There’s no way to turn an ordinary meal into a special occasion than with beautiful flowers on the table. And if there’s a celebration in the offing, there’s every reason to go all out with a spectacular centerpiece. If you need a little help, just follow these handy tips to give you confidence.
• Avoid fragrant flowers as some of your guests might have allergies. As well, the scent of flowers combined with the aroma of food is usually too heady.
• Decide on a colour (or colours) to provide a direction, perhaps all mixed pastels, or hot pink and lime green, then follow through with glassware and flowers.
• Is it a busy table with lots of platters, tableware and glasses? Rather than one or two larger floral decorations, go for clusters of smaller vases. The number will vary depending on how many are seated at the table, but clusters of three small vases a couple of times over is a good guide. For a table of 20 with eight per side and one at each end, use three clusters of three vases.
• Don’t be afraid to cut long-stemmed flowers down. Because their heads are so large and showy, Colombian roses in particular look striking in small vases. Mix the colours of the roses or add one other flower type; either way, avoid too many mixed flowers as it can look quite bitsy and the effect will be lost. Or go ultra chic and simple with peonies.
• Prefer the look of overheight booms? Hydrangeas, which start flowering about now, look effective when bunched very simply at the top of clear glass vases. Don’t skimp – you will probably want at least two bunches per vase to achieve a fabulous look.
• A mass of dahlias, either all one colour or a profusion of different shades is a very economical styling cheat.
• When doing flowers that are above eye level, don’t forget to check the stems in the vases. Make sure all foliage is stripped off and wash the stems before putting them in the vase – you don’t want your guests looking at dirty water during the meal! and last thing…
• Have fun and experiment. Always do something different with colour, the vases or shape of the flowers.
Beautifully arranged flowers can make your dining table fabulous. For better results, seek the help of the top decorators in NSW.