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feature designs

mother's day
directions

Trend-forward compositions for Mother’s Day.

Designs by Bill J. Harper, AIFD Fellow, AAF

For inspiration this Mother’s Day, designer Bill J. Harper, AIFD fellow, AAF, relied on the directions suggested in The American Floral Trends Forecast® 2008-2009, which is sponsored by the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC), when creating these Mother’s Day offerings. They will appeal to moms of both traditional and modern sensibilities.
As you plan your Mother’s Day offerings, follow Mr. Harper’s lead, and replicate the floral gifts, or use the trend information to inspire your own unique Mother’s Day wares.

(For more information on the floral trends forecast, see our January 2008 issue, Pages 39-49 in the “Past Issues” section.)

imperial pair
These diminutive posies, which are arranged into tiny jardinieres and bedecked with bamboo accents and wiry medallions, can be sold individually or as coordinating companion pieces for Mother’s Day. In the smoky pink vessel, vertical stalks of bamboo reinforce the Asian theme as do the Dahlias, whose spiky petals somewhat resemble lotus flowers.

MATERIALS: Gerberas and Delphiniums from The Sun Valley Group; ‘Blue Moon’ spray roses, spray chrysanthemums, carnations, Dahlias, oregonia and seeded Eucalyptus from favorite suppliers; bamboo from Knud Nielsen Company; Bullion Wire from Smithers-Oasis; containers from Pots Company.

gilded luxury
Bold color blocks are formed when materials are grouped by hue, and the palette is intensified by the glitzy golden pot into which they’re arranged. The shimmering vessel is also a sleek foil to the textural groupings arranged within. Simple loops of ribbon and coordinating yarn, wired together and attached to a retained stem, pair in a similar textural contrast to complete this festive gift.

MATERIALS: ‘Broadway’ Oriental lilies, Gerberas and hyacinths from The Sun Valley Group; ‘Blue Moon’ spray roses, statice, stocks and yarn from favorite suppliers; ribbon from Designer Dispatch Ribbon; pot from Jamali Garden Supplies.

wild life
Incorporating the natural qualities of “Habitat,” this arrangement includes a full spectrum of environmental hues, starting with earth tones in the vase, vegetative greens and aqueous blues in the center, and pale sky blues at the top. A twiggy nest, positioned to counterbalance the budding cluster of Agapanthuses, completes the arrangement’s meadowland character.

MATERIALS: Eryngiums and hyacinths from The Sun Valley Group; Agapanthuses and Trachelium from favorite suppliers; nest from Knud Nielsen Company; eggs from Melrose International; pot from Scheurich USA.

french whisper
This gorgeous cluster of all-white florals, tucked into a French-inspired flower-bucket vase, will have greatest appeal with moms of traditional tastes. The fragrant mass, inspired by the “Whisper” trend, is assembled into a Hydrangea cluster, the tiny lateral stems of which form a fresh armature through which the individual stems are arranged. The materials are mixed randomly to reflect the composition’s European influence, but the callas, which extend slightly beyond the opaline mound, are given top billing.

MATERIALS: Hydrangeas, Freesias, tulips and hyacinths from The Sun Valley Group; miniature callas from favorite suppliers; Emma Grace tin vase with detachable magnet from burton + BURTON.

Bill J. Harper, AIFD Fellow, AAF, is a floral designer, consultant and educator. He resides in Cleveland, Mo.

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