9th March 2023 • The HERALD • Page 55 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SPECIALISTS v ✿ DOWN THE GARDEN PATH ✿ RYAN FENCING Quality Fencing & Gates 07769 706516 • 023 8084 1203 www.ryan-fencing.co.uk • Find us on Facebook RPD Landscapes Building & Paving • Patios • Driveways • Fencing • Turfing • Brickwork • All Property Repairs Free Estimates 07707 390791 023 8007 0386 SURPRISE! By M&M! from Debbie Thorne, Foresters Flower Club e Countryside Education Trust (CET) are holding their ‘Seedy Sunday’ community seed swap on Sunday 19th March at the CET’s Home Farm in Beaulieu, SO42 7YG from 12pm until 2pm. Entry is free but donations are welcomed, tea, co ee and biscuits provided, or bring some snacks to share. If you don’t have any seeds to swap just remember to bring cash – 50p donation per seed packet. Our New Year started with a contemporary celebration of all things owers: ‘Surprise by M&M’ on the 2nd February! Mo started the evening reminding us that we are really ‘plant designers’, rather than ‘ ower arrangers’. is is so true, most of us arrange with all sorts of plant material, including pots of plants, especially as we are also very conscious of the e ect on the environment of oral foam. We all agree that oral foam is a necessity in a plant designer’s cupboard, but we use less each time, recycle it (previously not heard of!) and try to design without oral foam as a whole. Recent research has suggested that, previously thought, environmentally friendly oral foam may not be as biodegradable. Because of this, we’ve all changed our practice, as described. Mo made a superb table decoration for every day, using an orchid plant (previous gi ), white owers with a purple centre. She used a plant pot cover and wooden circular tray, both from a charity shop. Fruit was displayed around the pot, which coordinated and enhanced the plant: greens – apples, pears and grapes; deep purple-grapes and plums (enhance centre of ower) and to nish, she pushed groups of three leaves amongst the fruit – bay, ivy, rhododendron, etc from the garden. Another of Mo’s designs, included a clear vase, crackle glass at the bottom, with water to keep it heavy. On top, a plate with a small amount of oral foam secured. Di erent sizes, textures, shapes and shades of green leaves were used - cheese plant, palms, aspidistra. To create space, she placed lepidium green dragon amongst - green stalks with fronds of leaves. Mauve scented, lilies, pale pink, tulips, vintage roses, nished the design, and the spare tulip leaves were used to contrast the other dark foliage. Marion made a vertical arrangement on top of a stunning, large, black galvanised vase. Bricks in the bottom weighted the arrangement, and a plate with a small block of oral foam was secured to the top of the vase. She had trimmed phoenix palms, one in front of the other, to form a three-dimensional e ect and extra palms to strengthen the back of the design. Lime green cornus sticks (perfect this time of year) were the vertical sticks among the palms, with pussy willow dotted amongst. Groups of conifer (lime green), and ivy with berries covered the base of the plate. Shocking pink, small gerberas in decreasing height were vertically incorporated. Groups of lime green chrysanthemum blooms were placed lower down at the front of the design. e arrangement was nished with dried (fresh) Queen Anne’s lace, which had been sprayed black and gold - stunning! She had a small complimentary arrangement in a horizontal version using the same plant material. Beautiful. Marion’s second arrangement (foam free) was using Finally, M & M made a ‘Tablescape’– a collection of containers themed with colour and coordinating, various plant materials. All containers were recycled – blues, green, and yellows-mainly glass. Two candles in tall bottles. Plant material included agapanthus, sea lavender, yellow gerbera, mimosa, and small pots of primroses (placed in tea light holders), yellow daisy chrysanthemum sprays, and blue glass beads in small glasses. Jars can be decorated with hessian, ra a and twine. A great, fun, contemporary design Lucky, lucky, ra e winners, following refreshments. Next meetings: 1st April: Saturday Spring Workshop, morning and a ernoon. To book: email foresters owerclub@gmail. com. Limited places. 6th April: Presentation by Christine Bennett entitled ‘Lost Gardens of Heligan’. For more information please contact Debbie orne on: 07769 830752. a oral hat box (pinks and mauves), which was lined with jam jars, recycled lids containing ‘Stay So ’ (for dried/silk material). A mixture of recycled, dried and silk and fresh plant material was used including: dried wheat, seed heads sprayed lilac, viburnum (small, white flowers from the garden), lime conifer, pink daisy chrysanthemums and sea lavender. Seedy Sunday at the CET
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