Being up in the Pacific Northwest, when it comes to setting tables for the holidays and beyond, there is one word that is required to describe the setting: COZY! And if you caught our Thanksgiving table setting earlier this season, I think you would agree that everything about it was warm and inviting…
But the real showstopper was the centerpiece! So, today we’re showing you exactly how we created this arrangement so you can adorn your table, with the help of my talented friend Cozbi of CJP & Co floral.
I always use clear floral tape to grid the top of all vessels I use. If the vessel is especially large and/or has a mouth wider than it’s base, I make a ball of chicken wire to rest in the bottom. Doing this will help provide extra support to stems while maintaining more movement in the arrangement then a floral foam would.
Build a full base of greenery for your arrangement. Try to mimic the height of the vessel in the height you create with your greenery base.
Always, always, always (always!) be sure to remove all the leaves off of the part of the stem that is going to be under water. Stems in water = rot = shortened lifespan of your arrangement.
With this particular arrangement, I wanted a cool base of greens and light color, so next I added in a few hints of blush Stock, and then added some white Cabbage Kale which is currently in season here in Seattle.
Next comes some of the ‘heat’ to this recipe; reds, a pinch of fuchsia and some big, bold dark Dahlias!
Just like with cooking, layer in these spicy tones and create some dimension and drama and flavor. The red roses I used are Garden Roses called ‘Piano’. Remember with roses to remove the outer protective petals from the bloom. Doing this not only gets rid of those often damaged brown and torn petals, but will also help your rose bloom open more fully.
One of the number one flowers I’m asked about are garden roses, “Are those peonies?!?” Nope! The next question is: “Can I get those at my grocery floral department or are those strictly to be found with certain florists?”
The answer is, yes, you can often get garden roses at higher end grocer floral departments by simply asking for them. Garden roses are indeed more of a specialty item, so they’re not something always kept on hand. However, before I got into doing florals professionally, I asked my local Metropolitan Market floral department if they could access a few roses that I had pictures of (I didn’t know the variety names!), and a few days later I got a call requesting how many stems I wanted and when I wanted them by!
As you keep adding the rich florals, your arrangement will take shape. Be sure to keep turning it as you add, to make sure it’s somewhat even – you want your guests to enjoy the arrangement from any angle! But perfection is not the goal here – keep it organic, too!
Lastly, I garnished this arrangement with some Maple branches I snipped from an allowing neighbor’s tree. I also liked those two interwoven, squirrely vines of Bittersweet. Both of these things incorporate fun, seasonal textures and colors!
Some final zhushing and this arrangement is ready for the table!
photography by meghan klein for coco+kelley. floral arrangement by cjp & co.
