W E L C O M E !

It's been raining here in Southern California. A lot.

Which we totally need...but still, I am ready for spring days with sun.

Are you?

Then you've come to the right place!

Because today my Monday Morning Blooms friends and I

are creating a floral arrangement with citrus fruits.

I've combined the juicy colors of oranges, grapefruits, and lemons

with bright colored flowers to get a vibrant, playful look!

Like freshly squeezed lemonade on a warm sunny day,

this bright and cheerful arrangement is a cheerful sensation.

For this arrangement I chose not to add the fruit to the flowers.

Adding citrus fruit to fresh flower arrangements is really beautiful, though.

I'll give you some tips to do that later on.

To design this happy arrangement in an antique Chinoiserie jardiniere,

I first created a grid with special clear floral tape.

And then arranged the flowers in these smaller grids.

It helps the flowers stand up, instead of falling to the sides.

I used white chamomile, tulips the color of sweet blood oranges, ranunculus in lemon and orange colors,

and tiny carnations that are the color of sweet pink lemonade.

The table is set with a blue and white paisley tablecloth

and matching cotton napkins.

On inexpensive rose gold chargers

I layered blue and white Chinoiserie plates

that are part of our FGH Spring Collection launching soon.

I placed the antique blue and white jardiniere on an ironstone platter

in the center of the table.

And added small mandarins and lemons

that are pretty to look at, but also delicious.

An antique French canning jar with a pretty Mirabelle Plum

label holds a taller bouquet of the same flowers.

Little name cards with gilded bees

{yes! also part of the FGH Spring Collection coming soon!}

were placed on each plate with a small mandarin for a pop of color.

Citrus fruits bring a natural bright element to centerpieces.

If you want to add citrus fruits to your vase, whole or sliced, here's what you need to know:

• The acidity of citrus fruit shortens the life of fresh flowers. Use a smaller vase inside a larger vase to keep your flowers and fruit separate. Flowers go in the center vase, fruit slices around it in the larger vase.
• If you just want to add the sliced fruit to your vase, you can! But just be aware that the arrangement won't last as long.
• You can use lemons, grapefruits, limes, oranges and mandarins.
• Other fruit doesn't work as well, apples, pears etc. will brown which is not pretty.

You can see another citrus themed arrangement I made HERE >

Be sure to visit all my Monday Morning Blooms friends!

SHIRLEY

PAM

MARY

And me, LIDY.

I have so many exciting things to share!

I'll be reviewing my friend decorator Eric Ross' new book Enduring Southern Homes and

giving away a copy, announcing our new exclusive kit to help you arrange flowers like a pro,

launching our 2019 French Country Spring Collection, and more!

à bientôt