Step by Step on making a Christmas Door Wreath

How to make your own christmas door wreath

A step by step guide on how to make your own Christmas door wreath.

By Dutch Master Florist – Lamber de Bie

Decorate the door to your home with your own home made Christmas door wreath with a fools proof step by step guide by Dutch-Master-Florist, Lamber de Bie.

A beautiful wreath hanging from your front door is a wonderful welcome to all your family, friends and neighbors that will visit you over the festive christmas season.

With this easy to follow guide, anyone can make a magnificent door wreath and be the envy of all your neighbors.

There are a number of different base wreaths available to start making your own christmas wreath; You can use a metal frame that you can cover with moss or straw or even directly with noble fir, but the easiest option is to buy a ready made straw wreath base.

These straw bases are widely available from your florist or garden centre in a variety of seizes and are an in-expensive option. Make sure you choose an suitable size for your front door. Remember the finished door wreath will be approx. 3 to 4 inches wider after you add on the Noble Fir.

Next you need to get some fresh Noblis fir that you can get from your florist or garden centre and a hobby secretaurs and a roll of florist binding wire. A roll of garden twine can be used as a substitute for the wire.

Next we need to get some Holly with berries from the garden. However this evergreen Holly from my garden did not produce many berries this year and would also blend in to much with the green fir.

So I decide to cut some tips from this variegated Holly from my garden.

In order to grow a nice and compact Holly bush it is good to cut the tips of the branches every year, so your doing some important work to your garden at the same time.

Now we still have no berries on our Holly. So I decide to take some berries from my Cotoneaster bush. If you can’t find any berries in your garden you can always buy some artificial red berries from your local flower shop or garden centre.

Before we start with the making of our wreath we first have to cut our Noblis Fir branch into small twigs. Starting from the top of your branch (as in photo below)  cut off all the nice tips at approx. 4 inches long. You will need 2 to 3 large branches for an average door wreath.

Now we start with tying the florist wire firmly to your base, make sure the wire is wrapped over the wreath and from the centre of the wreath under the wreath back towards you.

Place the first of your noble fir on your wreath holding it in place with one hand. Start with the larger pieces on the outside and the smaller pieces on the inside of the wreath. All branches need to be pointing in the same direction facing up.

Next while still holding the branches with your same hand lift the wire over the wreath with your other hand and than bring the wire back towards you underneath the wreath. Keep your wire tight at all time and pull the wire firmly do your branches are tightly attached.

Keep repeating this process while still covering the cut end of the previously added twigs with the tops of the next layer, moving forward on the wreath by approx 2 inches every time. Remember to always lay every branch in the same direction.

When you are almost at the end -or where you began- you may have to cut the bottom of your stems so only the nice tops are viable.

Now secure the end of your florist wire with a so called “German Pin” These can be got from your florist, garden centre or hobby shop.

If you are hanging your wreath outside on your door or if you are making a wreath to put onto your table you can protect your door or table from rust and scratching by the wire by covering the the back of your wreath by a ribbon of plastic. Cutting a strip from a black bin liner works perfect.

Use the “German pins” on the inside and outside to secure your plastic protection.

Time to start decorating. First choose a nice christmas ribbon. Make sure it is a waterproof and wire-edged ribbon. The wire edge helps you to shape your bow and keep it looking well over the festive season.

We are first attaching a piece of ribbon that we will use later to hang the wreath from your door. Use approx 1 meter of ribbon, bring it around the inside of your wreath with the ends together at the back of the base.

Fold the ends together and attach the ribbon to your wreath using 2 “German Pins”. Keep the pins on the inside (not right at the back) to avoid scratching surfaces to your door.

This is how it should look from the front.

Now it’s time for the bow. Cut about 2 meter of ribbon and hold it in the middle lying over your index finger with your thumb holding it on the top. Now while holding the ribbon between thumb and index finger with your other hand fold the ribbon underneath itself , keeping your thumb in position and sliding the fold over your index finger and under neath the centre of the ribbon.  I hope this makes cense and I’m not making it sound more complicated than it really is. Next repeat this step with the other end of the ribbon and you should now have two loops as on the photo below. Repeat both steps to create your double bow.

