OLDS, Alta. – Betty Jorsvick is a pack rat.
The Olds florist can turn the lid of a peanut butter jar into the base for a centrepiece. An old-fashioned beer glass becomes a vase and an oddly shaped container takes on a new look supporting a multitude of blooms from her back yard.
With a little imagination anyone can do it, said Jorsvick, who showed her skills as a flower arranger at the Mountainview County Fair at Olds, one of Alberta’s largest country fairs.
As she placed shasta daisies and baby’s breath into a soaked-down oasis (a florist’s sponge) she provided tips for clever arrangements.
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“I spend more time looking back than arranging,” she said as she lifted her basket of flowers, pulled out a sprig of hollyhock, then added a stem of snapdragon.
Professional advice
Some of her common sense ideas lead to original and long-lasting pieces.
When it’s time to pick flowers, she suggests taking a bucket of warm water to the garden to hold them.
Lay the flowers down with the heads facing out so the biggest blooms may be selected first to build the outside of a project.
If working with an assortment of flowers, block them together by color for a more co-ordinated look.
And don’t forget to fill in the back of the arrangement.
If you’re using a wicker basket, line the basket with plastic wrap or tin foil before placing the oasis inside. If you’re using something like a jar lid, glue the oasis to the bottom.
Oases can be dried out and reused.
Consider using different kinds of foliage for greenery. Spinach that has bolted, sprigs of parsley or cotoneaster branches work well.
“Go with what you find and go with what looks right,” she said.
“Who made the rules anyway?”
“I like the harmony between the person and horse when traveling. You’re so perfect together that you just think what you want and it happens.”
