I have been playing around with using leaves in interesting ways in floral arrangements.
Who Knew?
That is called leaf manipulation!

source

Oh sure….manipulation almost always gets a bad rap….and for good reason most of the time.
But if you read definition 1. below, you discover that manipulation is about skill.

ma·nip·u·la·tion

noun
noun: manipulation; plural noun: manipulation
  1. the action of manipulating something in a skillful manner.

    “the format allows fast picture manipulation”

  2.       the action of manipulating someone in a clever or unscrupulous way.

    “there was no deliberate manipulation of visitors’ emotions”

Here at Sweetwater…..I have been very manipulating Hosta leaves in floral arrangements.

Don’t these rolled leaves make for an interesting base for the flowers?
You really should “try this at home”!

Start with a nice sturdy Hosta leaf with a pretty long stem.

Try to find one with some interesting pattern or color.

Curl the point of the leaf under and wrap floral tape around the tip and the stem.

Ooh…looks like someone  needs a manicure after all the gardening I have been doing!!!

Anyway…now you have manipulated your leaf and can go to it…

If you want to learn more about how to be “manipulating” yourself…..
Check out these resources.

https://www.floraldesigninstitute.com/vase-full-sunshine

And don’t forget that Hosta leaves are a great way to line a glass vase to hide the floral foam.

The leaves in the water take on a lovely shine!

You should try this floral arranging technique….if only so that when someone calls you MANIPULATING…..you can smile and say that you are….and are proud of it!

Have A Great Day!

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