Who doesn’t love hydrangeas? When I was working in floral design, it seemed to be the one flower that customers and designers always wanted to include in arrangements. And with good reason, it is classic and elegant. I was staying with a dear friend for a few days and we decided to make a couple of flower arrangements. I was surprised at how much I missed flexing my ‘design’ fingers. After the coffee table arrangement was completed, her amazing garden was raided, and the Limelight hydrangea was just asking to be used.
After lining the crystal vase with blue hosta leaves, three chartreuse ‘Sum and Substance’ hosta leaves anchored the base, before it was filled with the Limelight hydrangeas. A few fronds of ‘Ghost’ fern added more texture near the bottom.
I have always loved large arrangments in a front hall or a dining room sideboard, not only do I think they look dramatic, they are one of my favourite to design.
What do you think?
I am a floral designer living in a tiny condo in downtown Toronto, Canada's largest city. But on the weekend, I am a gardener/frustrated architect trying to keep up with a 3/4 acre garden in Owen Sound, Ontario, a warm (to Canadians, Zone 5b, and a cold (to Americans, Zone 4b) garden.
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paulinemulligan said,
August 16, 2012 @ 4:39 AM
Yes, I usually have a large arrangment of Hydrangeas all summer on the hearth, in front of the wood burning stove in the sitting room.
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:41 AM
They are such floral workhorses, I am always happy to use them.
Heather @ new house, new home, new life said,
August 16, 2012 @ 8:26 AM
That is stunning. Thanks for the tip about the hosta leaves in the base of the crystal vase – hides the unsightly stems nicely. Your friend must be thrilled.
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:42 AM
I have been doing this so long I sometimes find bare stems visually ‘messy’.
Carolyn said,
August 16, 2012 @ 9:37 AM
Beautiful! Any secrets to keeping the hiding spiders from appearing with the fresh flowers?
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:43 AM
That is a trick, we left them outside overnight, and I shook all the hydrangeas, both the evening before and in the morning, hopefully they all left.
Fanny K said,
August 16, 2012 @ 4:55 PM
Love, love, love the arrangement!
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:43 AM
Glad you love it Fanny.
Carol Ann Kululsky said,
August 17, 2012 @ 11:36 AM
Beautiful!
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:43 AM
Thank Carol Ann, love the compliment.
Diana of Elephant's Eye said,
August 17, 2012 @ 3:39 PM
hydrangeas I admire from afar, they wouldn’t survive my garden. Your design muse must have a whole row of ideas lined up for you, waiting in the wings.
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:44 AM
I find whatever flower won’t grow for you becomes a favourite, carnations and daisy mums are much treasured in Barbados.
Marguerite said,
August 21, 2012 @ 11:22 AM
I could learn an awful lot from your design fingers, this is a beautiful arrangement yet very simple. The vase is fantastic, just the right weight to balance out those heavy flowers.
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:45 AM
Thanks Marguerite, I love arrangements like this, often what I do for my own home.
Floral Fantasy: White « Green Theatre said,
August 22, 2012 @ 3:06 AM
[…] have already showed you the hydrangea arrangement we made for her front hall, and we had some extra Limelights left and more hostas, so we lined this […]