When your bow is complete tie is in the centre tightly with a florist wire. Use this wire to tie your bow to the wreath over the ribbon you attached earlier to hang your wreath from.

Lay the straps of your bow across the wreath roughly dividing the wreath into 3 parts.

Now add small branches of Holly by pushing the ends into the straw base or by using the “German Pins”. Place two pieces, one on either side beside the bow and one piece at the bottom opposite the bow, again dividing the wreath into 3 sections.

Make sure you cut the ends of  your ribbon in a neat way just over the edge of your wreath. The easiest way to do this is by folding the ribbon lengthwise in half and than cutting it at an angle.

Now add small bunches of berries into the centre of your holly. The “German Pins” are the easiest way to do this.

Next we need to choose the rest of our decorations. For this wreath I have chosen 9 small natural cones and a small bunch of gold, glass baubles. I am using a hot-glue gun to add all these following decorations to my wreath. These glue guns can be bought from hobby shops and some DIY shops. Alternatively you can attach a florist wire to each decoration and push the wire into your straw base.

Be careful using your hot glue gun as this gets very, very hot to melt the glue.( do keep away from kids ) Add some glue to your cones and push into place and hold for upto 10 seconds.

Place the cones at the base of the Holly leaves, creating 3 neat clusters on your wreath.

Repeat the same with your gold baubles.

And this the finished product, you own christmas door wreath. When attaching the wreath to your door you can use a heavy duty staple gun to staple the ribbon to the top of your door, when your door is open so after christmas there are no markings on your door.

Here’s some examples of christmas door wreaths we have made for our customers at Lamber de Bie Flowers.

Door wreath with cinnamon sticks and dried fruits.

Wreath with natural cones, artificial red berries and red ribbon.

Elegant door wreath with white and silver decorations and white ribbon.

Hope you have fun making your own christmas door wreath and please leave a message to this post telling me how you got on.

For a look at the full range of Christmas flowers by Lamber de Bie Flowers, click on the picture below.

Happy Decorating from

Lamber de Bie

Dutch Master Florist

and all the team of Florists at Lamber de Bie Flowers

www.lamberdebie.ie

On the Red Carpet

Oscars Fashion 2011

Watching the Oscars 2011 live it stands out that Feathers are still big this year and this will deffo follow in wedding fashion for the forthcoming year.
Silver, Black and Lilac/Purple are in this year and for the jewels we saw lots of large single stones such as emeralds.
Halle Berry, wearing her wonderful stunning vintage style dress could be the next ultimate wedding dress.
And for the grooms and Best Men to-Be, the best dressed guys at tonight’s Oscars were wearing top class suits with black ties and silver or shiny black shirts; The shirt has become what the shoes were before, Shiny black tie on a well taylored black shirt or a shiny white silk tie (either traditional, skinny tie or a white silk dickie-bow) on a stunningly, understated white shirt – this doesn’t mean you guys can forget about your shoes.
Some of the best dressed guests at any wedding this year can be proud of being compared to the ever fantastic looking Helen Mirren in her stunning under stated silver / gray dress or Oprah who wore a magnificent black top with a silver / gray skirt, still showing some glitter, but after all if you are Oprah you can still do a bit of sparkling bling – even in 2011.

And, did you see the new add of Miss Dior with Natalie Portman showing a large bouquet of large, open champagne roses in a vase – It’s Vintage !!!! All the way.

How to make a Christmas Door Wreath

How to make your own christmas door wreath

By Dutch Master Florist – Lamber de Bie

 

Decorate the door to your home with your own home made Christmas door wreath with a fools proof step by step guide by Dutch-Master-Florist, Lamber de Bie.

 

A beautiful wreath hanging from your front door is a wonderful welcome to all your family, friends and neighbors that will visit you over the festive christmas season.

With this easy to follow guide, anyone can make a magnificent door wreath and be the envy of all your neighbors.

There are a number of different base wreaths available to start making your own christmas wreath; You can use a metal frame that you can cover with moss or straw or even directly with noble fir, but the easiest option is to buy a ready made straw wreath base.

