Last modified 15.3.2011 at 13:22

Relaxation through flower arrangement

Text and photo: Maarit Itkonen

Many of the units of the Oulu University of Applied Sciences are located in the city centre. One exception is the School of Renewable Natural Resources which is in Sanginsuu, some 10 kilometers away from the heart of Oulu. After jumping on to bus 61 and a quick drive later, I found out what is happening at Luova during a normal Thursday study day.

Anne-Mari finishing her dry flower arrangement.

After some time trundling along the route, the bus driver informed me I had arrived at my destination. The school stands idyllically in the middle of the forest and in the yard a tractor rumbles busily. Inside students are putting branches, crockery, decorations and dried flowers on tables.

This seems to be interesting.

- During this course we will become acquainted with the basics of floristry, in other words we will be doing floral and decorative arrangements from living and dried material as well as decorating crockery, landscape design student Anne-Mari Kemppainen explains.

There is a clear glass vase on Anne-Mari’s table as well as a wicker windmill woven from branches, hay and other odds-and-ends.

- In our classes we decorate an object of our choice with dried material. The idea I have is to unwind the birch branches from this old arrangement. Then with the help of wire I will bind them together and wrap them around the vase. In addition, I will fill the vase with hay and colored paper string, and finish it off with dry flowers.

Anne-Mari busies herself and starts taking apart the old arrangement with pliers. The task is challenging since a lot of wire has been used in the creation of the arrangement and the old branches have a tendency of snapping. It is a nerve-wracking experience.

- This is not frustrating, it is actually more therapeutic, since I get to use my hands all day. More likely I will get frustrated with computers, and that’s when we go off for tea, says Anne-Mari with a laugh.

The branches have been unwound and we can move on to the second stage, which is filling the vase. Anne-Mari takes a knife and starts sectioning a chunk of something green.

- This is Oasis sponge, which when dry can be used for the base of flower arrangement, and when wet with fresh flowers. Now that it’s dry, it’s easy to cut it into the right shape and size, like right now, to get it in the bottom of the vase. So when the bouquet is finished the stems of the dry flowers are stuck into the sponge.

In other words, not any kind of bath sponge will do.

- The Oasis sponge is the best for making flower arrangements. It sucks up a lot of water, but does not bloat, so the flowers stay fresh for even a week. When it is dry it is porous and dry flowers stand in it perfectly.

When the sponge is cut to the right size, it is hidden under hay and paper strings and sunk to the bottom of the vase. Then Anne-Mari wraps the ready bound branches around the vase and finally it is decorated with dried flowers. But how does Anne-Mari know when the arrangement is finished?

- It often happens that the work leads me, and not me leading the work. At the beginning I always have some kind of vision of the end result, but often the subject changes impossibly or simplifies to minimalism. At the end you just have to make a decision if it’s finished, Anne explains grinning.

Today’s lessons signposts the way of plans for a future horticulturalist.

- In my perfect job I would like to specialize in green building. I would definitely want to do more with my hands than just plan, Anne-Mari emphasizes

Picture gallery - Flower arrangements made by students of the School of Renewable Natural Resources