Victoria County Master Gardener Association
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk
2019 Dec 20
MAGIC
IN DESIGN:
Use natural materials to make Christmas decor
December 20, 2019
By Charla Borchers Leon - Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Charla Borchers Leon
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLA BORCHERS LEON/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
This holiday hydrangea snowball arrangement set in the display room of Devereux Gardens in Victoria is the final product of the first design efforts. Of note are the holiday colors of green Granny Smith apples and variegated red hypericum and whispy Ting Ting that stand out against the white snowball hydrangea bloom and the green Bells of Ireland greenery that towers above.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLA BORCHERS LEON/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
With more than 30 years' experience in floral design work, John Moraida of Devereux Gardens in Victoria shown here combines simple with elaborate materials from the garden and in nature to create inspirations of magic design not just for the holidays, but year-round. He prefers combining real items from nature into realistic arrangements that embrace the beauty of simple things.
PHOTO COURTESY CHARLA BORCHERS LEON/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
Materials for creating two nontraditional holiday floral designs were determined in advance of a recent work session at Devereux Gardens with designer John Moraida and Victoria County Master Gardener and Devereux South Texas Advisory Council member Charla Borchers Leon. Items included green Granny Smith apples, tulip bulbs removed from pots, curly willow, Bells of Ireland and snips of Christmas tree greenery along with green button mums, red tulips, red berry hypericum and white hydrangea blooms. Both red and silver Ting Ting were used for accent in the arrangements.
Highlighted talent
Native to this area, John Moraida spent almost 35 years in Houston in the design world, working at the renowned Sakowitz department stores in both management and with that family – and designed for them and other families of position and notoriety including the Bush family and friends in their homes.
He had a “Top 20 Who’s Who in Houston” bridal floral design establishment for 18 years before moving back to call Victoria home and grace the interiors, families and themed events the past 13 years.
He continues to bring notoriety to Devereux Gardens’ non-profit retail shop in Victoria.
Moraida is quite the traditionalist that appeals to many of his clients – and to that is added a flare of low-key extravagance to his works with emphasis on the beauty of simple things.
Design materials from nature
- Antlers
- Bird nests
- Cotton balls
- Curly willow
- Dried hydrangeas
- Dried pomegranates
- Driftwood
- Feathers
- Fungus
- Leaves
- Lotus pods
- Moss
- Nuts
- Pine cones
- Rocks
- Sea shells
- Sheet moss
- Sunflower pods
- Twigs
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLA BORCHERS LEON/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
This elegant monochromatic red tulip display is a result of tulip bulbs wired to stems of tulip flowers and placed in curly willow and rocks at the bottom of the vase. Theh blooms were tightly closed at the beginning of the work session and after being placed in water with sunlight on them, they began to open, turning towards the sun. They are shown accented with sprigs of Christmas greenery and silver Ting Ting frill. A centerpiece like this would bring elegance to any dining table for the holidays.
There are all kinds of magic around us this time of year – from lights and decorations to Santa and his helpers with packages galore. The warmth and tidings of Christmas bring families together and home for the holidays, remembering those who have gone before. There are smiles on faces of children and families of those less fortunate through generous community efforts. And the real meaning of Christmas reminds us of the most awesome gift of all.
There is another kind of magic with the creation of exceptional and somewhat nontraditional holiday arrangements from out-of-the ordinary design materials created from extraordinary talent. I recently witnessed just that and have had my own creativity enhanced once again after having had several advanced instructional classes years ago in interior/floral design. Design magic entranced me then and has recently touched me poignantly to aim to find more time to do it.
An afternoon creating design magic
I spent a recent afternoon with an exceptional talent who sets the bar in creating masterful expressions with materials grown in nature. A good friend from many years and with community projects together, John Moraida at Devereux Gardens in Victoria demonstrated to me step by step how his eye and creative vision come together.
He prefers designing with some of the most basic materials in nature with some of the most elaborate and creates magic all around. He and I selected materials in advance of our time together and began the magical session of creating two fresh centerpieces that could spruce up an entranceway or dining room table at the spur of the moment during the next few weeks.
Round snowball bubble bowl
The first was a design in a 7½-inch rose bubble bowl in which 8-10 light green Granny Smith apples were immersed in water in the bottom for imagination and refraction. Stems of white hydrangea blooms were added with the stems cut at angles for the best watering technique and with foliage removed from the stems for their longevity. These looked just like a round snowball in a glass bubble.
- Two nontraditional greens
To this was added several beautiful towering stems of Bells of Ireland greenery that were separated yet set the boundaries in place for the arrangement with openness to see through and across it. Small bunches of green button mum stems, again with foliage removed, were added next. These were placed in odd number threes as is a custom in floral design.
- Solid and variegated red berries
Hypericum with red and bicolor berries was trimmed from its long stems with foliage removed and stems cut at an angle and interspersed in the arrangement while placed to the bottom of the bowl for a good drink. Festive red Ting Ting was added for a zest of wispy, curled color.
What resulted was a simple but extravagant-looking arrangement that would bring magic to most any setting.
Nontraditional tulip display
The other arrangement also began with seasonal cut flowers from the garden. A lovely nontraditional, embellished display of red tulips was designed with flair for the holidays.
- Rocks/willow in vase
Choosing a clear vase that would accent droopy tulip stems, purchased, polished rocks were placed in the bottom of it. Washed, natural gravel rocks would work even better as long as there was none of that “gook” on them, as John described it. Curly willow was encircled and put down in the vase on top of the rocks. This was used like oasis foam or a floral frog to help hold the floral stems in place. Water was added two-thirds full in the container.
- Wired-bulbous tulips
Bulbs were taken from potted tulips; floral wire was inserted into each bulb and attached into stems of the cut tulips adding a more natural look with real bulb elements rather than just cut greenery in the arrangement.
The willow was divided open so as to allow for positioning tulip bulbs down in the willow with blooming bulbs into the vase. Tulip bulbs were submerged into the water as they tend to grow or lengthen in the water, following the sun’s direction with opening blooms.
Curly, wispy Ting Ting in silver was added for texture and color. Slight stems of Christmas tree cuttings were interspersed in the arrangement. The enhanced monochrome flower presentation added a natural elegance to dress up any dining room table.
Thanks for meaningful magic, John
The talent of magical design made me once again cognizant of the beauty of simple things used together to create beautiful displays in Mother Nature’s kingdom.
Thank you, John, for making magic happen through vision and passion in your work with me and at Devereux Gardens in Victoria.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
ph: 361-935-1556
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