Photo by Fernando Valera
INSPIRATION
“Nothing screams ‘celebration’ quite as loud as champagne, so we let our creativity pour from that notion,” says Molly Copa, owner of Flora Fetish. Like the fizz and bubbles that overflow from a flute, lush blooms in various shapes and sizes pop out of the top of a vintage silver champagne bucket drenched in a glorious patina that suggests it has seen its fair share of good times. The arrangement’s monochromatic pink palette includes hues ranging from bold to barely-there that embody and celebrate the strength and softness of the female spirit.
MATERIALS
- Chicken wire
- Waterproof tape
- Floral clippers
- Snapdragons (Potomac pink)
- Jasmine vine (clipped from our garden)
- Garden roses (Keira and Mayra’s)
- Peonies (Kansas pink) Double tulip (mauve pink)
- Double tulip (mauve pink)
- Dahlias
- Double lisianthus
- Scabiosa (white scoop)
STEP 1
Prepare the vessel by creating a loose ball of chicken wire that fits snuggly into the container. Use waterproof tape to secure the chicken wire inside the vessel.
STEP 2
Start with arranging snapdragons and jasmine vine. Their gestural line shapes help guide the placement of the elements that follow and create the whimsical outline of the arrangement.
STEP 3
Add the garden roses and peonies. Place them lower in the arrangement to anchor the line flowers and foliage and to create an interesting base for the elements to bounce off.
STEP 4
Add the tulips and dahlias as the form flowers. Arrange them in a “terraced” fashion by layering them on top of the mass blooms so they have more presence in the design and serve as a focal point. Finish with the lisianthus and scabiosa. Leave their stems longer so they appear to fl oat outside of the arrangement for an airy, whimsical quality.
TIP
To reflex the roses, tulips, and lisianthus, wait until the blooms have softened and the petals feel malleable. (To speed up the process, give them a drink of warm water.) Gently pop the petals back by placing your thumb under the petals and your index and middle finger inside of the petals. Gently press your thumb up while pulling your other two fingers down until the petals flip inside out. Continue this process until you achieve your desired look.
Floral designers Molly Copa and Hattie Sloan of Flora Fetish in Austin, Texas.
ABOUT FLORA FETISH
Opportunity blooms when you least expect it. Just ask Molly Copa. With her children grown and gone, the former stay-at-home mom was ready to relaunch her career but was lacking the passion to enter the corporate world. When she learned that Flora Fetish, an established floral design studio in Austin, Texas, was seeking new ownership, she felt a calling.
“My story started a little differently than most others in the industry,” says Molly. “I wasn’t actively looking to buy a flower shop—I was looking for a creative outlet that would touch people’s lives in a positive way. Working with flowers just felt like a natural fit. As a child, I loved spending time in my grandmother’s gardens. When I reflected on those memories, my heart quickly opened to the idea of buying Flora Fetish, and I’ve never looked back.”
“Floral design is an art form, and I approach it as such,” says Hattie, who prefers hand-sketching her design concepts rather than just writing them down. “To me, tinkering with the color composition of an arrangement is akin to mixing paints on a palette. And the actual arrangement process is like the act of putting paint to paper. Balance, rhythm, harmony, and movement are all present but are loose enough to enhance the expressiveness of the flowers themselves.”
