Creating flower arrangements doesn't mean you have to stick to floral elements. Unique and bold designs can be easily put together by marrying flowers with edible fruits and vegetables. Bright colors, strong shapes and a variety of texture make edible elements especially sought after. They also can prove cost friendly, especially when paired with expensive stems of flowers.
Usually, all we see in flower vases are the stems of bouquets. However, a large clear vase can be a display case for much more. Root vegetable and fruit with hard rind are the best to display in your vases, as the continued exposure to water will not cause them to spoil fast. Fill a vase with bright yellow lemons, Or sticking freshly scrubbed carrots into a square vase, and using the protruding stems as greenery for a rose arrangement. Limes, celery and radishes all work well underwater. Cranberries submerged in a vase make for a fun and festive holiday arrangement. Make sure to change the water frequently, at least once every two days, to avoid it turning cloudy.
Tips:
1. Dip bananas, pears and apples in lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
2. Leave pomegranates and berries intact to reduce the risk of stains.
3. Support pieces of fruit or veggies like apples or whole lemons within your floral arrangement with stiff, heavy gauge flower wire.
4. You can also use bamboo or metal skewers, wrap the skewers with green floral tape to make them look like stems.
6. Keep the arrangement hydrated. You may need to mist the top to keep produce looking lively.
Squash and Pumpkin Floral Dishes
Gorgeous colored squash can be hollowed out and used as a display dish for your floral arrangements. Use a waterproof lining, to avoid getting the vegetable soggy, and some floral foam as your base. Then add the flowers so they spill out of the top. Ivy plants, or other short plants such as succulents, can also be used with this display idea.
Colorful Edible Designs for Your Flower Arrangements
Look around at the grocery store for bold color that can be used. Long red onions add a pink-purple tone to a display. Purple artichokes, cabbage, kale and grapes can be used as well. Oranges and tangerines have a hard enough rind to be kept out of the fridge and in a display.
Be careful not to eat vegetables or fruit that has been in water for long periods of time, especially when exposed to cut stems, as they may have absorbed unhealthy or poisonous sap.
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Herbs
If you pick the right herbs, like chamomile, they will hold up longer without water than colorful flowers in boutonnieres and bouquets. Others, again like basil or chives, should be avoided because they wilt quickly.
Here are a few that work well in arrangements:
Pineapple Sage- A late summer bloomer, these flowers can be used to add their bright color and subtle fruity fragrance to autumn arrangements. The bright green leaves and red flowers look great combined with purple.
Rosemary- Sprigs of rosemary create a dark green backdrop to complement showier flowers such as roses. The clean, alpine scent is invigorating.
Bee Balm- Bee balm has an exceptionally long vase life. Depending on the variety the blooms are pink, red, purple or white. Lemon bergamot, a variety of bee balm, has lemon scented leaves.
Dill-Dill's- Feathery foliage and lacy flowers are a nice alternative to baby's breath in flower arrangements.
Lavender- A few fresh sprigs of lavender placed in a small vase is really simple and very effective. It's a relaxing scent perfect for bed and bath rooms.
Adding fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs to your flower arrangements create interesting look that will make your flowers pop by adding interesting textures and shapes. Consider food as design inspiration for your next get together or your next holiday table display.
Alaric Flower Design creates custom fruit/vegetable/herb flower arrangements call us and we can create a beautiful one of kind piece for you!
Call us at 212-308-3794
