Flowers aren’t the only way to bring color, beauty and interest to an indoor arrangement. Imagine how different – and stunning – an all-foliage design can be! Here’s how to create your own:

No Flowers Design - Step 1

No Flowers Design - Step 1

Secure a ½-block of wet floral foam in a watertight container with waterproof floral tape. Allow the tape to come down the side of the bowl about 1 inch. Apply a 1-inch piece of tape perpendicular to the tape on each side of the bowl, so it won’t pop off while you’re designing.
Photo Credit: David Pippin
No Flowers Design - Step 2

No Flowers Design - Step 2

Establish your arrangement’s height, width and depth. This can be done with the same type of foliage I’ve used here, or you can try other kinds. In this particular arrangement, I’ve used Canadian hemlock, Japanese yew and Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’.
Photo Credit: David Pippin
No Flowers Design - Step 3

No Flowers Design - Step 3

Start to fill in the foam with other foliage, staying within your height, width and depth lines. Here, I’ve used heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica ‘Moon Bay’) and lily turf (Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’).
Photo Credit: David Pippin
No Flowers Design - Step 4

No Flowers Design - Step 4

Keep on filling with more foliage! The key to a successful foliage arrangement is to use a variety of foliage types to achieve different colors and textures. Chamaecyparis is a wonderful plant to achieve both characteristics at once! I added Aucuba, too, for some nice glossy-green leaves.
Photo Credit: David Pippin
No Flowers Design - Step 5

No Flowers Design - Step 5

Add even more foliage to the arrangement, like Pittosporum and pine. Some other good foliage that works well in this particular type of arrangement comes from boxwood, ferns and euonymus.
Photo Credit: David Pippin

Be creative and experiment with different foliage from your garden. (Some will work well and others won’t.) As always, check the arrangement daily and add water as needed. Keep your arrangement in a cool location to increase its longevity, and then take in this unique bloom-free beauty!