Trish O'Sullivan
Trish’s flower styling can be found throughout New York City and beyond, in settings such as: The W Hotel, UN Plaza, The Mark, Trump International and Millennium Hotels, as well as the famed Architects and Designers Building in New York City. Trish also makes a mark teaching floral design at The New York Botanical Garden, so even if you don’t have a naturally green thumb, you can still learn how to re-create her ‘Natural Luxe, Garden Inspired’ designs for yourself, incorporating unexpected materials like berries, vegetables, succulents, and branches. Her top tips for creating fantastic silk floral arrangements yourself: “Only buy the most realistic silk floral materials and always place an element of surprise in your design, like an artichoke or echeveria. The best presentation for a Boho-Chic arrangement is in a vintage inspired pedestal container. A mercury glass pedestal vase is the perfect fit for a naturally romantic look.
Start with our Mercury Glass Pedestal Vase
Get going and see how you can create your own Boho-Chic Silk Flower Arrangement. “My favorite design moment is always when I see the floral designs my students have created… they are awesome! Even beginners can try this one.”
Silk flowers and tools to make the arrangement
TO MAKE THIS YOU WILL NEED: 1 Silver Mercury Glass Pedestal Vase 1 block floral foam 2 large dahlia 2 large artichokes 5 Dusty Miller stems 2 olive leaf stems 3 peony stems with buds 4 poppy stems 4 mini Echeveria 3 rose stems with buds 2 thin branches Spanish moss 1 tube of Oasis Floral Adhesive or hot glue gun 1 floral knife 1 wire cutter
Student stations ready for them to start their boho-chic arrangements
SILK BOHO-CHIC FLORAL ARRANGEMENT HOW-TO: 1. Cut floral foam to fit the pedestal vase, leaving 2 inches of floral foam above rim. Spread adhesive evenly on bottom of floral foam and place securely in the vase. Let dry for 5 minutes. 2. Start by cutting the dahlia stem and applying adhesive to tip of stem. (Follow this cut/apply adhesive routine to each flower stem as you continue to build the arrangement.) 3. Next, insert dahlias off-center to the left both at front and back of the vase, making sure the petals are touching the lip of the vase. Follow dahlias by placing artichokes above and to the right of Dahlias at front and back of container. Follow with insertions at bottom right corner of the vase of a peony bud and one stem of Dusty Miller, making sure they fall below the rim of the vase. Moving to the top left corner of the arrangement, insert rose bud, olive leaves, and poppies. You now have the base for Trish’s boho-chic arrangement.
The boho-chic arrangement in progress
4. Fill in the remaining space with peonies, roses, flower buds, poppies, Echeverias, Dusty Miller and olive leaves. Insert a piece of the thin branch in both lower right and upper left of the design for a natural look. 5. Finish off the arrangement with loose Spanish Moss to cover any visible floral foam. Let this silk floral design set for 1 hour and you’re ready to go!
The finished boho-chic arrangement
Need more? You can reach Trish O’Sullivan, sign up for her floral classes, and leave comments and questions for her on her blog at www.flowermarket28ny.com. Her next classes, hosted at The New York Botanical Garden, are Fresh Boho-Chic Arrangements and Designing with Fresh Succulents. Follow Trish on instagram: @flowermarket28ny
Another view of the finished boho-chic arrangement