CENTER PIECES 101

Entertaining? Lots of people coming over? Forgot to think about a centerpiece? What to do...

We needed some quick center pieces for a brunch last week, so it was called improvisation! I had some geraniums that were waiting to be planted in the yard that just happened to be the right color, but what to put them in....

I needed something large enough to make an impact but not so large that it would block the view across the table. I also wanted something that looked like I had put a lot of thought into it. I needed things and stuff to make this work so I went to the storage room to see what might I might find...

The secret to putting together a great arrangement is easy. It is simply repetition in odd numbers! You want to find a unifying theme-- in this situation it was white ceramic. I always look for interesting containers in the clearance section when I am shopping, or at tag and garage sales and at thrift stores. There is no need to spend a lot, just look for things you like. After a while you will have accumulated enough to make an impact. Different sizes, heights and shapes create visual interest but the color ties it all together. For a more formal feel you could use several matching containers, just remember to keep the numbers odd. I happened to have the geraniums, but the garden centers are full of beautiful, inexpensive options for plants. You could use begonias, petunias, salvia, gerber daisies. You could even use combination's of green on green like hosta or fern or small grasses. Just choose a theme and a color scheme and go for it.

Need a centerpiece? Just grab some things and some stuff and 'moosh' it all together! It really is not hard, it just takes some practice. I will keep giving advice and showing examples. Let me know if you have questions. MD