https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/modern-victorian-posy • Posted by Aurum Press
the vIctorIan posy was first popular in the mid nineteenth century, often backed with lace. Traditionally, concentric circles of pink, blue and lilac flowers would have been wired into a neat round posy. The circles represent eternity and suggest everlasting love. I like to make my Victorian posies without any wires and I have to say spring is my preferred season to make them, with muscari and ranunculus being two of my favoured flower varieties for this design.
the vIctorIan posy was first popular in the mid nineteenth century, often backed with lace. Traditionally, concentric circles of pink, blue and lilac flowers would have been wired into a neat round posy. The circles represent eternity and suggest everlasting love. I like to make my Victorian posies without any wires and I have to say spring is my preferred season to make them, with muscari and ranunculus being two of my favoured flower varieties for this design.
First clean all the plant material really well so there are no thorns on the roses and no lower foliage on the flowers. Look for the straightest rose and then place in your left hand, holding your hand about 2.5cm (1 inch) below the rose sepals.
Next take the ranunculus and place the heads around the single rose, but just a little lower to make a small dome. If you are attempting this for the first time you might want to tie at this stage.
Take the muscari in bunches of seven stems and add to the posy below the ranunculus at about a 30° angle as shown. Work round the ranunculus until you have a gorgeous thick circle of muscari. Tie again to hold in place.
Now you are ready to add the last circle of flowers, placing the roses, again at an angle, a little lower than the muscari. Their round shape helps to give a pronounced dome to the arrangement and also makes it look more symmetrical. Tie again under the roses.
Instead of a lace edge I like to make a decorative effect with leaves, and the long variegated blades of lily grass make a lovely swirly effect when twisted and looped around the bunch. Then tie to keep them all in place.
Finally add a collar of galax leaves, taking three or so together and moving round the bunch creating a ruffled edge of leaves. The galax leaves make a good return end as they fall back over the binding point. Tie again with bind wire.
Cut the stems so they are slightly longer than the width of your hand. Tie the ribbon around the binding point.