Besides being involved in decoration work for the Wedding Fair at HortPark that was held last Saturday, one of my team members, Pearl Ho, also conducted a floral arrangement talk cum demo session entitled ‘Bridal Bouquet Demonstration’. Pearl introduced to her audience the diversity of flowers, foliages and various arrangement styles that can be used on one’s special day. She also taught all who were present on the importance of colour scheme.
In the beginning of her talk, Pearl presented a couple of traditional hand flower bouquets that are popular wedding must-haves. She also introduced a range of innovative, ‘green-themed’ ones which are created using potted plants such as Pilea ‘Moon Valley’ (noted for its textured leaves), variegated and all-green Ficus pumila, variegated Dischidia species and Episcia ‘Malaysian Gem’. These plants definitely last longer and are easier to maintain traditional bouquets made from cut flowers!
If your wedding reception has long tables, consider using floral displays with plants incorporated in them for a more lasting and unique arrangement. Shown here is a naturalistic display using a species of club moss for its interesting-looking foliage, Selaginella kraussiana ‘Brownii’, which forms low, small clumps of whorled mounded leaves. Plants are potted up in small thumb pots which can serve as unconventional take-away souveniors for your guests.
Another table display, suitable for traditional round tables encountered in most receptions, is made up of orchids. Spider orchid flowers (Arachnis cultivar), shown in the example above, are also more-lasting flowers compared to many other imported flower species. They also lend a more tropical feel to the atmosphere. Foliage from the aparagus fern is used as a filler, which is also a durable floral material.
Shown above is a hanging arrangement created using spider orchids. Long-lasting, finely divided leaves from a common houseplant, the Ming Aralia (Polysicias fruticosa), are used as a filler in this fine example.
In line with a garden wedding in HortPark, Pearl transformed upturned coconut coir pots into wedding bells for a hanging arrangement which can be used to decorate a chair. These pots are very afforable and are available for sale in most plant nurseries. They are the tropical version of peat pots that are usually used to start new plants and then planted together in a final growing spot, which it will gradually degrade.
Lastly, do not despair if you missed this talk and demonstration! Pearl will be conducting similar workshops for registered groups in HortPark in 2010!
