Flowers at an evening buffet are the most important accessories, like pearls with a black dress. Joining Heidi Bohay to demonstrate his flower-arranging techniques is Clifford Miller, the owner of TFS Floral Design Studio in Los Angeles.
Miller says he begins by looking at the surroundings and assessing the size of the table and the environment. Whether the food is being served from a buffet table or a kitchen table, he chooses flowers that are the appropriate height for their location. For a centerpiece on a dining-room table, for instance, Miller says the general height rule is that it be no taller than the distance from your elbow on the table to your fingers bent at the knuckles (figure A). He further suggests sitting at different places around the table to see whether visibility is clear and whether everyone can be seen between floral arrangements.
If flower arranging is intimidating to you, use a small vase that can hold only a few stems (figure B). By using several small vases and a few candles, you can create a stunning centerpiece composed of decorative clusters (figure C). Here, Miller has wrapped a number of votive candles with leaves tied together with raffia. The combination of fresh greenery on the table and the warm glow cast by candlelight is not only pleasing to the eye but soothing to the soul as well.
When creating a large arrangement, first provide an anchor for the stems inside the container. Miller avoids using floral foam, as he says it's unhealthy for the environment; instead he uses natural vinelike plants (figure D). If your container is clear and you don't want the inside to be seen, simply line the interior with large leaves.
After adding water to the container, Miller begins with greens or filler flowers and inserts them through the anchoring vine (figure E). Instructing us to remove the leaves, he then demonstrates how to crisscross the stems for added support as they are placed in the container.
Miller continues in this manner, choosing flowers that are bright and multicolored. Bells of Ireland, roses, tulips and salvia are arranged according to his own sense of beauty. He says if you don't like how your arrangement looks, simply pull the flowers out and start over. By playing around with them, you will create your own gorgeous work of art.
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