These straw bases are widely available from your florist or garden centre in a variety of seizes and are an in-expensive option. Make sure you choose an suitable size for your front door. Remember the finished door wreath will be approx. 3 to 4 inches wider after you add on the Noble Fir.

 

 

Next you need to get some fresh Noblis fir that you can get from your florist or garden centre and a hobby secretaurs and a roll of florist binding wire. A roll of garden twine can be used as a substitute for the wire.

 

Next we need to get some Holly with berries from the garden. However this evergreen Holly from my garden did not produce many berries this year and would also blend in to much with the green fir.

 

So I decide to cut some tips from this variegated Holly from my garden.

In order to grow a nice and compact Holly bush it is good to cut the tips of the branches every year, so your doing some important work to your garden at the same time.

 

Now we still have no berries on our Holly. So I decide to take some berries from my Cotoneaster bush. If you can’t find any berries in your garden you can always buy some artificial red berries from your local flower shop or garden centre.

 

Before we start with the making of our wreath we first have to cut our Noblis Fir branch into small twigs. Starting from the top of your branch (as in photo below)  cut off all the nice tips at approx. 4 inches long. You will need 2 to 3 large branches for an average door wreath.

 

Now we start with tying the florist wire firmly to your base, make sure the wire is wrapped over the wreath and from the centre of the wreath under the wreath back towards you.

 

Place the first of your noble fir on your wreath holding it in place with one hand. Start with the larger pieces on the outside and the smaller pieces on the inside of the wreath. All branches need to be pointing in the same direction facing up.

Next while still holding the branches with your same hand lift the wire over the wreath with your other hand and than bring the wire back towards you underneath the wreath. Keep your wire tight at all time and pull the wire firmly do your branches are tightly attached.

 

Keep repeating this process while still covering the cut end of the previously added twigs with the tops of the next layer, moving forward on the wreath by approx 2 inches every time. Remember to always lay every branch in the same direction.

 

When you are almost at the end -or where you began- you may have to cut the bottom of your stems so only the nice tops are viable.

Now secure the end of your florist wire with a so called “German Pin” These can be got from your florist, garden centre or hobby shop.

 

If you are hanging your wreath outside on your door or if you are making a wreath to put onto your table you can protect your door or table from rust and scratching by the wire by covering the the back of your wreath by a ribbon of plastic. Cutting a strip from a black bin liner works perfect.

 

Use the “German pins” on the inside and outside to secure your plastic protection.

Time to start decorating. First choose a nice christmas ribbon. Make sure it is a waterproof and wire-edged ribbon. The wire edge helps you to shape your bow and keep it looking well over the festive season.

We are first attaching a piece of ribbon that we will use later to hang the wreath from your door. Use approx 1 meter of ribbon, bring it around the inside of your wreath with the ends together at the back of the base.

Fold the ends together and attach the ribbon to your wreath using 2 “German Pins”. Keep the pins on the inside (not right at the back) to avoid scratching surfaces to your door.

 

This is how it should look from the front.

Now it’s time for the bow. Cut about 2 meter of ribbon and hold it in the middle lying over your index finger with your thumb holding it on the top. Now while holding the ribbon between thumb and index finger with your other hand fold the ribbon underneath itself , keeping your thumb in position and sliding the fold over your index finger and under neath the centre of the ribbon.  I hope this makes cense and I’m not making it sound more complicated than it really is. Next repeat this step with the other end of the ribbon and you should now have two loops as on the photo below. Repeat both steps to create your double bow.

 

When your bow is complete tie is in the centre tightly with a florist wire. Use this wire to tie your bow to the wreath over the ribbon you attached earlier to hang your wreath from.

 

Lay the straps of your bow across the wreath roughly dividing the wreath into 3 parts.

 

Now add small branches of Holly by pushing the ends into the straw base or by using the “German Pins”. Place two pieces, one on either side beside the bow and one piece at the bottom opposite the bow, again dividing the wreath into 3 sections.

 

Make sure you cut the ends of  your ribbon in a neat way just over the edge of your wreath. The easiest way to do this is by folding the ribbon lengthwise in half and than cutting it at an angle.

 

Now add small bunches of berries into the centre of your holly. The “German Pins” are the easiest way to do this.

