Overview
Spring has sprung, and this floral arrangement celebrates the bright colors and new growth of the season. Sunny flowers sit in a "basket," which is actually a glass vase lined with asparagus and topped with a curly willow handle. Whether you make it for an outdoor brunch, Easter dinner or family barbecue, everyone will see that spring has sprung!
What You'll Need
This arrangement is very easy to make. You will need a glass cylindrical vase, asparagus spears, flowers of your choice, curly willow, rubber bands, floral tape, and raffia ribbon. Except for the asparagus and flowers, you will find these materials in the floral supply section of your local crafts store.
Preparing the Vase
The foundation for your asparagus basket is a glass vase. It should be between four to eight inches in diameter, and not more than the height of a typical asparagus spear, i.e. about seven inches. Place two rubber bands around the middle of the glass vase, and you're ready for the asparagus.
Line Up the Asparagus
Trim the asparagus spears so they are just taller than the height of the vase. Then line them up around the vase, placing them between the vase and the rubber bands to hold them steady. For my seven-inch vase, I used about 45 asparagus spears. Then fill the vase with some water.
Arrange the Flowers in the Vase
For this spring arrangement, I chose a yellow palette of sunflowers and lilies, accented with some soft pink roses. Cut your flowers so they are just slightly taller than the asparagus, with no extra stem showing. This way, it looks like the asparagus spears are the stems of the flowers.
Bend the Curly Willow
If you do not have access to fresh curly willow, you can buy artificial curly willow at the crafts store, which is what I did. Take two to three strands of curly willow and bend them together into the shape of an arch, winding the strands around each other to connect them. This will be the basket handle.
Position the Curly Willow in the Arrangement
Place the ends of the curly willow on opposite sides of the arrangement to create the basket handle. Use the flowers already in the vase to help prop up the willow; the stems act as supports. If the handle is still wobbly, secure it to the glass vase with some floral tape. Floral tape is stronger than regular tape and it is waterproof.
Hide the Rubber Bands
The rubber bands holding the asparagus spears in place are not very attractive, and they take away from the illusion of the asparagus forming a basket. Cover the rubber bands with several strands of raffia ribbon, and your arrangement is finished to perfection.
A Seasonal Favorite
Using the asparagus to form the arrangement's "basket" is a great way to celebrate the fresh growth of spring. The technique is so easy, consider lining your vase with other vegetables like string beans, kale or carrots. You may never look at the spring farmer's market the same way again.
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