Half the Fun

Sliced Grassy Cabbage

Slicing a cabbage to create an armature for a vegetable design.

Pumpkin legs

I wanted my pumpkin to lift its head slightly so that it is easy to see the beautiful sepals inside. Making tiny legs also prevent the pumpkin from rolling.

Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips

Braid a Celtic heart knot

Braid or knot a traditional Celtic heart with foliage

T- Pin blades of grass

Make a small grass "propeller" by pinning blades of grass into the design

Ripped Grass Frame

Create a sheltered or veiled design by framing the outer edge of your armature (in this case thick cardboard) with long strands of grass

A grand kale to spark that almost end of summer colour

A slight tweak turn a ornamental kale into a ornamental mechanic.

Dangling Quaking Grass drops threaded through a hydrangea flower head for support

A quick craft with quaking grass to turn it into dangling droplets.

Swing ripped foliage over a mop-head of hydrangeas to follow the natural curve

Gently curve ripped foliage over flowers to add a cooling movement to a minimal summer design.

Hanging knotted foliage hearts from Quince blossom branches

Add a bit of love to your blossom branches with hanging heart knots.

Knot a delicate hammock from ripped foliage

Light and airy addition to a floral design to celebrate summer

Adding tendrils to an already fluffy papyrus puff ambel

There's no need for a quick and easy summer design to be boring... look closer!

Curl tinsel

Gently pull the tinsel over a blade to curl

Bending blades of grass to shadow over a design

Protea Composite

To create this huge Protea I took apart nine Protea flower heads and glued the tepals and bracts back on to a polystyrene ball to create a large Protea composite flower that is similar in shape to an African clay vase used in wedding ceremonies.

Kitchen Garden

Kitchen Garden Design. South African Horticultural Society Show 2009

Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Bright and sunny cymbidium orchids and roses, lilies, lisianthus and pincushions

Pleated Pleasure

Pleats are accordion like folds of equal width in alternating opposite directions in any kind of fabric. I absolutely love the tight buds of Allium and they represent the "pleasure" part of my design

Pick-Up Sticks

A twig and stick design with sweet dumpling pumpkins and rosary vine (Ceropegia woodii). I also made a cherry twig and skeleton leaf Stick Insect

Thanksgiving Harvest

Thanksgiving pumpkin with Chinese lanterns and spiral blossoms

In an Oriental Manner

I wanted my parasol design to be thoroughly me, and thoroughly contemporary yet respectful of the guiding rules and methods shared by the different schools of Ikebana.

Trick a levitating Treat

A fun Halloween ghost pumpkin design

Nuts and Bolts of Floral Art Mechanics

My design entered for evaluation at the Floral Trends Design Group meeting in South Africa

To have your centerpiece... and eat it too

This was my design for The Capilano Flower Arranging Club workshop. We were exploring designs using all things edible: fruit, vegetables and a bit of herbs.

Words Matter.

Braiding and plaiting and knotting hair is a huge trend in hairdressing at the moment. Intricate little plaits are draped over long flowing hair to add complexity and quirk. It’s a lovely design trend to add to floral art.

On the first warm day in May

A ripped flax, Ranunculus and Mikado Reed drop shaped nest

Designing a Feeling

The emotions your designs inspire give real meaning to your work. My article in the Canadian Florist Magazine

Diamond Jubilee Waterfall

To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and the 20th Anniversary of Friends of Government House Gardens Society a Horticultural event was hosted in the gardens and Great Hall of Government House in Victoria, Canada entitled British Columbia Blooms.

Just Right! Floral Art demonstration: Too Cold!

My first design in my demonstration at the BC Floral Art Society meeting

Tying the knot

Gypsophilla design with Celtic love knots featured in the DIY Wedding Magazine

Tying the knot and loosening those curls

Romantic rose centerpiece with just a bit of an edge featured in the DIY Wedding Magazine

Mr. Stalk, the Seriously Terrifying Scarecrow, on his Day Off

An easy going design of ripped grass and calla lilies. But look a bit closer. See if you can find Mr. Stalk relaxing somewhere between the blades of grass.

Your brain rewards curiosity on a grand…. kale

Growing plant material for floral design requires an unique spark of creativity.

Bring in some of the magic of summer rain

Design drops of grass to dangle down a hydrangea flower for an effortless summer floral display.

Take a swing at it

A cooling design for early summer days with swinging ripped grass and more than enough water for thirsty hydrangeas.

Hang on, love

A hanging heart design to celebrate love this Valentine's Day.

High-Strung

String up a tiny hammock for a dreamy summer vacation design

Super Cute!

A simple placement of bud vases... with the tiniest of lemon coloured twist that makes them unusual.

About a line

Skewer and line up leaves to create an armature

Ceropegia woodii

Pompon Chrysanthemum pom-poms and strands of Rosary vine for my floral lariat necklace in the Canadian Florist Magazine