This Month's Selection

Tranquility and Joy from the Pacific

We're in the heat of the summer right now; and for some of you out there, particularly those out in the western states like Arizona, Nevada and California, the emphasis is on the word "heat". That being said, it made sense to us here at the Flower of the Month Club to send you a bouquet that comes from the tropical landscapes where flowers and plants can tolerate these higher temperatures. And, while your featured floral arrangement this month can thrive in these hotter days, our choice to bring this bouquet to you is really rooted in an effort to deliver a different perspective. Many of our arrangements feature broad, soft-petaled flowers and wide backing greens. The result is often a bouquet that fills out the vase and remains quite wide, visually, above the host vessel. This month, the allure of the flowers taking center stage is in their vibrant colors and simplistic yet exotic form. Our featured arrangement this month represents an example of contrast in floral shapes. The bouquet consists of eight stems of various-colored Anthuriums from Hawaii. The most striking component of the arrangement is the contrast between the exceptionally thin stems supporting the large, glossy, brilliantly colored Anthuriums. This arrangement repeatedly draws the eye from the thin supporting structures of the stems out to the large floral constellation created by vibrant Anthurium bracts and gives one the impression that they're viewing a snapshot of holiday fireworks ablaze in the nighttime sky.

With combinations of this sort, the arranger (that's you!) is given many options with regard to designing their favorite layout of floral forms. We're especially fond of using the tri-colored hala leaves as punctuation in the arrangements, using small twists (like knots) toward the top of the arrangement to draw the eye out and above the bright bracts of the Anthuriums (you can view a picture on our website for an idea of what we're talking about: www.flowermonthclub.com. Just navigate to the arrangement listed under August). The stems of the Anthuriums can be cut at various lengths to evoke the firework-finale-like positioning we mentioned above, or you may opt to have all these lovely tropical beauties dance at the same level. The choices are limitless, and entirely up to you! Enjoy this bit of the tropics and arrange as you like. The fact that these hearty flowers may last for three weeks or more gives you the opportunity to sculpt different designs over time. Just remember, you have the freedom to be as creative as you like. Have fun with it!