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A Bit O’Green Floral Display for St. Patty’s Day

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David Pippin

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Bit of Green Arrangement Close Up
Photo Credit: David Pippin
Shamrocks aren’t the only plants that help celebrate St. Patty’s Day!

Want to show some Gaelic pride this St. Patrick’s Day beyond wearing the green and eating corned beef? Put your potatoes and green flowers on display! Here’s how to turn some fresh foliage and vegetables from your garden (or local grocer) into a creative arrangement that won’t have you spending too much money from that pot of gold.

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Step 1
Photo Credit: David Pippin
Step 1

Step 1: Select a cylindrical vase for your arrangement base. I’ve chosen one that’s 10 inches tall and filled it with some small white potatoes. You’ll also need a clear, watertight design bowl that’s approximately 6 inches in diameter and some floral foam.

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Step 2
Photo Credit: David Pippin
Step 2

Step 2: Adhere the design bowl to the top of your cylindrical vase with floral clay. Once that’s set, insert several thin sticks of curly willow (Salix matsudana ‘Golden Curls’). Note: All your stems should appear to radiate from a center point in the floral foam.

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Step 3
Photo Credit: David Pippin
Step 3

Step 3: Add three stems of bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis), keeping in mind that these stems tend to have a “mind of their own” and curl or turn in the direction you don’t necessarily want them to go. (It’s Murphy’s Law: When I’m looking for some with twists and turns, they’re perfectly straight, and when I’m looking for some that are straight, I find curved!) The stems curve because bells of Ireland are negatively geotropic, meaning they turn against gravity. But here’s a trick that should help: If you find bells that curve downward, insert them vertically – they should straighten out within 24 hours.

Tips
  • The key in making this display is to have weight in the vase so it doesn’t topple over once the arrangement is complete. But you don’t have to use small potatoes – for variation, try dried green peas or Brussels sprouts.
  • Other foliage that would work well in this arrangement are boxwood, yucca and aucuba. Be creative and grab some fresh green foliage from your own garden!
 
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