Hello Tropical Butterflies~
On Saturday 21st we had the opportunity to attend a Tropical Flower Workshop hosted by the wonderful Libby and Wendy over at Bamboo and Lotus! Karon and I had so much fun and learned new techniques to use in our very own store.When we arrived our lovely hosts gave us a personal tour of their gorgeous little shop and offered us a nice cup of tea. The store itself was very appealing. Terrariums hung from the ceiling and shelves lined the walls, all adorned with floral decorations.
The rain made for a peaceful afternoon, giving a much deserved break from the summer heat. Once settled, our small group of 7 ladies sat outside on the decking and we began our session. Each person was given a vase of flowers to use and a white box containing a fishbowl vase. Bamboo and Lotus make such a special effort with their workshops, going so far as to even decorate the box with ribbon and a beautiful Cymbidium Orchid.
Libby demonstrated how to line the fishbowl with tropical leaves before creating a bamboo grid.
The grid was placed atop the vase as a way to support the flowers and add visual interest. Using Lotus Pods, Water Lilies, Anthurium and Raffia Leaves, we created our own designs and had a ton of fun.
It was very interesting to see that the stem of the Lotus Pod reflected the same pattern shown on the pod itself.
Libby encouraged all the ladies to exhibit their natural creativity. It was wonderful to have a way of expressing ourselves using flowers as a medium. All the ladies produced such unique yet beautiful work and no two arrangements were alike.
Once the fishbowl arrangements were complete, Libby demonstrated how to create organic tropical arrangements using coconut and pineapple husks. We loved these ideas and had a great giggle when Libby repeatedly threw a stubborn coconut on the ground to split it. This coconut was given to us to recreate the beautiful arrangements in our Toowoomba florist store!
After all our hard work, we were rewarded with delicious Lime & Mango Sorbet!
Definitely a nice treat in the Summer.
Karon then made a stunning arrangement in a bamboo boat and by then, the lovely afternoon was coming to a close.
We had immense fun at the Bamboo and Lotus Workshop and are keen to attend another! Thank you so much to Libby and Wendy for hosting such a nice event, and a special thank you to all the lovely friends we made.
Until our next adventure~
Westridge Florist Toowoomba
Author: Jessica Schoultz
