Holiday Floral Arrangement Workshop with Patricia Uchello (Floral Design)

Evergreen Garden Club

Minutes of November 18, 2025, Meeting



Attending:  Connie Anderson, Julia Bellinger, Susan Bluhm (audit), Jane Dana, Helen Garrett, Diana Luka Hopson (audit), Lynn Keith, Helen Large (audit), Sally Marshall, Dolly McKenna (audit), Jane Nassim, Ann Reid, Donna Roberts, Susie Taylor, Ellen Thrasher, Susan Vanderver plus guest, Sarah Vilms, Rosa Wallach.

Business Meeting:  Brief statements from President Ellen Thrasher preceded the program. Ellen thanked Winkie, our Treasurer, for completing the accounts, and made the announcement Winkie was in hospital for pneumonia. The meeting sent its best wishes for her recovery and a floral arrangement made by one of our members.

Assistant Treasurer Sally Marshall gave the Treasurer's report. All but 2 of the Active members have paid their dues, and all but 1 of the Associate members have paid. Thanks so much, everyone! Our Treasurer has just reached out to the unpaid members. As of the end of October we have $12,827.25 in our account, with the most recent batch of dues still to be deposited ($1,350). Our bank balance does not include any receipts or payments in connection with today’s meeting. 

Ellen thanked Susan Vanderver for kindly arranging for the activity to be held at Bradley Presbyterian Church, and the Church for its hospitality. She also gave thanks to Donna Roberts and Patsie Uchello for shopping for the flowers, and to Susan and Dolly McKenna for providing refreshments. The Minutes of the October 28, 2025, meeting were approved. There will be no meeting in December, 2025. The January 20, 2026, meeting will be on Zoom. The program presentation is British Isles Garden Tour with Claire Jones.

Program:  Holiday Fliral Arrangement Workshop with Patsie Uchello. Donna Roberts introduced Patsie, a well-known flower arranger in the area, who demonstrated and guided us in the design of a table decoration for Thanksgiving – and even lasting for Christmas given some judicious replacement of flowers past their best. Donna and Patsie had already divided the flowers and greenery into similar bunches, and armed with these we watched Patsie work her magic, starting with some helpful tips:  oasis being now known to be harmful, plastic covered wire is useful in the placement of stems, and good scissors are available from Costco for $15!  She started with a “collar” of greens, shortening stems, removing leaves that would be under water, and placing the plants so that they splayed out from the container. Patsie reminded us the arrangement should always be wider than the container, and if designed to decorate a table for guests, it should always be low enough for people to see over. The designs were displayed and photographed.  The meeting ended with participants well pleased with their results, and gratitude and applause for Patsie.

A few days after the meeting Patsie kindly provided the following principles of good design:

Balance- do not let the container or one single bullseye flower dominate the design. Avoid central bullseyes. 

Contrast- use contrasting colors and textures in floral design to provide interest. 

Scale- use flowers commensurate with the container. 

Proportion- the design as a whole to the provided space in which it will be exhibited. 

Rhythm- let your flowers look natural. Do not line them up like soldiers. Use items that have movement and flow and guide your eye through the design. 

After the meeting, Patsie sent the "Principles of Design" document attached below.

Respectfully submitted,

Jane Nassim

Recording Secretary

Principles of Design

By Patsie Uchello

Accredited Judge

Balance

Go with similar visual weight on all sides of design. You don’t need a mirror image, but you need a general balance.

Dominance

Don’t let the container or one single flower dominate the design. Avoid central bullseyes where the flower is central and faces the onlooker. Flowers prone to this are sunflowers and gerbera daisies. Distracting, dominant containers are white, gold or silver. Tarnish is a good thing when it comes to silver containers.

Contrast

Use contrasting colors and textures in floral design to provide interest. If contrast between two colors is too strong, grey out or lighten the strongest color by choosing different materials.

Scale

Use flowers appropriate to the size of the container you choose. Huge flowers in tiny containers are a no-fly zone. Also, the reverse is true.

Proportion

 Make sure your design is proportionate to the space in which it will be staged. A massive arrangement on a small table won’t look right.

Rhythm

Arrange your flowers in a natural manner. Don’t line them up like soldiers. This isn’t the Army. Use material that has rhythm and flow, that guide your eye through your arrangement. Curvy leaves and stems are graceful.

Conditioning your flowers and greens

Give the bottom of your stems a sharp angled cut. Remove lower leaves. Plunge stems into cool water to which you have added flower food and stirred. I keep buckets specifically for flowers so that chemical residue is never a problem. Keep away from heat, drafts and light. The next day, your flowers have had a lot to drink. Never let leaves sit in water. They will pollute it as they break down, which will cut the flowers’ life span short. Flowers drink most when they have just been cut.

Dastardly Flowers that will ruin your arrangements

Hydrangeas! Irises! Day lilies! Ranunculus! Spray roses! They are not your friend. They will keel over when you aren’t looking.

To be a design, there must be at least one flower and at least one piece of greens.

Dried flowers and leaves may be spray-painted fun colors. But not living ones.

Longest lasting flowers: Orchids, alstroemeria, carnations, Billi balls (crespedia).