Floral Installation Insights and Inspiration: Designing with the Accent Decor Conservatory Collection
One of my greatest joys as an educator is discovering and sharing tools that make artful, sustainable floristry more accessible.
When I first tested these stands, I was immediately struck by how they solved so many common installation challenges while supporting eco-conscious design practices. As someone who's spent countless hours problem-solving ways to create impressive installations without excessive waste or complicated mechanics, I recognized that these stands could be game-changers for our floral community.
I've tested them several times, and see how approachable they can be for numerous projects, from intimate weddings to large scale events, and I'm thrilled to share my insights with you, my flower friends, so you can approach your next installation with confidence and creativity.
These sturdy stands were made to allow designers to create current, artful compositions more sustainably and reliably.
Sold individually, they come in two sizes: the smaller stand measures 6 feet and the larger is just shy of 8 feet tall. Purchase one of each to create an artful ‘broken arch,’ purchase two of the taller stands to create a more symmetrical installation, or, purchase two tall and one short to be able to create both!
It was an honor to collaborate with the talented design team at Accent Decor on the new ‘Conservatory Collection’.
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What makes these stands special?
Each stand securely holds specially-designed watertight receptacles that can be flowered ahead and popped in on site, or designed in situ. Many other structures made for florists require designers to construct their own mechanics to be able to hydrate and hold floral elements securely, but the sturdy and reliable Conservatory stands were made to provide structure and hydration.
These approachable stands make impressive large scale compositions accessible. I’ve worked with them many times, and have found the experience to be fast and enjoyable; however, I’ve discovered that there are a few key things to keep in mind while working with these stands. I hope these insights are helpful to you as well.
Part of a larger collection of sustainable design solutions, find an overview of all the vessels and structures designed with eco-conscious floristry in mind in the Essential Vessels guide. Each piece was thoughtfully created to support foam-free, water-conscious design while maintaining the highest artistic standards. I love the complementary Harlow footed bowls and Soprano vase attachments that pair beautifully with these stands.
1. Fortify your vase attachments.
To make sure the vase attachments hold all of your materials securely, be sure to fill them with layered florist netting ( plastic coated chicken wire ). I like to measure a piece that is twice the width of the opening of the vase ( about 10 inches ). I fold it in on itself to create a loosely coiled orb, and tuck it inside each receptacle. I then secure the netting with water proof tape and set each receptacle into the stand. For added security, secure the vase attachment to the upright bars of the stand by passing a fine gauge floral wire through the tiny hole ( found near the rim of each vase ) and securing it to one of the upright bars of the stand. The vase attachments can be designed ahead of time, just be sure to tip out a bit of the water before adding pre-designed vases into the structure to prevent spillage!
2. Lean on long-lasting reliable materials.
Choosing right materials for your installation is crucial for both aesthetic impact and longevity. Consider starting with reliable, long lasting materials such as oak foliage, smilax vine, or huckleberry. While these provide excellent structure, there's a whole world of reliable foliages and flowers perfect for large-scale work.
I've compiled a detailed guide to Sturdy Foliage + Flowers for Large-Scale Installations that breaks down exactly which materials will hold up best in various conditions, helping you plan your installations with confidence.
Weave the materials through the structures to provide a bit of initial coverage and give yourself a naturally pleasing base for subsequent floral layers. Remember that the built-in water sources in these stands allow you to incorporate both hardy and more delicate elements strategically.
3. Color outside the lines!
Use tall branches or other interesting vine-like materials to create volume, add height, extend the line of the structures, add lightness, and create a natural looking compositions.
4. Choose your floral layers thoughtfully!
Choosing the right materials is always important-even more so for large scale installations that include water receptacles. Mechanics such as floral foam and chicken wire are placed on structures in a largely forward-facing manner, making them relatively easy to conceal with floral material. Structures that hold upward facing water receptacles are a different animal, and have special requirements. The designer must be able to create a beautiful, intentional floral composition while at the same time, cover the structure and surface of all the water receptacles. To successfully achieve this unique task, one must choose specific floral forms.
Choose slim stemmed materials with arcing or cascading forms, such as hanging amaranthus, acacia foliage, or vines and focal flowers with nodding heads and supple stems like double lisianthus, ball dahlias and garden spray roses. When placed, materials that have these qualities arc gracefully over the water receptacles, obscuring them. Rigid, straight stemmed materials such as hybrid roses and stock can certainly be incorporated as well, but note that they are a bit more difficult to place and because they don’t cascade, they don’t provide a lot of coverage.
Also note that long stemmed materials can also be placed to obscure the bottom of the receptacle just above them.
5. Add, subtract, and make the stands your own!
Consider leaving one or two of the vase inserts out of the stands for a bit of deliberate pre-planned negative space and purposeful asymmetry. Also experiment with incorporating your own chicken wire mechanics to areas where you want more volume or floral placements. Additionally, if you would like more floral elements at the base of your composition, consider placing low water receptacles fitted with chicken wire to the bases of the stands. This will allow you to add natural, garden-like arrangements to the origination points of your composition and will also help you to cover the lowest water receptacle.
FAQs
It’s my hope that these findings help you create effortlessly beautiful floral compositions with the Conservatory Collection. Do you already own these stands? Share your work with me and Accent Decor! Tag us on Instagram ( @passionflowersue / @accentdecorinc) and let's spread the word about how incredible this collection is together.
Ready for More?
For ready-to-watch, step-by-step guidance on creating these designs and over 150 others, I invite you to join my Virtual Studio membership group.
As a member, you'll get exclusive access to my comprehensive tutorial on working with the Conservatory Collection, where I share all my insider tips for creating effortless, sustainable installations. Virtual Studio classes combine artful, master floristry skills with foundational design principles to boost your creativity and encourage growth. All skill levels are welcome!