Flower arrangement by Ron Morgan from In the Company of Flowers
The Art of Arranging Flowers:
Flower Arranging with Fresh Flowers
Wiring
& Taping Techniques
Professional
flower designers wire and tape stems for a good reason. Many flowers
have heavy heads and need the extra support including roses. If you do not
wire and tape them they will eventually start to droop.
You can extend the
length of a flower easily, with wires and taping, so that it works in your
arrangement.
Once cut flowers are
wired you should tape them with florist tape to hold the moisture that is in
the stem. And the tape conceals the wires.
Dried flowers and
sometimes silks are covered with florist tape to ensure that the material does
not slip out of a wired mount
Lengthening a stem (Wiring
Techniques)
Having the ability to lengthen a flower stem is a great advantage in flower
arranging. Also, if the flower has two or more blossoms, you can cut off the
blooms and give each flower a new stem. It is a money saver and provides
other possibilities when arranging flowers. This technique can be used on
fresh, silk or dried flowers.
Taping and Lengthening a stem
1. Place a stem wire next to the flower stem. Hold the wire near its
top. Wrap a piece of floral tape
around the top of the wire and flower stem.
2. Twirl the stem while stretching and pulling the tape in a downward angle.
The tape should be tightly wrapped around the wire and flower stem without
buckles or gaps along the stem.
3. While taping the
stem you may wish to add further stems setting the flower heads at different
heights.
4. Fasten off just
above the end of the wires by squeezing the tape against itself.
Making a Stay
Wire
1. Group together four
florist wires. Have each overlap the next by 1-1/4".
2. Start taping the
wires together from the one end.
3. As the tape reaches
the end of the first wire add another wire to the remaining three ends of wires
and continue taping. And so on. Adding wires and taping four together until you
achieve the required length.
Pierce method
This wiring method is perfect for roses
To give support to a weak flower head with a thick calyx beneath the flower
head, insert an 18-gauge stem wire.
1. Push one end of the wire horizontally through the calyx using half the
length of the wire.
2. Bend both ends down parallel with the stem. Tape the wire starting just
above the insertion.
Note: A second wire may be inserted through the flower so that the two wires
are crisscrossed for heavier flower heads.
Hook method
This method works well if the flower head is firmly attached to the stem.
1. Cut the flower stem an inch from the bottom of the calyx. Insert the stem
wire inside the center of the stem up into the flower head until it is
secure.
2. Form a hook, and pull the wire back down through the flower.
3. Tape the stem and wire tightly.
Single &
Double Leg Mount
Single Leg
Mount
This is for wiring flowers which have a strong stem or where a double
weight of wire is not necessary.
1. Hold the flowers
between your thumb and index finger letting the weight of the flower lay
across the top of your hand. Position a wire behind the stem one third the way
up.
2.Now bend the wire ends
together -with one leg shorter than the other.
3. Holding the short
wire leg parallel with the stem, wrap the long wire leg around both the stem and
the other wire leg.
4. Straighten the
long wire.
Double Leg Mount
Similar to the single
leg mount but the double leg mount will lengthen the stem with two equal
length floral wires.
1. Start by holding the
flower between your thumb and index finger. Allow the weight of the flower to
lay across the top of your hand.
2. Position a wire
1/3 the way up from the bottom of the stem. Note: 1/3 of the wire should
be to one side of the stem.
3. Bend the wire
parallel to the stem. One leg of the wire will be about twice as long as the
other.
4. Hold the shorter leg
against the stem and wrap the longer length of wire around both the stem and the
other wire to secure.
5. Straighten both the
wires legs which should now be equal length. See illustration above for finished
look.
Stem supports for heavy flower heads
A must for roses which have a woody stem that when bent
will cause the flower to wilt. This will reinforce them and make them ready for
arranging.
Flower supports add strength and flexibility to the stem allowing the flower
to be gently bent.
1. Insert the end of a stem wire vertically into the base of the calyx.
2. Loosely wrap the wire around the full length of the stem in a spiral.
Tape the stem to cover the wire.
Wiring a rose bud
Quite necessary if
you are attempting more complex floral
designs with roses. You will be replacing the rose stem with a wire so
this arrangement would be perfect for drying.
Use this style of wiring
for floral head pieces .
1. Cut the stem of the
rose to 1-1/4" . Push one end of a floral wire through the seed-box (bottom
of rose-thickest part) at the side. Holding the head of the rose in one hand
wrap the wire firmly around and then down the stem.
2. Straighten the remaining
wire to extend the the length of its natural stem. Cover the wire with florist
tape.
Wireless taping
Wireless Taping is a perfect technique for free
flowing hairpieces or corsages.
1. Cut the stem to 1" long.
2. Wrap a piece of floral tape around the top of the stem and twirl the
flower in one hand while twisting the tape lightly around itself until it is
as long as you want it. If you need more support, tape it again.