 

Next we need to choose the rest of our decorations. For this wreath I have chosen 9 small natural cones and a small bunch of gold, glass baubles. I am using a hot-glue gun to add all these following decorations to my wreath. These glue guns can be bought from hobby shops and some DIY shops. Alternatively you can attach a florist wire to each decoration and push the wire into your straw base.

 

Be careful using your hot glue gun as this gets very, very hot to melt the glue.( do keep away from kids ) Add some glue to your cones and push into place and hold for upto 10 seconds.

 

Place the cones at the base of the Holly leaves, creating 3 neat clusters on your wreath.

 

Repeat the same with your gold baubles.

 

And this the finished product, you own christmas door wreath. When attaching the wreath to your door you can use a heavy duty staple gun to staple the ribbon to the top of your door, when your door is open so after christmas there are no markings on your door.

 

Here’s some examples of christmas door wreaths we have made for our customers at Lamber de Bie Flowers.

Door wreath with cinnamon sticks and dried fruits.

Wreath with natural cones, artificial red berries and red ribbon.

Elegant door wreath with white and silver decorations and white ribbon.

 

Hope you have fun making your own christmas door wreath and please leave a message to this post telling me how you got on.

 

For a look at the full range of Christmas flower by Lamber de Bie Flowers, click on the picture below.

 

Happy Christmas

Lamber de Bie

Dutch Master Florist

http://www.lamberdebie.ie

 

Mistletoe

Mistletoe berries from the European Mistletoe

The name was originally applied to Viscum Album(European Mistletoe, Santalaceae), the only species native in Great Britain and much of Europe. Later the name was further extended to other related species, including Phoradendron serotinum (the Eastern Mistletoe of eastern North America, also Santalaceae). European Mistletoe is readily recognized by its smooth-edged oval evergreen leaves borne in pairs along the woody stem, and waxy white berries in dense clusters of 2 to 6. In America, the Eastern Mistletoe is similar, but has shorter, broader leaves and longer clusters of 10 or more berries. In the United States, Phoradendron flavescens is commercially harvested for Christmas decorations, as is Viscum album in Europe.

Mistletoe plants grow on a wide range of host trees, and commonly reduce their growth but can kill them with heavy infestation. Viscum album can parasitise more than 200 tree and shrub species. Almost all mistletoes are paracites.(A parasitic plant is one that derives some or all of its sustenance from another plant.), bearing evergreen leaves, and using the host mainly for water and mineral nutrients.

Most mistletoe seeds are spread by birds, In Europe mainly by the Mistle Trush.

Mistletoe was often considered a pest that kills trees and devalues natural habitats, but was recently recognized as an ecological keystone species, an organism that has a disproportionately pervasive influence over its community. A broad array of animals depend on mistletoe for food, consuming the leaves and young shoots, transferring pollen between plants, and dispersing the sticky seeds. The dense evergreen “witches brooms”formed by the dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium species) of western North America also make excellent locations for roosting and nesting of the Northern Spotted Owl among others.

European mistletoe, Viscum album, figured prominently in Greek Mythology. In cultures across pre-Christian Europe, mistletoe was seen as a representation of divine male essence (and thus romance, fertility and vitality), possibly due to a resemblance between the berries and semen.

Mistletoe is commonly used as a Christmas decoration, though such use was rarely alluded to until the 18th century. Viscum albumis is the Mistletoe used in Europe whereas Phoradendron serotinum is used in North America.

According to custom, the mistletoe must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal as the last of Christmas greens; it may remain hanging through the year, often to preserve the house from lightning or fire, until it was replaced the following Christmas Eve. The tradition has spread throughout the English-speaking world but is largely unknown in the rest of Europe.

According to Christmas custom, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss. The custom may be of Skandinavian norign and is found in history as early as 1820.

“The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases.”

Mistletoe leaves and young twigs are used by herbalists, and it is popular in Europe, especially in Germany, for treating circulatory and respiratory system problems. Use of mistletoe extract in the treatment of cancer, however clinical evidence does not support claims of anti-cancer effect for mistletoe extract.

