December is our annual Open Night and we were delighted to welcome so many members and guests to Queen’s Cross to see “Enlightenment”, a demonstration by Anthony Williams.
Anthony has worked all over the world and his first arrangement, full of exotic ingredients, gave us the flavour of a tropical Christmas. Pittosporum, ginger and the red bracts of Musa combined with a mixture of foliage to give a vibrant arrangement. A teacher as well as demonstrator, Anthony showed us various ways of manipulating the fern he was using with a number of plaiting techniques, which brought a different dimension to the design. The addition of the beautiful pale green, pink tinged Anthurium was the finishing touch.
A traditional mix of materials was given a modern twist in the next design. Holly and spruce covered a posy pad and a framework of dogwood had been constructed over this, Ilex berries and lily gave height and pieces of gold-sprayed eucalyptus added further interest. Anthony tied dark Zantedeschia to the dogwood frame, adding kangaroo paw, carnations and anthurium. The completed arrangement was placed into a long gold structure, which set it off perfectly.
A trellis of phormium was the backbone to the next arrangement. Groundwork of spruce, aspidistra and hydrangea filled the base. Longiflora lily climbed the trellis with agapanthus and shining silver aluminium wire threaded its way through the design.
Anthony’s next arrangement started off with the impression of being a low coffee table design; roses and agapanthus were both cut short and placed into a background of spruce. However, appearances can be deceptive as this “low” arrangement was picked up and hung inside a construction of silver canes. Cala and rhipsalis were inserted and poured out of this stunning finished arrangement.
All too soon Anthony started his final design – if we thought he had used up all the glitter in the box we were wrong – a posy pad of greenery was scattered with tiny glittered crab apples, carnations, red spray chrysanthemums with a golden eye, sprays of hypericum berries, leaves of gold sprayed eucalyptus and trails of dogwood pieces on copper wire all had a place. The posy pad was hung on a stand and this in itself was a beautiful arrangement, however Anthony then produced a wonderful construction of wire and twigs, threaded with bullion wire and squares of copper leaf which when placed over the arrangement transformed it from stunning to spectacular.
Anthony charmed everybody with his arrangements and stories, he is a talented florist and it was a pleasure to have him at our open evening.
Enlightenment was the final demonstration of our 2012 programme, and we wish all our members and guests the compliments of the Season and look forward to seeing everyone in 2013 at our first meeting on 13th February.