Striking bouquets that reflect the harvest are perfect dressups for holiday tables. The display pictured here, designed by Christine Nakatani of Briar Rose Flower Atelier in San Francisco, combines roses with persimmons, olive branches, and foliage gathered from the garden.
Nakatani grew up playing in her grandparents’ nursery, where she learned to appreciate plant materials in their various stages of life. Bare branches, flowering limbs, and developing fruit appear regularly in her arrangements; she calls their look “urban eclectic.” Incorporating edibles into an arrangement, says Nakatani, invites people in for a closer look.
The materials she used are available in many parts of the West this month. But if you can’t find any of them, substitute with plants and fruits you can find easily in your region.
“There’s no one way to create something,” says Nakatani. The most important thing is to use materials that mean something to you and inspire positive feelings. “Own it — it’s personal art.”
Creating a fall centerpiece 1. Black bamboo (four 20-inch lengths and four 13-inch lengths); or substitute twigs
2. Raffia, twine, or covered floral wire
3. One 5-inch square waterproof container
4. Six 3-inch-long wired floral picks (available at a floral supply store)
5. Three firm ‘Fuyu’ persimmons
6. Three to four 7-to 8-inch-long olive branch cuttings
7. One dozen ivory roses or mums
8. Decorative moss
9.Scissors or clippers
Note: If using a different size container, you’ll need to adjust the size of the trellis. As a general guideline, make the longer bamboo pieces four times the length of one of the container’s sides; the shorter pieces should be two and a half times the side’s length.Step 1: Build the small square trellis. Lay the two pairs of 20-inch bamboo pieces about 4½ inches apart. Set a pair of 13-inch bamboo pieces perpendicular to the long ones at their midpoint; tie together with raffia, twine, or covered floral wire.
Place the remaining short pair halfway between the first pair and the end of the long ones; secure with twine.
Prop the trellis on the container as shown. Fill container with water to ½ inch below the rim.
Step 2: Insert two floral picks halfway into the bottom of each persimmon with the wired end protruding.
Set one persimmon on each of the trellis’ lower intersections; tie wire around the bamboo and back over the picks for stability.
Arrange the third persimmon to hang over one edge by securing the wire to a trellis arm.
Step 3: Tuck olive branches into the corners of the trellis so that foliage is evenly spaced. Then place six roses around the container and trellis edges, working your way toward the center. Cluster the remaining six roses in the center to make a full mound, adjusting all materials as necessary. Obscure trellis ties with moss.The arrangement should last one to two weeks, and you can replace the various elements as they fade.
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