"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden"
Francis Hodgson Burnett

MATERIALS

Much of the technique of 'arranging' flowers without the use of floral foam is to respect the shape and form of each stem being used. Floral foam enabled the display of flowers in often unnatural ways. The Sustainable Church Flowers movement aims to recover a natural and sympathetic approach to floral creation.

Begin by looking at the space and working out what will be required to occupy that space and make an impact.

Never be afraid to think big and, if in doubt, always scale up!

Foliage is your friend. It is readily available throughout the year and, when treated with sensitivity, can be just as effective as a flower-laden display.

An example of an arrangement created using a base of ivy, thyme and bay together with various twigs, accentuated with a selection of carefully chosen tulips, helebores and anemones.

The arrangement is supported in moss, florist's chicken wire and string.

CONTAINERS

Be inventive!

Glass vases, metal urns, baskets (with buckets), jugs, test-tubes and even collections of baked bean tins can all be used in effective ways to display floral creations.

Don't be afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to containers. Sometimes the more out-landish the display, the more people can be made to think and wonder.

Displays can be used to highlight seasons, theology, feast days, contemporary topics and ecological impact.

INVOLVING ALL

Sustainable Church Flowers seeks to be inclusive.

Flowers and plants can be grown by all and this is strongly encouraged. Allotments, plant pots, churchyards, gardens and some public spaces can all be used to grow for church decoration.