My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Longer lasting Gladiolus Composite Flower

The secret to this composite flower is how you cut the flower from the spiked stem. By leaving the stem intact, each of the individual flowers will continue to draw up water without wilting or spoiling. This composite flower will last as long as the stems would arranged in the usual way.

Be very gentle. Gladiolus flowers bruise easily

Pull the husk from the flower on the spike

Pull the husk from the flower on the spike

Snip the flower from the spike.

Snip the flower from the spike.

Peel away the rest of the green husks.

Peel away the rest of the green husks.

Spiral petals.

Have a good look at the gladiolus petals. They are already in a spiral formation making it easy to split and unfurl. You want to split the flower where my little finger is pointing

Gently lift the petal and split it down to the green stem.

Gently lift the petal and split it down to the green stem.

As soon as the petal is split open it firls out easily

As soon as the petal is split open it furls out easily...

Creating a beautiful flat flower to wrap.

Creating a beautiful flat flower to wrap into a composite flower.

Fit a closed bud between the split flower petals and gently wrap

Fit a closed bud between the split flower petals and gently wrap

Split another flower open and wrap that around the bud

Split another flower open and wrap that around the bud

Make sure all the green stems are at the same height

Make sure all the green stems are at the same height so that they will all be in water when you place the flower in a vase

Continue to build up the flower by adding more split flowers

Continue to add more split flowers to build up a lush composite flower

Composite flower.

Have a look from the front and add split flowers where needed

Carefully place the flowers in a vase.

Carefully place the flowers in a vase...

Making sure all the stems touch to bottom of the vase

... making sure all the stems touch to bottom of the vase and none of the petals are trapped below the water line

Carefully add water. See the Tutorial below for more information on adding water so that you do not bruise the delicate petals or disturb design details

Open gladiolus bud

Design note: The closed bud in the middle of the flower opened up and fanned out after a few days

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Tutorials

22 May 2012 Filling a vase with water without disturbing the design details

Break the water flow when you fill a vase with details in that can move with the stream of water

6 September 2011 Autumn leaf Composite Flower

Glue a round Autumn leaf Composite Flower.

11 November 2012 Autumn Leaf Rosette

Great way to use all the autumn leaves you collect on walks during the season. Slowly build up the leaf rosette and let the leaves dry before adding a few more.

6 September 2011 Autumn leaf Roses

I used to make baskets full of these when I was a little girl. We had a big Acasia thorn tree and I used to spear my “roses” onto the tree pretending I was the fairy responsible...

Related Designs

11 September 2013 Making it last

Split and spiral a few gladiolus flowers in a way that the stems remain intact, to spiral in a water filled filled vase for a long lasting composite flower

30 January 2019 Around Here

Wind lily leaves to spiral around in a water filled container.

19 May 2021 In the little gap

Use the petals of your flower to cleverly keep all the other floral details of your design firmly in place.

16 November 2022 All your Christmases…

A little bit of effort... that will last for weeks design to roll us in to the Festive Season.

21 February 2024 I'll Go First

My Spring/Easter design and the introduction article about my floral journey written by the editor, Nina Tucknott in the latest issue of Flora Magazine.

15 February 2012 Blue Harlequin

A small hand held design as an alternative to a corsage.