Inspiration
I wanted to create a simple arrangement that was minimal in style but at the same time modern and fresh. My inspiration came from the traditional Japanese ikebana style. I did two things that were unexpected. First, I manually opened the tulip petals, completely changing the traditional look of closed tulips. I think most people will get a kick out of that once they realize that these are actually tulips. Second, I used tulips that were dyed brown, which creates these very interesting veins throughout.
For styling tips for the arrangements above, see Monica Delgado’s floral tutorial at the end of this post.
Flower Show
For a pair of arrangements on her dresser, Monica used preserved sun palms, Queen Anne’s lace, foraged palm leaf, ‘Blushing Bride’ protea, Grevillea chamomile, and vases from Kuu Pottery.
Cymbidium orchid, carnation, burgundy cotinus, ‘Cappuccino’ rose, and plumosa fern appear to float in this cloud-like design.
“I like to have elements that are unexpected and even whimsical. My favorite thing is when floral art inspires a moment of delight.” — Monica Delgado
7 | For additional texture and a pop of green, trim unripe blueberry stems (you could substitute hypericum for a similar look), and tuck them at the bottom of the containers.
8 | Trim the yarrow. Because it is more fragile, first wrap floral tape around the stems to secure them before putting the pieces low in the arrangement.
10 | For the final touch, add a couple of sprays of white allium. Keep some stems long and some short. You can display the two arrangements separately or put them together for a fuller look if desired.
Produced by Alice Welsh Doyle | Photography by Monica Buck | Floral design by Monica Delgado of Simple Florals, simpleflorals.com