Spring term 6. Flat as a Pancake

An unusual table centrepiece with a beginning of Lent theme.

It is called “Flat as a Pancake” for a reason - the most shallow container we have used so far. It is designed for the table top or for hanging on its side (similar to a wreath). We used the same flowers as last week, but with a quirky foliage addition.

Equipment: a low shallow container - just enough to hold water for the oasis. An oasis cut down really low. German pins.

Flowers and Foliage: leaves (palm, cordyline), 3 x anthurium, orchids, twigs, berries, some green and reindeer (white) moss. I used cherry blossom as well.

Step 1: Cut the oasis down to just 1cm above the container and soak it.

Step 2: Fill out the sides of the oasis by using the leaves to build a border around the edges of the wreath. It will look like a line of soldiers lined up along each side and cover the base of the container. These should be more or less the same length - you can trim them to size.

Step 3: Lay down the moss to hide the oasis. This can be done in sections as you build it up. Use German pins to pin it down.

Step 4: Place the twigs and pin them to the oasis. The moss and the twigs are used as a framework for a “woodland” look to the arrangement.

Step 5: Place the anthurium flowers, creating the “blocks” of colour for the arrangement.

Step 6: Add the other flowers in amongst the moss / twigs, gradually building up a patchwork of different textures and colours across the surface of the oasis. Intersperse this with moss.

Step 7: Add the white reindeer moss for accents amongst the flowers / twigs. The overall effect should be a woodland patchwork of colours, textures and different shapes.

I went a bit off piste and used a round (vs rectangular) posy pad container. It means more leaves were needed.

The leaves are laurel leaves - I would have preferred to use dark red cordyline leaves but didn’t have enough of them in the garden.

The flowers were the same as last week - all sourced from home with the exception of the berries.