Using rose hips in flower arrangements
Flower arrangements and arranging techniques have come a long way over the years. It's so much more than simply selecting a collection of flowers and foliage. There are several aspects that work together to determine just how effective the end result is. Colour, contrast, and texture are three such factors and they each have a very important role to play.
When you think about rose hips, you might imagine their various medicinal and therapeutic uses. They can, however, also be used to enhance flower arrangements. The great thing about rose hips is that they have a wonderful, bright colour which helps them stand out.
When they are fresh, they are somewhat brighter than when they start to dry out. They can be used as fresh or dried flower arrangement fillers. In fact, large clusters of rose hips can be placed in a vase to add colour to a room all on their own and without any flowers at all!
It's important to consider the colour scheme of the arrangement you are creating. Given the colour of the rose hips, it's best to stick with other warm colours like red, pink, yellow, and orange. Consider a bouquet of dark and light pink roses with the right amount of foliage along with rose hips in between for good measure. Similarly, you can create a wonderful contrast of colour and texture by grouping yellow tulips with rose hips. Feel free to add some orange tulips in between if you are so inclined.
Rose hips can also act in the capacity of mass flowers. In other words, you can use just a handful of orange or pink lilies and surround each stem with a dense collection of rose hips. You can also add a few pink roses here and there if you like.
If you want to make something really different and interesting, you can make your very own wreath using mainly rose hips and perhaps a few sprigs of baby's breath here and there for contrast. Rose hips vary in shape and size which is why you shouldn't try to make too much of a uniform design. Let nature lead the way instead and be sure to mix them up so that there aren't any colour clusters. Some rose hips are darker than others so spread them out in such a way that they look as naturally beautiful as possible.
You can also use rose hips in natural or earthy toned flower arrangements. If you are making a caramel coloured arrangement and setting your bouquet in a clay vase, you can add some variety with rose hips.
