Hand-tied Rose Bouquet

Gather, arrange bouquet by hand

 

Hand-tied bouquet.

By Carolyn Parker

THE MEMORY of an awkward experience arranging roses sometimes pops into my head while I'm in the process of making an arrangement. It was one of my first rose-arranging adventures, and always fuels my wish to impart how rose arranging really can be easy, fun, and very rewarding.
As I remember, an interior decorator called me and asked if I'd fill two of her client's containers with roses as a finishing touch to her design project. My mistake was in saying yes without discussing the containers she had in mind.
She brought me a shallow, clear glass bowl that had about an 8-inch diameter and a short crystal vase with a wide neck. The roses wouldn't stay put in either container, and both the water and the roses sloshed out of the bowl when we tried to transport it!
If faced with the same scenario today, I'd provide just a few roses for the bowl and suggest that she float them in place. The bowl was graceful filled with water and really didn't require many blooms. For the short vase, I would have made a hand-gathered bouquet -- one of the quickest and easiest ways to arrange roses.
Three weeks ago, I had the ultimate hand-gathering experience. I was a guest in the Willits rose garden of Pamela and Michael Temple. The Temples have carved a hillside into an enchanting realm of pathways, retaining walls and structures that support more than a thousand glorious roses. Ramblers, climbers, teas, hybrid teas and antique roses of every kind and color interweave, bubble, cascade, and spill in a celebration of beauty unique in the world. For two days, I had the privilege of photographing the Temples' paradise.

Choose the right vase

Just before a dinner party on the second evening, Pamela asked me to make arrangements for the table. I was thrilled and began to look for two suitable containers. Most of her vases were too tall for a dining table, so I searched for alternatives. Pamela loves frogs and has them in all forms. I spotted a frog teapot and a frog pitcher that would be charming on the table and a snap to arrange roses in.

Gather your roses

I filled both frogs with water, grabbed my clippers and went out into the fading light of dusk. With the frogs waiting on the deck, I plunged into the garden with the height of the pitcher in mind. I cut one rose stem the appropriate length and placed it in my hand. Then I raced around the garden, up and down the steps, from one gorgeous rosebush to another, stuffing my hand with rose stems until I could hold no more. As I went, I'd remove unwanted leaves and thorns. My frothy handful filled the pitcher with ease, and required no arranging.

Tie the stems to keep them in the vase

The teapot needed shorter stems and something to tie them together, since its shallow depth and wide neck would force the roses to pop out. Again, I went into the bounty of roses and filled my hand to overflowing. Rather than bother Pamela for string, I searched the garden for a tie. Lank daffodil leaves looked like a possibility. I tried tying one around the stems and it worked -- another frog sported a pouf of blissful roses. In less than a half-hour, the rose-laden table entertained guests. Throughout the evening, we oohed and aahed, touched, smelled, and turned the bouquets for views of each rose.
A thousand roses to choose from is definitely over-the-top; however, you can hand-gather a bouquet from only one or two rosebushes. Cylinders, like the frog pitcher, are the easiest vase shape to work with. Keep in mind how deep your container is so you can cut your stems accordingly. And you can easily recut them if they're too long. Try adding other summer flowers if you have them. Be generous and experiment!

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