.jpg)
Lunch For Two
During quarantine, it was hard to stick to my normal schedule. I went from a daily routine to not even setting an alarm on some days. My creative juices were flowing but I wasn’t putting them to use. This made me so frustrated but what was I to do? The flower markets were closed, local restaurants were only open for take out and everyone avoided people in the street. Thankfully, my husband and I moved upstate NY about four years ago and that gave us the ability to take long walks outside and watch the earth change through the seasons.
​
After some much needed rest without routines for a few weeks, I had an idea. What if I made each day different and special? What if I took this extra time at home to be creative while making special memories for my husband and I? My husband has been working remotely through quarantine and rather than eat lunch at his desk in our back office, I decided to make lunch something we’d look forward to sharing together each day. We’d meet at the dining room table each afternoon to have a break from screens, chat and dream up plans for when the world goes back to normal.
I had been collecting branches and wildflowers on our daily walks and putting them around the house so we didn’t feel so secluded. Foraging is a great and easy way to put together an arrangement. I always tell friends and family who are arranging at home, “flowers are already beautiful.”
Don’t stress or force yourself to recreate something you’ve seen online. Instead, show the flowers and greenery how they are in nature. Reaching ivy draping out of your vase onto the table, flowers stretching up to the sun at different heights. Hold each item in your hand and see how it moves and curves naturally. That will always be the best way to display it in an arrangement.
What you’ll need:
-
Floral shears (Tip - don’t use your kitchen or craft scissors. These will actually crush the stem of your flowers and they won’t be able to drink the water)
-
Clear tape
-
Flower frog (if you have one)
-
Your favorite vase or bowl filled ¾ to the top with water (Tip - you can also mix in a teaspoon lemon, a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of vodka for a longer lasting arrangement)
-
Foraged branches, greenery and floral from outside or a mixed bouquet from your local bodega
Preparation of your vase or bowl:
To start, you’ll want to set your floral frog into the center of your vessel. Next, wipe off any excess water on the edge of your vase or bowl. This will help the tape stick to it. Once you’ve done that, you can place tape around the edge of your vessel. Then you will use the tape to go across the top of your vessel, making an “X” shape. After that, you’ll tape around the edge again to hold down the ends of the pieces creating the “X” shape. With the flower frog and the “X” shape, you’ll be able to create more movement and shape in your arrangement.
Creating an arrangement:
Greenery and branches are a great way to create the shape of your arrangement. Think about how you saw these out in nature or how you think they would grow together in a garden. As you go to add your first piece, measure the stem next to your vessel so you know how high or low it will be in your arrangement. Once you know how tall you’d like it, clear off any leaves that would fall below the waterline (Tip - when the leaves sit in water, they create bacteria that will make your flowers wilt). Now give the greenery or branch a fresh cut and push the stem into your flower frog. If you aren’t using one, you can simply add the greenery or branches around the vessel using the “X” of tape to prop up your stems. Don’t get discouraged if pieces fall over, as you add more to your vessel, they will stay in the shape you are creating.
​
Add in some flowers, one at a time, by measuring, clearing off the leaves and giving them a fresh cut. Remember that flowers grow at different heights in nature so be sure to cut them at varying lengths to create dimension in your arrangement. Design your flowers as wild as you’d like! Now that you have a beautiful arrangement, place it on your table and share a homemade lunch or take out with a loved one.
Enjoy!