Creating flower arrangements doesn't mean you have to stick to floral elements. Unique and bold designs can be easily put together by marrying flowers with edible fruits and vegetables. Bright colors, strong shapes and a variety of texture make edible elements especially sought after. They also can prove cost friendly, especially when paired with expensive stems of flowers.
Enhancing Glass Vases With Vegetables and Fruit
Usually, all we see in flower vases are the stems of bouquets. However, a large clear vase can be a display case for much more. Root vegetable and fruit with hard rind are the best to display in your vases, as the continued exposure to water will not cause them to spoil fast. Imagine accenting a tall bouquet of purple lilacs by filling the vase with bright yellow lemons. Or sticking freshly scrubbed carrots into a square vase, and using the protruding stems as greenery for a rose arrangement. Limes, celery and radishes all work well underwater. Make sure to change the water frequently, at least once every two days, to avoid it turning cloudy.
Short Floral Arrangements and Leafy Greens
Swiss chard is a personal favorite, with its brightly colored stem shooting all the way up its dark leaf. Lay a number of these down in the container, stem in water, as base greens for your short floral arrangement. Celery stalks, with their green leaves still attached, are another nice base. Interweave these as you lay them down in a shallow dish, then weave the stems of the cut floral through them.
Squash and Pumpkin Floral Dishes
Gorgeous colored squash can be hollowed out and used as a display dish for your floral arrangements. Use a waterproof lining, to avoid getting the vegetable soggy, and some floral foam as your base. Then add the flowers so they spill out of the top. Ivy plants, or other short plants such as succulents, can also be used with this display idea.
Colorful Edible Designs for Your Flower Arrangements
Look around at the grocery store for bold color that can be used. Long red onions add a pink-purple tone to a display, as well as texture with their scraggly roots. Purple artichokes, cabbage and grapes can be used as well. Oranges and tangerines have a hard enough rind to be kept out of the fridge and in a display.
Be careful not to eat vegetables or fruit that has been in water for long periods of time, especially when exposed to cut stems, as they may have absorbed unhealthy or poisonous sap.
Holidays are especially good times to try out these displays. What says Easter better than a vase of carrots? Try out some fantastic colors with unique floral arrangements for your wedding. A romantic Swiss chard centerpiece may be just the thing for a date.
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