The sticky juice of mistletoe berries was used as adhesive to trap small animals or birds. In South Africa it is called “Bird lime” in English and voelent in Afrikaans. A handful of ripe fruits are chewed until sticky, and the mass is then rubbed between the palms of the hands to form long extremely sticky strands which are then coiled around small thin tree branches where birds perch. When a bird lands on this it gets stuck to the branch and is then easy to catch by hand.

Lamber de Bie.

http://www.lamberdebie.ie

Wedding Master Class with Tara Fay

A Wedding Masterclass for brides – Lough Eske Castle Hotel,

Sunday 26th and Monday 27th September

Ireland’s top celebrity wedding planner Tara Fay to show brides how to plan

the perfect day.

Workshops and demonstrations by Lamber de Bie – Dutch Master Florist.

Lough Eske Castle, which was recently voted the Irish Wedding Venue of the Year by Irish brides, will

provide brides-to-be with the opportunity to learn from the wedding planner celebrities turn to.

The stunning hotel – Donegal‟s only five-star hotel and winner of the World‟s Best Luxury Country Hotel

2009 – has teamed up with Ireland‟s top wedding planner Tara Fay to deliver a two-day Wedding

Masterclass that will cover the A-Z of wedding planning.

A range of specialist talks and workshops will be given to brides-to-be by some of the top wedding service

providers in Ireland, including bridal fashion from Sharon Hoey, hair and beauty by Michael Leong and Zoe

Clark, photography by John Ryan, floristry by Lamber de Bie as well as food and wine, ceremonies,

stationery, cakes, jewellery, honeymoon advice and the all important first dance.

The masterclass will begin with a champagne reception and talk from Tara Fay on all the requirements for

planning the perfect wedding.  Award winning fashion designer Sharon Hoey will then follow with a bridal

fashion workshop before the Lough Eske Castle Executive Chef and Sommelier host a dinner presented in

the style of a wedding breakfast and share their food and wine expertise.

Day two comprises a series of workshops covering a range of topics as well as one-to-one consultations

with the top industry specialists.  The event concludes with a „first dance‟ workshop and afternoon tea and

wedding cake.

Andrew Turner, General Manager of Lough Eske Castle said that this event is the first of its kind to be held

in Ireland and has been designed to provide all brides-to-be with access to the very best of advice and

helpful hints and tips.  “Every bride wants and deserves the perfect wedding and as the top wedding venue

in Ireland, we wanted to do something to help brides-to-be create their dream day. The inspiration for the

Wedding Masterclass came from our own Lough Eske Castle brides, many of whom said they would have

really valued the opportunity to attend an event of this type.

“Organising a wedding is often a daunting task for brides-to-be. This two-day masterclass aims to help

brides take the pressure off the process by pointing them in the right direction helping them to plan their

perfect day while learning from the best in the business.  Each bride-to-be is free to select the workshops

which best meet her needs and she can make appointments to talk with the industry specialists privately on

the day.

“We‟re delighted to be partnering with Tara Fay.  As the leading wedding planner in Ireland, she has a

wealth of expertise and experience to share with brides-to-be, whether that is for planning small intimate or

larger weddings.  Tara will be hosting a number of talks throughout the two days and will also have time to

spend with brides on an individual basis.”

Celebrity wedding planner Tara Fay, who has planned more than 1,000 weddings, said that the wedding

masterclass will be invaluable to brides at every stage of the planning process.  “This event is about giving

brides-to-be the confidence and the ability to plan the day of their dreams no matter how big or small and

irrespective of budget.  Brides often find themselves bewildered by advice from family and friends and

sometimes need to take time out to think about what they truly want and then how to achieve it within

budget.  This masterclass aims to provide just that along with a chance to talk individually with each of the

speakers who will work with the brides-to-be to identify the things that will personalize their wedding and

make it a real day to remember.”

All brides-to-be and their guests are welcome to attend the event for one or both of the days.  Tickets for

both days, including one night‟s accommodation for two people sharing a deluxe guestroom including

breakfast, are priced at €175 per person sharing; or €250 per person sharing for both days and two night‟s

accommodation.  One-day only attendance (Sunday or Monday) is priced at €75 per person, per day.

