Horticulture3

P r e p a r a t i o n A slew of behind-the-scenes underpinnings makes the bouquet successful. Every container that Runkle uses- the vase and the conditioning buckets alike- is washed in a dilute solution of bleach and water and scrubbed with an artificial-bristle brush. Flowers are picked the night before arranging and they're submerged as deeply as possible in water and kept in a cool spot. Hydrangeas and anything with a woody stem are given warm to hot water. Then they're whisked into the barn or garage where it's cool and shady, and running water is close by. Roses and other temperamentals are afforded refrigerator space.

Demo1

Runkle's ordinarily begins with the tallest flowers, but because the focal point in this arrangement is low, she stars with the heaviest elements: grapes and hydrangeas.

Demo2

The anchor established, she moves on to the upper extremities of the composition "because we need to know the boundaries of the arrangement."

Demo3

Integration is achieved by working on all parts of the bouquet simultaneously, and so Runkle begins staging the central focal point while the top still remains unfinished.

Demo4

Fillers such as Chinese forget-me-not, astrantia, and catmint serve to weave all the elements together, providing unity of color and texture.

Demo5

"When you build a house, you put in the structure and then decorate," says Runkle. the same theory holds when constructing a bouquet.

Demo6

The finale: soft and textural. Runkle's arrangement, which includes many of her favorite plants, has an elegant, nostalgic look.

Reproduced with permission from Horticulture Magazine, American Gardening at its best. Sept./Oct., 1998

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