On my online workbook this week: Around about Springtime

Dear

This week's inspiration is watching the Spring bulbs nod in agreement… as they slowly start to open.

Come Spring we are all desperately searching for some colour, don’t you think?

And that is my tip for this week: don't make it too obvious but, absolutely, let us all in on the search! The anthurium flowers have the slightest dusting of green just over there (see the pictures above) where the spathe unfurls… and the cyclamen foliage has the dustiest pink tinge just above where the leaf ends. How to show this off? Allow the spathe to twist and drape down and point to the stems, of course!

Firstly you need the longest of those pink cyclamen foliage stems as possible. I do this by tugging (instead of cutting) the stems from the plant. It naturally breaks low, deep between the leaves leaving you with the most beautiful stems to display. I will add a Tutorial below the post so that you can see how I do this.

Then, spiralling the gorgeous cyclamen foliage into a rosette to create a platform to showcase the anthurium flowers is made possible with the flat wire grid that is placed over the opening of the fish bowl container. The trick is to design the gaps for the flowers into the placement of the leaves. When you look at the cyclamen foliage it is easy to assume that it it shaped perfectly flat but when you start placing them into the grid you will notice they have a slight unfurl to the leaves that can the angled just so to create a cradle and support to position the unusual anthuriums to arch over and through the leaves.

I find the easiest way for me to handpick what leaf I insert next is to float all the cyclamen leaves in a container filled with water. Not only will this make it easy to wash off any dust and debris that might be stuck on the foliage but it also gives you a full length view of the leaf and stem placement to insert into the design. Place the largest foliage around the outside and work your way into the rosette with the smallest leaves overlapping in the middle.

Enjoy!

Every good wish,

Christine