Flower Arranging Workshop

IWAM Creatives Interest Group

It all started over a cup of coffee and a chat with some of the IWAM Creatives members in early December. We were talking about traditions, old and new. As it always happens; one thing leads to another, and so when I heard Karine expressing the desire to learn to make a flower arrangement, it struck a chord with me.

I contacted Anna from “Fiori di Anna”, a small flower shop in Bologna and she loved the idea of teaching us how to create a flower arrangement for a special occasion. Since Easter and the start of spring was the next festive moment, we planned for that.

Flower Arranging Workshop

Our course took place at Casa Vallona; a small village made up of manor houses, stables, barns, a dovecote tower and an inn. The owner’s family have lived there for the last 200 years. Casa Vallona is now an Agriturismo and a B&B located in Monte San Pietro, between Modena and Bologna.

• 

  Casa Vallona, Monte San Pietro front entrance and garden

• 

  Back view

• 

  Panoramic view from the back

When we arrived there, Anna had already prepared everything for our lesson. For the next hour, we all experimented with different ways we could arrange freesias, buttercups, snapdragons, carnations, eucalyptus and olive branches.The fact that each one of us put together something completely different; even though we all used the same materials, amazed me the most. After we finished the workshop, Chiara from Casa Vallona offered us home made cookies and cakes made especially for us.

Now, as I’m looking at my flower composition, (that looks and smells great, by the way) I’m thinking about the perfect Saturday afternoon I spent with my IWAM friends and looking forward to the next adventure together.

Kelly’s Personal Reflection

So spring is springing to life, and with the weather not quite making up it’s mind, we try to embrace the sunshine when we can! The first weekend of April, a few members of the Creatives group spent time together, bonding and being creative in the hills of Bologna in Monte San Pietro. Although we were a small group, the advantage was that we went there together and chat in the car so we were able to bond. The place was gorgeous but the journey was rather uncomfortable for me… I’m glad I wasn’t driving on those tiny and steep , winding roads!

I must say that the flower arranging process wasn’t very comforting for me from the start. Using only open chicken wire for the structure, I didn’t like being so out of control about where the leaves were placed and how they stood up (or NOT as was the case!). Once the other flowers were added, the structure became more stable of course, but cutting flowers too short was a constant worry!

• 

  First the leaves added around the edge

• 

  Then the flowers added from the centre outwards

As you will see, we were all able to produce something rather pleasing in terms of form and colour combination. I actually thought the overall structure of my own arrangement reminded me of a peacock by the end. Very much a front-on view was needed as the balance of sizes made the back high and the front low. I’m proud of my achievement but I won’t be rushing to do it again! However, I cannot wait for our next creative workshop… I wonder what we will organise next?

Read more and discover the IWA Modena, its members and its partners...