Christmas centerpiece FUNdraiser

Our club is always looking for ways to engage the public, making the community more aware that this great little garden club exists. We decided that we could organize a Christmas centerpiece workshop open to members and non-members alike as a creative way to raise funds for the club.

Toby Barratt and Lori Ray offered to provide a teaching demo. 

Toby created two great designs in different styles of Christmas baskets.

Lori showed the group how to make a smaller round design in a glass cube covered with some ribbon.

Then participants started on creating their very own masterpieces. The finished designs were quite lovely and everyone left with their finished centerpiece to take home.

Tips for floral centerpieces.....soak your oasis overnight if possible....decide if the design will be viewed from one side or all sides since this affects the placement of the flowers.....oasis should protrude 2cm (3/4inch) above the top of container to allow the first row of greenery to placed horizontally over the container and then use greenery to cover the base of the oasis.....measure twice, cut once you cannot make a stem longer after you have already cut it.....never put the biggest flower at the top of the design.....keep oasis moist until Christmas, adding about 1/4cup of water to the middle of the design weekly.....if flowers fade you can replace them before Christmas.....if putting in a basket, use a sturdy waterproof container for design and stuff newspaper around the base to keep it from wobbling around....

 

We had 23 participants create their hands on centerpiece. 

We purchased 185 flowers for the event (Fuji Mums, red carnations, and white mums). 

Hort helpers gathered pine, cedar, balsam and spruce broughs from their properties. Pine cones were collected and dried out and wired. Members donated baskets.

We were amazed by the creativity of the participants and how with the same basic ingredients all managed to create a slightly different and unique design.

FUN way to RAISE awareness of floral design!

Gardeners helping Gardeners