HORNBEAM, NARCISSUS, SLOE
A branchy arrangement in a ceramic urn with poet’s daffodils and snowflakes
APRIL
INGREDIENTS
Prunus spinosa (sloe / blackthorn)
Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam)
Luzula sylvatica (great wood-rush)
Epimedium x warleyense (barrenwort)
Fritillaria persica (Persian lily)
Narcissus 'Actaea' (poet's daffodil)
Leucojum aestivum (snowflake)
VESSEL
Ceramic footed urn
Hana Kubari
NOTES
This is simple but effective recipe that I’ll often use for a large vase arrangement. I choose two types of branch - one blossoming (Prunus spinosa), one leafy (Carpinus), two ‘filler’ foliages (Luzula & Epimedium), a spire flower (Fritillaria), a focal flower (Narcissus) and a gestural flower (Leucojum). For mechanics I make a rudimentary ‘hana kubari’ support by splitting a hornbeam twig to create a simple Y shape. This divides the surface of the vases creating three compartments, providing a structure for the following stems to lean against. This is a lovely, completely natural alternative to using chicken wire but I usually allow a little longer for this technique as the balancing of the initial branches takes time and patience.