812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 6, 1993 Floral Design With Herbs And Everlastings Appeal To Growers LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) During the Pennsylvania Veget able Conference held in Hershey recently, Keppy Amoldsen told growers how to use herbs and ever lastings in floral arrangements. “My favorite way to use herbs is to add them to fresh cut flowers,” she said. “They add wonderful aro mas and create interest that really enhances floral design.” Foliage from herbs varies in shades of green, gray .yellow, and The audience examines wreaths made with herbs and flowers during the Penns; vanla Vegetables Conference and Trade Show. burgundy and in an assortment of texture and shapes. Herbs add unique touches to arrangements because the leaves can be feathery of leathery; soft or glossy. Amoldsen, who is works in the horticulture department at Penn State University and previously operated an interiorscaping busi ness in Southern California, dis played several wreaths. She often inserts fresh herbs into wreaths and, lets them dry after the wreath is finished. “It will look a bit wilted for awhile, but it gives off a wonderful aroma and in a few weeks it is completely dried,” she said. Slides of wreaths, garlands, nosegays, and floral arrangements showed how simple or how com plex the finished design may be. One wreath simply used potatoes. Amoldsen arranged a wreath by using a base of foam covered with moss as the audience watched. Other bases can be used such as grape vine rings, metal frames, cardboard or foam forms. The base should be completely covered with Keppy Arnoldsen of Penn State University jmonstrates floral design with fresh herbs and everlastings. dried materials such as Spanish or sphagnum moss. In the wreath that Amoldsen made, she used a variety of herbs such as thyme, lavender, stalice, caspia, rosemary, winged everlast ing, Cleveland sage, and others. The dried materials may be attached to the base either with a hot glue gun or wired. Participants at the conference were given a list of herbs that are good for drying and for fragrance in potpourris For readers interested in know ing more about using herbs and everlastings in floral design, Amoldsen suggested the follow ing books, which can be purchased at bookstores or borrowed from libraries: “Flower Decoration” published by Gallery Books; “Wreath Book” by Rob Pulleyn; “Heirloom Herbs” published by Villiard Books; and “Herbs: A Practical Guide.”
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