Silk Flowers + Natural Birch Branches = "Faux-Real" Flowering Branches

Flowering Branches such as Quince or Cherry look spectacular but are perishable and are only available for a short period during the spring. Artificial branches tend to either look, well, artificial, or are very expensive.

How about combining real branches such as Natural Birch Branches, with some inexpensive silk flowers? I picked up some really cheap generic silk flowers over in the Floral District, which cost $4.50 a bundle, after checking out some more expensive options such as Cymbidium Orchids, which cost $36/stem. As you can see, these silk flowers weren't anything spectacular:

Then I got out the glue gun and scissors, grabbed some Natural Birch Branches and went to work.

And after a few minutes of gluing...  

... a pretty spectacular "faux-real" flowering branch. What makes this work so well despite using relatively cheap flowers is the fact that only a small portion of the branch is faux, while the vast majority of it is real. Now the math: One Natural Birch Branch at $.56/stem ($14.50 per bundle / 25 stems per bundle) + a few silk flowers adding up to $.25 or so + miscellaneous expenses = about $1.00. Not too bad! 

   

Here we combined some of the branches with Fountain Grass for a nice, airy display evocative of spring or summer:

Hanging Floral Tubes

Here are some pictures of hanging floral tubes with flowers and adorned with ribbon, hanging from the card tree we made for an earlier post. 

While poking around Jamali Garden the other day, I came across some clear floral tubes that looked a lot like test tubes. That reminded me of a picture a customer sent us a while back showing what looked like test tubes with flowers in them hanging from some branches. I grabbed a package of the floral tubes ($10 for 100 tubes and caps) and got to work. It turned out that it was exceptionally quick and easy to attach a wire to the cap to get them to hang.

Here are the tools and supplies, which consist of nothing more than some fine wire, the floral tubes and caps, and my Leatherman to cut the wire:

What you want to do is cut a length of wire, and push both ends down through the top of the cap near the opposite edges. Then wrap the wire back up and around itself. You could also use string, but then you'd have to use a needle or something to thread it through the cap. The wire was stiff enough so you could simply poke it through the cap. Here's a picture of the finished cap: 

Once you have your cap all wired up, simply snap it onto the floral tube. While the wire may keep it from as being as secure as it otherwise would be, we didn't encounter any problems with the cap separating from the floral tube (of course if you use much thicker wire, you might have some problems). 

Floral Foam

Floral foam is a great material to use to position items in containers that are low and wide (such as a decorative window box or pot), or containers that just have a lot more space than you have branches or grasses. What's shown above is Oasis Rainbow Foam from Jamali Garden, which is quite a bit denser and sturdier than the typical green kind. If you just use river stones or other filler, the branches will have a tendency to shift around and possibly fall over. In contrast, floral foam will lock the items in place for a secure display.

Not everything will work with floral foam though - you'll need something relatively thin (under a quarter inch - this rules out Mitsumata and Manzanita), and stiff (Dune Grass won't work, but Magdalena Ting and Fountain Grass will).  To cut the floral foam to fit your container, just use a butter knife, or even a thin wire or string. Floral foam isn't too attractive, so you probably won't want to skip the pretty filler altogether. What you should do is place the floral foam in your container, pour the filler over the top until you can't see the foam, and then start inserting the material (we've tried applying the filler after we inserted the branches, and it was a real pain). If you are using a transparent container such as acrylic or glass, leave space between the floral foam and the sides, and pour the filler into the space in between and over the top.

Mitsumata and Hanging Votives

While Mitsumata is not as strong as that popular standby for hanging anything - Manzanita - it still is a fantastic choice for hanging votives and other relatively heavy objects. In addition to its unique form, the white branches really light up in the dim candlelight, producing a luminous and dramatic display. Adding to its appeal is the fact that at 3-4 feet it can still be shipped via UPS, allowing you to create centerpieces as impressive as those made with Manzanita of a similar size, at a much lower cost (once Manzanita hits 3 feet it has to be shipped via basic freight, which starts at $150 or so).

The centerpiece above was created with two bundles (6 branches) of 3-4' Mitsumata that had been soaked and shaped, and a bunch of hanging votive holders we made ourselves. Adding everything up, the total cost probably comes out a bit under $50.

