Gardening club offers workshop on abstract floral design

Surrounded by beautiful blossoms in the gardens of the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, the Garden Club of Niagara held a workshop on abstract floral design, hosted by Ursula Eley who entered her first design in a show 25 years ago, and has done many since.

She has taught and demonstrated the various forms of floral design at many classes, and is an accredited judge of horticulture and floral design, locally and internationally.

By dictionary definition, abstract floral design is the use of natural and or man-made materials solely as pure elements of line, form, colour and texture, used in an eye-catching and balanced composition or display. After teaching a class in the morning, for the club’s afternoon regular meeting Eley demonstrated how to make five centrepieces.

"Less is more, you need fewer materials for an abstract floral design,” she explained.

Some man-made materials Eley used included willow sticks, pieces of cane furniture, covered test tubes, a painted red artist stand, skewers, painted ping pong balls, painted styrofoam balls and boards. She adhered the objects with glue, glue dots, hemp twine, wire, and tape. Acrylic craft paint gave strength and shine to some of the leaves. She has even used orthodontic wire and tools in some designs, she said.

Natural materials included scabiosa, gingko leaves, calla lilies, anthuriums, and various different kinds of leaves.

Garden Club member Jacquie MacInnes remarked about the morning workshop, "Our challenge was to create a floral design that was abstract. Our teacher (Eley) taught us to learn to play with materials, to bring in colour to make a bold, dynamic, interesting and contemporary piece."

Garden Club meetings are held the fourth Monday of the month at 1 p.m., usually at the Horticultural School. Meetings are not held in June, July, August and December.

Come out to a meeting, learn different gardening techniques, and enjoy the beauty of the Botanical Gardens.