyllum tenax, bear grass.

• 10 Asparagus virgatus.

• You can choose also another combination, or use less materials.

Step by step:

1. Soap the Oasis and push it in the vase, Take care for a place to refill the water.
2. Put first the conifer, the Rhododendron-leaf and Asparagus in a open all around form in the vase. The open effect we call ajour.
3. Give place on the bear grass in a playful way.
4. Put in the roses and the other flowers. Do this in a mixed form and in the upper part  of the arrangement. We now can see them very good.
5. Next step is to put in the Anthurium and the Anthurium-leaf.
6. The last step is to make three nice bows. You can use metal wire or bind them on a stick. The best place is on the lower part of the arrangement. Let them hang in an elegant way from the arrangement.  

Materials used are: Ceramic container, Oasis, Anthurium, Anthurium-leaf, Rosa, Skimmia japonica, Echinacea purpurea, Rhododendron, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Stewartii', Asparagus virgatus, Vaban-ribbon.

For more information see the book:

• Winterse feestdagen (Dutch language only)
• Lint, alles over lint en verpakken (All about ribbons, bows and wrapping) (Dutch language only)

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Last update of this page 16.02.2005