Here's how to do it:

1. Buy or make your hanging votive holders. While you'll save yourself some time buying them, they are very easy and quick to make yourself if you use the tricks described in our previous post on the topic.

2. Soak the Mitsumata for a couple of hours. While the branches are quite thick, they suck up water like a sponge and become very pliable.

3. Pull the branches open, arrange them in your vase, then fill the vase with river stones or another heavy material - the votives will add quite a bit of weight and you don't want to have your pleasantly illuminated centerpiece to tip over and turn into a bonfire. Your event is bound to be exciting enough as it is.

4. Figure out where you'd like to hang the votives, and stick pins or thin nails through the branches from the top through the bottom (we actually used pieces of paperclips, but that was just because we didn't want to walk a few blocks to the hardware store). A pair of needle-nosed pliers is handy for this. Mitsumata isn't anywhere near as branchy as Manzanita, and so you'll need to do this to keep the hanging votive holders from sliding down the branches. This should done while the branches are still moist to keep them from splitting. We did this in more places than necessary for more options when we did our final arranging.

5. Start hanging your votives. This will pull the branches outward and downward a bit. If you'd like to increase the bend, start filling the holders with river stones. However, while most of the bending will be done as soon as you hang the votive holders, the branches will continue to bend a tiny bit until they are dry, so take this into account.

6. In about 12 hours or so, the branches will be thoroughly dry. Do your final arranging, light the candles and admire your work!

Birch Trees vs. Birch "Trees"

Here's a picture of our 6-8 foot Paper Birch Trees, both opened in the foreground, and closed in the background (closed is how they appear straight out of the bundle).

The Paper Birch trees open up (even when they are crispy-dry as this one was) into a nice, airy tree that makes a dramatic accent if you have the space. The drawbacks are that the diameter of the trunks are about 1" at the base, and the branches are where they are for better or worse.

If you are looking for a tree with a relatively substantial diameter, and want to dictate where the branches are, you should consider making a "tree." Here's a picture of one that we put together with a Paper Birch Pole, 2 bundles of Himalayan Birch Brush (~30 branches), and some ribbon to add a colorful accent:

We knew that we wanted to put this tree into a corner, so rather than adding branches all around the trunk, we only did about 1/3 (so for a full tree, you'll probably want 90 birch branches or so - 6 bundles of the Himalayan Birch Brush.

Below is a picture of the tools and supplies we used, and the secret weapon I discovered on a long journey through the aisles of one of those big-box hardware stores - the lowly 10" by 12" wall bracket from the "Home Organization" section (I searched fruitlessly in the plumbing, lumber and hardware sections). These were $1.09 a piece, so you are looking at about $5 per pole to get them to stand upright.

Here's what you'll need to create this tree:

Electric Screwdriver;

Four 10" by 12" Shelf Brackets;

1.25" Coarse Thread Drywall Screws;

Drillbit (1/4" worked well for the Himalayan Birch Brush);

Phillips head attachment for your drill;

Your trusty jackknife.

And here's how to do it:

1. Attach the brackets. Stand the pole up straight, and start attaching the shelf brackets with the drywall screws. You'll want to attach the short end of the bracket to the pole, and have the long end on the floor for stability. Attach them at the top first. Once you have all four brackets attached at the top, secure the bottom. This process should take you 5-10 minutes.

Now that you have your pole standing straight and sturdy, it is time to start attaching the branches. Here's the plan of attack - you'll want to start at the bottom, and work your way up to the top. To mimic the way branches grow naturally, you'll want to start by angling the branches out a little less than 45 degrees at the bottom, and move the branches towards the vertical as you make your way up the pole.

2. Drill a hole. As mentioned above, you'll need to drill down at an angle. To avoid marring the bark too much (like I initially did) start by drilling straight in a little bit, and then angle the drill downward.

3. Grab a branch. Open the branch, then whittle the base of it to fit in the hole. (Careful with the whittling - I have two nice scars on my left hand due to childhood whittling mishaps.) On most of the branches, you'll see there is a slight curve - you'll want that curve facing upwards.

4. Repeat. Over-and-over-and-over again, although remember to tighten the angle of the branches as you move up the pole. Constructing a tree from start to finish will probably take an hour or two, but is a heck of a lot of fun.

While we used Himalayan Birch Brush in this example, you can use any other style of birch brush, including the Goldleaf Birch Branches and the White Sparkle Birch Branches.

