Litha Bouquet with Wildflowers

Perfect for your altar or dining table

You will need:
Flower-pot-sized container
Garbage bag (if container is porous)
Oasis
Knife
Matches and/or candle
4 small hydrangea, 4 Sunflowers, 5 Queen Anne's Lace,
6 Windflowers and 8 Poppies
Filler flowers (white, yellow and red with small, tightly-packed blooms no larger than 1/2 inch and petals of different shapes; about 4 small bunches of each colour)

Instructions:

1. It is recommended that most stems be cut on a diagonal with a knife, preferably under water, just prior to being placed. This allows the least amount of contact with the air so the ends do not dry out or cauterize.

2. Poppy stems, however, need to be cauterized to prevent them from losing sap and contaminating the water in the container. This is achieved by burning the ends of the stems.

Handling Flowers

1. Create framework. For taller arrangements, make your framework about 1-1/2 times the size of your container. Start with the tallest flower (small hydrangeas), then add a few powerful flowers (sunflowers), working around the pot and keeping it loose but balanced.

2. Allow flowers to fall naturally when stems are firmly in place to create a free look. Continue to add tall flowers until the arrangement takes shape. View from different angles to make sure it is balanced.

3. Add contrast, punch. Once the height and shape have been established, break it up with bright-coloured flowers (windflowers and poppies). Before placing poppies, their stems need to be cauterized. Continue to keep free-flowing and loose, creating a nice form and viewing from all angles.

4. Using flowers with small bunches of blossoms, fill in spaces between flowers