Jan Anholt on Rose Arrangements

Right now these are my raw notes from tonight’s meeting. I will whip them into shape tomorrow night.

Note: refer to your April 2011 Thrip Hater for more complete tips

The big takeaways?

• Read the arrangements schedule and understand the different types
• Balance (this doesn’t always mean symmetry)
• Nothing. Not the vase, not the filler plants, not the oasis, should distract from the roses

Fill clean sink with warm 4-5″ water and 1/4 c clorox to cut her stems. Only need to remove the tip, watch for livestock
put the roses in oasis before arrival, then adds filler at show. Do not use springtime oasis, or sahara foam.
Soak foam in clean bucket with flora life
Use a frog , oasis, marbles, etc., depending on type of arrangement and the vase you’re using
If stem shreds, need to re-cut the stem
Line arrangements: don’t put too many flowers in — that’s line-mass. Line = one that follows a line. Square, triangle, L-shape, horizontal, etc.
Line-mass = Better as a centerpiece. Has more filler but always in balance. Does not need to be symmetrical.
use a paintbrush to remove aphids. Jan doesn’t like to get water on her petals. Read the schedule!
Don’t have to hide oasis under level of glass. Can use Spanish moss to cover it.
Use marbles for tall clear vases so oasis doesn’t show
Heavy, dark colors in middle — draws the eye, looks scattered. Want the weight in the middle.
Don’t use antique vases: theft, breakage is possible
Candy dishes make wonderful containers
Size: some schedules specify size. Read the schedule.
Size does not equate with winning. Don’t have to fill whole space allotted for your arrangement.
Flowers twice as high as container
Oriental-style containers don’t suit a mass arrangement
Mass: can be one-sided or 360, aim for round overall shape, fluffy and symmetrical, plump and bosom-y, a nice balanced flow all the way around
tape oasis onto bowl with florist tape, wet it
Start with foliage, find longest, straightest stem, leave space between your roses so they have room to open up
Anchoring: can use clay-based kitty litter, marbles, sand
Does not have to be perfectly round, want some depth so roses can be at different levels
Add greenery for dimension
Too much is sometimes too much
Doesn’t recommend using tight sprays because they’ll open and look crowded
Blooms don’t need to be exhibition quality

By Lisa in Events, News, Rose show, Thrip Hater on January 27, 2019