Questions? Ask away!

Natural Manzanita Branches, Hanging Votives & Orchids

Below are some pictures of a centerpiece made with our Project Grade 24-36" Natural Manzanita, a few white Cymbidium orchid blossoms, and hanging votives. The richly colored Natural Manzanita Branches are matched by the color of the pot, and contrast nicely with the orchid blossoms.

Manzanita Branches are often the first choice for hanging relatively heavy objects such as votives or crystals, and for good reason - no other readily available branch is as strong at such small diameters. One drawback of Manzanita Branches is that due to their volume, once they go above 36 inches, the shipping cost gets very expensive. If you want to hang objects from a display greater than three feet and aren't ready to shell out over $100 for shipping, consider alternatives such as the Mitsumata (you'll probably want to shape these), Himalayan Birch Forks or some other Project Grade items, such as Sandblasted Redshank.

Simple but Spectacular Manzanita Branch Centerpieces

Via Weddingbee, here's a picture of a simple but spectacular centerpiece created with our Project Grade 18-24" Sandblasted Manzanita Branches. Head over to the original post on Weddingbee for a lot more pictures and detailed descriptions.

Centerpieces needn't be elaborate or particularly expensive to be spectacular! Sandblasted Manzanita Branches adorned with some white orchids was all that was needed here. Also, these centerpieces cleverly avoid a potential pitfall - blocking the sightline across the table. To avoid this, centerpieces are most frequently boosted above the sightline by using tall branches, or tall vases, but these go the opposite direction by staying below the sightline.

Giving Branches a Boost

Our Red Dogwood tops out at about 4 feet, but that didn't stop jewelry designer Meg Carter from using it in a pair of urns in her dining room that are nearly as tall as the branches. Crumpled newspaper placed in the bottom of the urns give the branches a significant boost, producing a tall and dramatic display.

While the height of branches is of course an important factor in determining how tall a display will be, the other part of the equation is the height of the container used. While we have plenty of Project Grade branches that are over 4 feet, if you want a tall display, you can stick with our standard offerings and use the container to significantly add to the overall height.

My Gift Wrapping

My friends and family may no longer accept branches as gifts, but that doesn't mean that their gifts will be free of items from Nettleton Hollow! Last year Sword Fern was the botanical of choice to decorate my "unique" packages (as you can see, I love contrast - there's nothing like a satin bow on kraft paper), but this year it is Salal and Star Flowers.
While trying to figure out how to gussy up a bag containing nearly $100 worth of scented candles from 3R Living in Park Slope I came up with a cool trick to quickly and inexpensively turn a gift bag from ordinary to extraordinary:

1. Lay down a long strip of packaging tape sticky side up;

2. Place the stems of Star Flowers on the tape with the flowers a few inches above the tape (not too heavily though, as you'll need to leave plenty of the glue exposed to stick to the bag);

3. Cut tape to length; and

4. Apply to the inside of the bag.

In the picture above, Salal was used as a background for the Star Flowers, but it would still look fantastic with any tissue paper of contrasting color. Simple as that, and one bundle of Star Flowers will provide quite a few feet of "flower tape."

Gorgeous, Justin, but is it practical - won't the flowers get destroyed the second a clumsy customer or inebriated guest grabs the bag? Despite their delicate appearance, both the blooms of the Star Flowers and the stems are incredibly resilient - ideal traits for an application like this. (I definitely wouldn't try it with lavender).

Magical Mitsumata

One of the cool things about Mitsumata is that after a few hours of soaking it becomes amazingly pliable. The branches have a density similar to that of balsa, and soak up water like a sponge. Here's a picture of a branch that spent a few hours soaking:

Once dry, the branches will keep the form of whatever you molded it into. Here's a gorgeous light created by Mark Figueredo of MF Custom Lighting Design and Fabrication in East Hampton, NY (631 329 5033): 

Question: Why Can't I Copy Your Images?

We'd love for you to copy our images for use elsewhere (link back to us of course!), but for technical reasons, the right-click method doesn't work.

Most of our images are in the backgrounds of tables so we can put HTML text over them. To copy them, either use a screen shot, or go into the source code and find the address of the image - put that address into your browser, and you'll be able to copy the image.

There is probably a better way, however - if you know of one, let us know!