To find out more or to book a place, please contact Lough Eske Castle Hotel on 074 97 251 00 or visit

http://www.solislougheskecastle.ie

A Taste of Christmas – A wonderful night.

The night started off with a performance of  the Newtown school music group.

First up: Kevin Dundon, Celebrity Chef.

Cooking up a storm.

Tanya, Mashy, Lamber, Margaret.

And then it was time that Lamber gave all his work away.

And here are some of the lucky winners.

Lamber de Bie – Dutch Master Florist at the Taste of Christmas in Ardkeen Quality Foodstore, 3rd December 2009.

A great Night.

A Taste of Christmas

Come and see two Masters at work!

Ardkeen Quality Foodstore and Lamber de Bie Flowers invites you to Ardkeen Quality Food Store on Thursday 3rd December from 7-10pm for ‘A Taste of Christmas’, showcasing some of the finest food & wine producers Ardkeen has to offer, and demonstrations by Kevin Dundon, Celebrity Chef, from Dunbrody Country House Hotel and Lamber de Bie, Dutch Master Florist from Lamber de Bie Flowers.

Kevin Dundon – Celebrity Chef

 

Lamber de Bie – Dutch Master Florist

Lamber will raffle all his creations on the night at this exiting event.

(Raffle Tickets Free for all attending !!!)

 

So come along this Thursday to Ardkeen Quality Foodstore in Waterford to seewhat’s instore this Christmas at Ardkeen Quality Foodstore.

A Taste of Christmas’, showcasing some of the finest food & wine producers the store has to offer.

Discover the best wine accompaniments for your Christmas dinner, stock up on the finest festive food and check out cookshops’ seasonal menu – all under one roof.

Chef Kevin Dundon will be here cooking up some festive food, Eamon from Knockanore will be showing us how to make Cheese, Lamber De Bie will add some glamour with fabulous flower arrangements & Kevin Sheridan of Sheridan’s Cheesemongers will be on hand to help you choose your Christmas cheese board. Adding a bit of sparkle, a Champagne Masterclass will be held in Cafe Lucia.

 

 

Lamber de Bie Flowers will be showcasing their range of new Christmas Decorations.             Now at 50% reduced prices.

 

 

 

Margaret will be there on the night to show you some of the nicest Christmas Table Centre Pieces available from Lamber de Bie Flowers at Ardkeen this Christmas.

We would love to see you here, for what we hope will be the kick off to a real festive foodie Christmas.

Please feel free to pass on the invite to your friends – the more the merrier!

Time to Smell the Roses

Taking Time to Smell the Roses in the Garden of Delight

By Lamber de Bie Dutch Master Florist (Jan. 07)

Trends are changing all around us, often so fast that it is hard to keep op with them. However they are becoming more important as showing we are aware of the latest trends is one of the status symbols of today. We can all afford that expensive dress but who has the knowledge of wearing tomorrow’s fashion today.

In order to predict the trends for flowers, and in particular wedding flowers, I first want to go back over the past few years to see were we are coming from.

In 2004 the trends in floral designs were inspired by a hugely complex world were we were swamped with information. Existing values were changing. Life speeded past us and appeared to be a huge tangle of paradoxes making it difficult to bring things sharply into focus. In a bid to regain the upper hand once more and to define our own guidelines we looked to create a calm environment where we could consider our options. An environment where we felt at home. This is why 2004 was filled with soft and natural, country-garden style arrangements in soft colours.

In 2005 our inspiration was based on the fact that we were committed to “everything”, every minute of the day. This translated into loose and natural, sometimes “chaotic looking” bouquets. We were looking for a summer holiday feeling with the emphasis on freedom without structure.

2006 Is the year of focussing on our Social individualism. We were frequently involved with our own personal lives. We want things to be good for us and anything should be possible. The trend has heightened the demand for luxury and glamour. We are becoming acclimatised to life in the fast lane. Our boredom threshold is lower and we are more inclined to feel things are moving too slowly than was formerly the case. This translated itself in a year were flowers are more dramatic in shape and colour than before. Combinations that were wrong before are today’s norm.

But where are we going from here? For over 20 years I’ve been asking myself this question. In the past my inspiration would have come from architecture, fashion and art. The past years I tend to look at people, what they do, and more important, what they would like to do.

