Tutorial: Romantic Spring Arrangement

We are so blessed during the spring to have anemones and ranunculus. These are early spring bloomers, and to me, they are just as beautiful and romantic as the crowd-pleasing peony. And this barely-there blush palette is swoon worthy, especially when photographed by the talented Jenny Soi. This is a new segment I am introducing to the blog, I hope you enjoy this (and future) tutorials.

For these type of garden-inspired arrangements, it's good to have a mixture of textures and greenery. Here you'll find many different types of blooms and greens including jasmine, eucalyptus, ranunculus, varieties of roses, anemones, and tulips. The common adage used in landscaping applies here - you are going to want a little of each type of spiller, filler, and thriller. You'll see what I mean below. In addition, you will need a water-safe vessel fitted with some chicken wire and secured in place with a bit of tape. Fill with water, and we're ready to begin. 

If you haven't already done so, it will save you so much time if you prep your flowers and stems ahead of time. Go ahead and remove all the leaves and thorns, and any errant petals. Start by forming a base of greens in the vessel. To create a whimsical and airy look, asymmetry is key, so you'll notice that I emphasize the right side in terms of height. Start to add some of your fillers and spillers. Fillers are blooms and branches that fill up the space, while spillers are elements that add the whimsy and 'spill' out of the vessel. For us, the greenery acts as filler, while the jasmine vines and the arched tulips act as spillers. As you place these elements into the vessel, continue to emphasize the shape of the overall arrangement, with that right side remaining tall.

Continue to place flowers and greenery into the vessel to reinforce the shape. Make sure to stagger the height and direction of the  flowers, so they don't all face the same way or are in the same plane. This again helps to  get that airy and whimsy feel.

To me, thrillers are the WOW factor in an arrangement. They tend to be the big and showy flowers, but really anything that's special.  And to me, these anemones that are in season right now are spectacular. Spread them out around the arrangement, tucking some in and leaving others to stand out. As you go, if you need to add more greenery, continue to do so, reinforcing that asymmetry. And here we have the final product.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! If you like what you see, please come back often for more tutorials! Again, special S/O and thanks to my friend Jenny Soi for capturing this gorgeous arrangement!