Fruit and Flowers

Decorate an entry hall or a
buffet table with this design.

• Tall vase or container
• 6-8 sunflowers, 4-5 eremeres, 6 hypericum, 8 yarrow,
  4 euphorbia, 8 calendula (including unopened buds), branched fruit, such as lemons or oranges

1. Place sunflowers randomly in the container, letting them fall naturally. You may want to save two or three sunflowers to fill gaps as you complete the arrangement. Next, place a few eremeres in the container to create a maximum height for the arrangement. Place hypericum in clumps throughout container.

2. Add yarrow, keeping the blooms low in the arrangement. Add euphorbia.

3. Place calendula throughout, keeping them lower in the arrangement (make sure the stems reach the water and that the water level remains high). Include calendula unopened buds as well to help keep the bouquet loose and natural.

4. Stand back and observe your arrangement from all sides. Fill gaps with larger flowers, such as sunflowers or eremeres for additional height. Pull hypericum back up in the arrangement if the other flowers pushed them down.

5. When the arrangement is complete, gather the entire bouquet in your hands and lift it out of the container an inch or so, then let it gently fall back down. This gets rid of loose petals and airs out the arrangement.

6. For a final touch that ties the arrangement to a tablescape (especially if placed near food), place branched fruit (such as lemons or oranges) along the base of the container.

Tip: If you can't find branched fruit, fake it this way: Stick branches (choose some with leaves that resemble lemon leaves) into three or four lemons. Add height by placing a small rock or overturned pot under the lemon nearest the base of the arrangment.