How to Arrange Flowers Like a Frenchwoman: 8 Chic Techniques - Gardenista
Photography by Chikae Howland, courtesy of Laetitia Mayor and Notary Ceramics.
Frenchwomen, it’s universally known, have a knack for effortless beauty, from the way they dress themselves to the way they outfit their interiors. Follow these eight tips to create no-fail, stylish flower arrangements anywhere, French-girl style.
Step one: gathering armfuls of blooms.
1. Seek out imperfection.
“I prefer garden-grown flowers,” Mayor says.
Gather small textural elements as well.
2. Remember these three words: focal, textural, foliage.
Hellebores from the garden.
“Choose a monochromatic color palette,” says Mayor.
3. Practice camaïeu.
Paperwhites, cuttings, and magnolia branches sit in a stone basin until the arranging begins.
4. Pre-hydrate.
“Make sure your flowers have plenty to drink before arranging with them,” Mayor says.
The workshop table, set with three vessels from Notary Ceramics.
Vessels, plus simple ribbons and stones, at the ready.
5. Source your vessel with care.
“Pick a vessel that encourages your bouquets to be wild and unruly,” says Van Raden, whose ceramic flower frogs and ikebana vases served as inspiration for the arrangements at the workshops.
“Choose your vessel in function of the amount of flowers you have to arrange with,” Mayor says.
6. Size matters.
7. Go stem by stem.
“Fill your vessel with fresh, clean water and start your arrangement,” Mayor says.
An undone-chic table at the French country house, set with summer drinks, freshly picked white asparagus, and a simple white floral arrangement.
Less is more: an arrangement with only two stems, plus small stones in the base.
Let the natural shapes of the flowers and stems guide you as you go.
8. Go slow.
Shallow bowls of trout lilies make for poetic, watery arrangements.
Blooms and branches climb up a stone wall at the country house.