Flora-piñana: Filipino flowers for the holidays

MANILA, Philippines - Flowers are always a beautiful accent to any home, especially during the holidays. They bring a warm and inviting feel that makes the holidays extra special.

 This holiday season, go all out with a unique floral arrangement with a Filipino touch — perfect for a centerpiece or simply set in any living area — without breaking the bank.

One of the basics of floral arrangement is choosing the perfect container and keeping in mind the look that you want to achieve. Explore different shapes, heights, materials and sizes. You don’t even have to buy them; everyday items such as water pitchers, chests, cups, mugs, jewelry boxes and crates, just to name a few, work well for arrangements.

You will need a good pair of scissors and a sharp knife for your cutting needs. Keep plastic bags, barbecue sticks, wires and tape handy for mishaps and uncooperative flowers and foliage. Also, make sure you have enough floral foam to fit snugly in your container — you wouldn’t want your arrangement wobbling or tipping over.

Next would be picking the right flowers and foliage. Again, keeping in mind the look you want to achieve, choose flowers according to color, size and form. The same goes for your foliage.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and use more than one flower and type of foliage in an arrangement. When cutting your fresh elements, cut at a slanting plane to enable them to absorb more water, and to make your arrangement lasts longer. You can also incorporate fruits, vegetables and other accents such as raffia, abaca sheets, wood slabs and balls, and figurines.

All elements, foliage and flowers are readily available from Manila’s flower central, Dangwa, so having an elaborate holiday arrangement need not burn a hole in your pocket.

 Here are simple steps to make a beautiful flower arrangement:

1. Prepare your container and foam. For this arrangement, a long wooden crate and an abaca sheet were used. If your container is not waterproof, use plastic bags to wrap the foam, but be sure to tuck the plastic bag in the sides to keep the foam in place.

2. Form the base foliage. Visualize your arrangement and set different foliage in different parts. Be sure not to crowd your foliage since more elements will come in, but keep the density uniform.

3. Start with the accents and hard elements. This arrangement features small pineapples and raffia, adding a Filipino accent to the arrangement. Pick accents that will go with your chosen theme and occasion.

4. Arrange your flowers and other more delicate essentials. Hydrangeas and different wild berries soften this arrangement, scattered around the composition but still keeping a pattern or order to it. This keeps it from looking too stiff and adds a more natural look to the arrangement. You can also take out foliage if it gets too dense to make room, and if you think it might damage the flowers.

5. Add the finishing touches. Your arrangement might need a few more foliage or a little more accent pieces — check by taking a couple of steps away from the arrangement and looking at it from different angles. Always remember to hide the unsightly floral foam.

* * *

Benjo Pacson is a member of PSID Advanced Class 2009 and is part of one of the 17 groups exhibiting stylish interiors in “Kontempo-Pilipino.” Their graduation exhibit “Kontempo-Pilipino, Contemporary Interiors: Indigenous Roots” runs until Oct. 31 at the Athena Building, Eastwood City, Quezon City.

Mounted in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Eastwood City, ‘’Kontempo-Pilipino’’ celebrates PSID’s 42nd anniversary with an exhibit where PSID students take inspiration from the culture, crafts, colors, and character of the Ibaloi, Ivatan, Ifugao, Kalinga, Ati-Atihan, Mangyan, Batak, Tagbanua, Palaw’an, Sulod, Tausug, Yakan, Jama Mapun, T’Boli, Maranao, Manobo and Sama Dilaut tribes and translate these elements into masterfully designed interiors.