HOUSTON – Spring is here, which means it is time to bring flowers into your home. And a great way to incorporate flowers into your home décor is with a seasonal centerpiece.
A popular trend right in floral arrangements are the asymmetrical compote designs.
“A compote is a container. It just means that is lifted up from the table a little bit, which gives it a graceful line. It kind of has an arch,” explained Madeleine Elmer, floral designer with Fleur de Vie, who stopped by our studio with tips on how to create these gorgeous designs at home.
According to Elmer, compote arrangements are easy to make if you start by inserting chicken wire for stem support into a clean container to keep your flowers in place. Then insert flowers in groups of three in opposition for balance, creating a line that is almost an arch for the base.
"Use a garden rose for the left, because it will be in opposition of the larger line on the right for balance. The longer stems are kind of your line, like your arms of a ballerina” said Elmer, who also reccommends adding greenery to the centerpiece with hellebores.
“We want to add the green next to the rose because green and pink are opposite on the spectrum and always makes the color snap and it softens the edge of the bowl,” said Elmer, who also suggests inserting taller flowers like ranunculus to start building the layers.
To learn more about flower arrangements, visit Design in Bloom at the Houston Design Center on Tuesday, March 28.
To see the all tips and the complete arrangement, watch the video above.
Asymmetrical compote design
Flower list:
Café au Lait Dahlias
Peach Ranunculus
Peach Madame Butterfly Ranunculus
Blush Sahara Sensation Spray Roses
White Hellebores
White Scabiosa “Scoop”
Peach Butterfly Ranunculus
Sweet Pea vine
Knifeblade Acacia foliage
Steps:
Insert chicken wire “ball” for stem support into clean container. Make sure there are at least two layers of wire to support stems. Then, tape across the top with clear floral tape in two directions to secure chicken wire and fill container 2/3 full with clean, cool water treated with floral food.
Create the asymmetrical outline of the design with stems of arched foliage on the upper left and lower right and add to the foliage lines with snapdragons. Fill the center of the design leaving a shallower center. Then insert flowers in groups of three in opposition for balance.
Continue to insert some flowers low over edge of container to soften the edges and create a dramatic focal point with large flower on lower right. Then build the arrangement allowing some negative space between layers and finish off with some “floating” flowers like sweet peas.
Design provided by: Madeleine Elmer