In a recent interview with Paris Hilton, the person that did not only desire but also live all of this year’s trend to the full (We want things to be good for us and anything should be possible), she mentioned she was going to take time out to smell the roses.

I believe floral trends for summer 2007 will focus strongly on being fully in tune with the seasons. Still holding on to our individuality, but also looking for a fairytale/paradisiacal, expressive and energetic style.

Translating this into flowers I see for next summer the use of strong, bright colours combined to contrast with a few dark neutrals to give the impression of an imaginary, fairytale world. The use of green and turquoise is going to play an important role.

An opulent bouquet of decorative flowers such as Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise), Bright coloured Gerbera, Purple Vanda orchids, or some magnificent red and yellow Gloriosa lilies combined with coloured foliage and a single long striped feather.

Holding these summer trend as a tread for 2007, we will see a softer variety of this theme throughout the spring using lots of pastels coloured flowers such as Freesia’s, Narcissus, Syringa (lilac) and tulips in combination with soft blossom twigs in natural hand tied bouquets.

At the end of summer we will turn to pink and purple Anthurium, Celosia, Dendrobium orchids, Eryngium (thistle) and Dahlia’s combined with black and chocolate coloured materials and small details of yellow and gold. Bouquets will be smaller and a little more definite in shape with foliage only used if it is making a real statement.

In the winter the purple and pink will remain as an important colour however toned down to a much paler version. This in combination with lots of white, black and tones of grey. I see a compact bouquet of 30 pale lilac carnations (Yes, Carnations are back again), pressed together into a compact egg shaped bouquet resting on a collar of large, folded silver leaves and white Gypsophylla (baby’s breath). Think of a Neo-Classicism dramatic shape, a miniature winter fairytale palace. Stems will be wrapped with soft ribbons, however large bows are out. The much smaller winter bouquets will have its impact trough a strong shape rather than trough colour. Other flowers that will work well in this winter trend are Nerine, Dianthus (carnations), Zanthedeschia (calla lilies), lilac and pink Roses, Hippeastrum (Amaryllis), Ranunculus and Hyacinths.

Lamber de Bie

Dutch Master Florist

www.lamberdebie.com

Autumn Theme Wedding

Creating a Arch to welcome all your guest to your wedding venue will be the best welcome you can give your family & friends.

Continuing the theme of the wedding with your Wedding Cake decorations of fresh fruits and leaves coated in eggwhite and sprinkled with sugar. An finish off with some fresh white rose petals.

Lamber de Bie

Dutch Master florist

http://www.lamberdebie.com

Decorating with Apples

Creating your own table decorations is great fun and does not have to cost much, while you can impress your friends with wonderful, creative decorations for your dinner table.

For this display I used the large Night-Lights that burn for 8 hours. (these can be bought in most good supermarkets). Small night-Lights normally only last 2 hours, and there is nothing more annoying than halfway trough your dinner party the candles are finished and the effect of your hard work is lost.

For this display I used 7 small red apples, 10 orange, large headed roses and some large orange/green Oak leaves (these can be bought in any good florist during September trough to the end of November). Alternatively you can look for autumn leaves in your garden or in the park.

Take your Night-Lights out of the metal cup they come in and place this cup upside down on the apple. With a sharp knife follow the edge of the metal cap only to cut through the skin. Next you can push the metal cap into the apple. You than lift the cap (pierce it with a sharp knife, and lift it) and all there is left to empty out the apple so that the night- light fits into the opening.

Before putting the candle into the apple dry the inside with some tissue paper to avoid the wick getting wet.

To stop the apple becoming brown brush very lightly some oil (cooking oil is perfect) over the fresh cut. This will seal it from the air and stop the browning.

Your roses are cut right at the base of the flower so they will stand up on their own.

All there is left than is to play around with the composition on your table.

As the roses are not in water they will not last longer than a day. After your guests have left you can take your roses and leave them floating in a shallow bowl with water so you will get full pleasure from your displays.

Have Fun, and let me know if you have any ideas.

Lamber de Bie

Dutch Master florist

http://www.lamberdebie.com