The supplies needed and the care of cut flowers have been discussed in Introduction To Flower Arranging. The next project to tackle is the table centerpiece. What better place to showcase your flower arranging talent than the gathering place of family and friends.

Inspiration

• family celebration
• dinner party
• change of decor
• holiday table
• celebrate the season
• functional

Inspiration to create a floral centerpiece may be as simple as receiving a bouquet of cut flowers or highlighting the beautiful flowers from the garden. You will need a low wide vessel to hold your arrangement and a block of foam oasis to hold the flowers and greens in the vessel.

The trick to the table centerpiece is to keep it low to not interfere with conversation. No one enjoys dodging the flowers to talk across the table. The shape of the arrangement should mimic the shape of the table.

Fill your container with water to which you have added the preservative if available. Let the oasis become saturated adding more water as needed. If necessary, use floral tape to keep the oasis in place. Stretch it lightly over the foam to adhere to sides of your vessel. One or two pieces are all that is needed.

Starting with the outside edge of vessel, cut at least a half inch from stems of greens and strip away foliage below water level. Insert stems into the foam at an angle to create the outside diameter of your centerpiece. Greens should cascade gracefully over the edge and hide the floral tape. Continue to add greens with shorter stems for each round until a low mound is achieved.

Now you are ready to add flower stems. Again cut at least a half inch off bottom and strip lower leaves. Place flowers symmetrically around arrangement with longer stems around outer edge, shorter stems toward center. Turn as you go.

Now you are ready to fill in and highlight the flowers with sprigs of baby's breath, clusters of small flowers, sprigs of berries, or just plain ribbon. Stand back and view your table centerpiece from all sides and adjust until you are satisfied with the results.

As you become more comfortable with flower arranging you may be more creative by adding more elements. Floral picks will become your friend. Shiny small Christmas balls add a touch of elegance. Feathers and unusual twigs add whimsy. Bright orange rose hips add a splash of color. Fruits or gourds can be used with or replace flowers. You might even consider arranging a total vegetable and herb centerpiece. A pumpkin or squash with sturdy outer skin makes a great vessel.

To keep your table centerpiece fresh for the party, keep it in the fridge. The cool temperature keeps the flowers from opening more than they already are. Greens stay crisp. You made the table centerpiece arrangement. Be proud.