Gone are the stuffy bouquets of yesteryear. Today's florists and home decor experts are bringing spring indoors through pops of color, carefully placed sticks and found objects.
Janine Kreiter, owner of Flowers of Edina, says the key to creating the perfect centerpiece is carefully placed flowers that look like they've been thrown together with elements from the outdoors.
"Especially with today's economy, we're all looking for a way to get a look without 1,000 flowers," she says.
Local experts have some easy tips on the dos and don't of creating this spring's hottest, eye-catching looks.
Earthy
Krieter is touting a floral look this year called Habitat, one of the many 2008-2009 trends identified by the American Institute of Floral Designers.
To create the earth-friendly arrangement she uses pale yellows, hues of green and blues, browns, and white in combination with the elements of the earth--mosses, branches, stones and bird nests.
Gathering found objects creates a connection with the earth. She suggests involving the family in the gathering or using stones or shells from a recent vacation.
The best way to highlight the look, she says, is to avoid using too many flowers--leave some breathing room so the found objects can show through. She also urges DIY gurus to clump colors together as they would appear to grow in nature.
To give extended life to the look, Krieter throws in a few stems of fresh floral and a few high-quality silks.
In addition she says it's fun to add one highlighted flower to the arrangement, placed off center--perhaps a single orchid or gerbera daisy. "something that adds and element of surprise is always nice," Krieter says.
7029 Amundson Ave.
952.944.5770
Mix it Up
Melinda Benham, owner of Garden State Flowers, has a proposition that adds an unexpected twist to traditional spring blooms.
She mixes spring bulbs with fresh cut flowers; however, the bulbs she proposes aren't the kind you force. She opts for bulbs already potted and growing. Take them out, rinse them off and place them in the arrangement. "It's an instant look," Benham says. Any small bulb will do--hyacinth, tulips, daffodils, crocus or muscari.
Mixing the blooms with fresh cut flowers, she says, will allow for redesign once the fresh cuts are gone.
Benham declares yellow to be the popular color for this spring and working leaves, branches and found objects into the water creates a base for bare bulbs.
Only the bottom third of the bulb, plus the roots, should rest in water. The fresh cut flowers, Benham says, can be tied into bundles and the bundles can lay crisscrossed in a shallow dish or wide vase to create a resting area for the bulbs.
The other option is to go for fruits--oranges, lemons and limes. Combining the fruits with a monochromatic bouquet will really set the space apart, Benham says.
5023 France Ave. S.
612.929.8030
Comforts of Home
For those looking for the classics this spring Michael Hagie owner of Gather, has a sophisticated, yet crazily simple look.
The key, he says, is for the customer to have confidence as they design. Choose flowers that are inexpensive, so the piece can easily be changed out as the season progresses. "It shouldn't be intimidating, if it dies, just throw it out," he says, "You shouldn't have to invest."
He encourages customers to scout around the house for the perfect vase--his piece of perfection is a traditional Italian Tuscan ceramic based on 16th century design.
Plant it with small, pre-potted bulbs in reds and oranges. "Orange is still a very hot color," he says.
The display can start with tulips, move to cyclamens and finally an herb garden for a transition to summer.
To create the perfect table centerpiece he asks only that customers keep it low. "Often times when putting together a centerpiece it gets large and flamboyant," Hagie says.
Instead, place the centerpiece and then sit down to make sure guests will be able to see one another--avoiding and awkward dinner party moment as the host is forced to remove the intruding decor.
4999 France Ave. S
612.920.1400
Give it Time
Though designers and decorators often focus on fresh flowers to add a little life to a room, some are opting for silks to create long-lasting displays.
Connie Wersal-LaVelle, senior designers at Gabberts, says floral displays, fresh or faux, can add a wow to a keenly designed room or serve as a support to good design. "They add a different layer of texture than you're going to get with fabrics and woods," Wersal-LaVelle says.
Her tips for creating a natural look are invest in good quality silks, add greens and grasses, and consider the container. Containers, she says, are trending toward more natural pottery pieces, dark mocha coffee-colored containers and those made of recycled materials.
When it comes to blooms, she is seeing the floral trend continue to follow the trends in home decor with vibrant limes and tangerines. In addition, she says, there is a trend toward romantic--hydrangeas, white roses, gardenias and natural grasses. In combination they create a refined, modern elegance, she says.
Overall have fun with it," Wersal-LaVelle says. "It should lift your spirits."
3501 Galleria
9532.927.1500
Eye-popping Display
On the other end of the spectrum of floral delights sits Raed Kakish, owner of Edina's Indulge and Bloom. He's flaunting hot colors in trend-setting chunky, square vases.
He endorses tulips, mini callas and Cymbidium orchids in eye-popping shades of hot pink, citrus orange, yellow and lime green. Also, a quick wrap of a leaf around the inside of the vase hides the mechanics of the arrangement.
"These colors are really life-giving, and they compliment each other really well," Kakish says.
For those terrified their Tuscan-palette decor will clash with the bright hues, Kakish lays your fears to rest explaining these colors will pop with anything and everything in your home. The colors are a sharp contrast to the dreary Minnesota winter sky and the even drearier talk of today's economy.
"We all feel like we're handcuffed and not able to breath," Kakish says. "It's amazing to see how flowers really enhance your mood."
For an even brighter display of spring, Kakish encourages customers to place the arrangement on an all-white tablescape, pulling the centerpiece colors in with vibrant napkins.
3948 W. 50th St.
952.920.5665
