I am not a floral arranging kind of person. So I was a little apprehensive when I signed up for a winter container class at my local Fortinos supermarket. But luck was on my side. Alicia, the talented floral manager, was teaching the class and only 4 people had enrolled. We all received personal attention!

Materials

Insert: 1 gallon black plastic pot with floral foam (soaked overnight)

Winter greens: western cedar, cedar, white fir, pine and magnolia

Accents: wired ribbon, mesh, sprayed glitter sticks, birch sticks

Floral supplies: Floral tape, floral sticks, by-pass pruners, floral wire

Alicia’s instructions for 360 degree viewed container:

The conifers are the heart of the arrangement. They provide the overall shape. Everything else is embellishment.

The Heart

Establish the central “skeleton”:

Place the tallest white fir in the middle of the floral foam.

Flank the tall white fir with shorter white fir. If you have to, cut the branches to the right size. Put the boughs at an angle, so that the overall shape of the arrangement looks rounded.

Middle ground

Add smaller sections of western cedar boughs and pine to fill out the middle section.

The “skirt”

Add an elegant hoop “skirt” of cedar and pine along the edge.

The Embellishments

Add the birch stick, and magnolia. Make sure the overall effect is balanced visually.

Add the sparkly sticks, mesh balloons and bows.

Alicia showed me how to make a bow. I found all the twists and turns hard to follow, so I certainly can’t give you written instructions on making bows. Besides bow making is better seen to be made. Bowdabra, an online craft store, has some great videos on basic bow making.

My final creation isn’t the pinnacle of winter urns design. It’s just not my thing. At times like these you go to the experts. I found a landscaping firm that creates fabulous winter urns. Dusty Miller Landscaping, a firm servicing the GTA, has some inspiring winter urn images that will make you yearn for a winter urn!

For your own supplies visit your local garden centres, box or grocery stores.