UPDATE, JANUARY 2008: We reworked the site so most of the images can be copied without hassle - copy away! (But link back to us, of course!)

Pulling Apart Protea Grandiceps

We pulled apart a few Protea Grandiceps flowers and found that there was plenty of beauty on the inside. The top flower shows how it looks before getting pulled apart. In the middle, you'll see what it looks like after we pulled off a few petals, exposing the satiny, saffron-colored filaments. The flower on the bottom shows what it looks like with the filaments and most of the petals removed. Lastly, in the bowl are the filaments, looking like saffron on steroids.

Releasing Lavender's Fragrance

Lavender's fantastic piney/floral fragrance is one of the reasons why it is so popular. After it has been sitting around for a while undisturbed, however, the fragrance fades. That doesn't mean it is time to get a new bundle - if you crush a single bud between your fingers, you'll be hit by a burst of scent - it's still in there, but needs a little coaxing to come back out.

Enter the hair dryer. Put it on its hottest setting and blow away. The oils will migrate out, filling the room with fragrance again.

Card Trees / Wish Trees

Branches are a fantastic means for displaying escort cards, and are what you need for creating a "wish tree" where your guests hang little notes on branches.



Here's what we used to create this display:

1. 6-10 stems Brushy Birch Branches (a bundle has 20-25);
2. A square gold pot;
3. Heavy-duty floral foam;
4. River Stones; and
5. Paper clips.

And here's what you need to do:

1. Open the Brushy Birch Branches.
2. Slice of a piece of floral foam 1-2" thick to fit into the bottom of the pot. A butter knife works just fine.
3. Pour an inch or so of the stones over the floral foam.
   
4. Push the Brushy Birch Branches through the floral foam, and repeat and rearrange until you have a configuration you like.
5. Pour the remainder of the stones into the pot and around the branches.

Now you have your display. Most of what we've heard and read about Card Trees or Wish Trees involves having the guests untying or tying their cards. This means that you'll not only have to punch holes through your cards, but your guests will have to fuss with the knots, which could be a bit difficult for older members of the party, after a few glasses of champagne, and in the romantic low light.

Instead, make the connection to the card with a paper clip so your guests can effortlessly pull the cards off, or put them on. If you want the look of the ribbon or string, you can simply tie the paper clip on at the end. You'll minimize the fussing of your guests and end up with much prettier bows.

Also, if you are going to have a ton of cards, make multiple displays (you can get 2-3 of what's shown above out of one bundle of the Brushy Birch Branches), and group the cards alphabetically. This will help prevent bottlenecks.

Manzanita is also another candidate for a Card Tree or Wish Tree. Here's a picture of Escort Card Trees made from Natural Manzanita. Ours tends to be more dense, so you may have to get out your clippers to do a little pruning to make space for the cards.

Opening Birch Branches

When Birch Branches are harvested, the branches are folded in and tied into tight bundles. This allows them to be easily shipped, not only because they take up much less space, but also because the branches are oriented in one direction, which minimizes the potential for damage. We untie these bundles, trim off any broken branches and fluff them out a bit giving them some more volume. When displayed, these branches have a nice dense and vertical form.

For an airier look, you simply need to get the birch branches to go back to their pre-bundling form. This is easier than it might sound - simply grasp one of the lateral (side) branches at the base, and gently pull back to about 45 degrees, which is the approximate angle the lateral branches grew at. Repeat for all of the branches, and you have what looks like a birch branch fresh off the tree.

Birch Branches can be opened whether they are still somewhat fresh and pliable, or crispy dry. The natural form of birch branches is opened and airy, and the branches are happy to move back into their original positions.



In their opened form, the branches fill a great deal of space, and you'll need far fewer per vase. The display in the foreground of the top picture has 6-10 opened branches in it, and the vase in the background has the remainder of the 25 stem bundle.

While the example shown here is done with Yellow Birch Brush, you can easily do the same with White Sparkle Birch Branches or Goldleaf Birch Branches:

Iced Birch Branches can also be opened, but it is not for the faint of heart - the side branches get stuck together, and you have to pull them apart before you can open them, which will inevitably result in some of them being broken.

So, you've opened all the branches in a bundle, have filled 2 or 3 vases, but want that dense vertical form again (or need to transport them). Before you order another bundle, simply run your hand from the bottom of the branch up, and the branches will fold back in.