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.”