WORTHINGTON — August brings us an abundance of flowers and greenery and a great time to make floral arrangements. The open class floriculture sweepstakes award category at the Nobles County Fair this year is an artistic arrangement. We would like to see many entries.
The following are some hints on how to create a successful floral arrangement. A requirement for our fair is that all plant material must be grown by the exhibitor. So, start looking around your yard and thinking about possible specimens to use.
Think of the arrangement as having a thriller, spiller and filler. The day before entering in open class at the fair, cut your flowers and greens preferably early in the morning, but evening works as well. Remove extra leaves and then re-cut them at a slant in the house.
I put them all in a sink of cool water with a mild dish soap to kill any bugs and then gently rinse them off. Next, put them in water for at least four hours. I use a five-gallon pail and some smaller containers for the smaller specimens.
You can also add plant food which is available at any floral store. When you are ready to make your arrangement, choose a container that best holds your specimens. The basics to remember in a flower arrangement is a filler which will be greens.
Start with greens in your container. I have used hosta leaves, boxwood from a shrub, tall iris leaves and any other greens that will add to the arrangement. ADVERTISEMENT Look around your yard for anything that will fill or spil.