Making a fresh winter centerpiece with Flora North

Flora North is celebrating Flora Fest this weekend.

The small business is planning Plant Bingo and a couple in-store demonstrations of how to make holiday centerpieces.

“We always show how to make large, outdoor arrangements. And so this year, we’re kind of focusing on how to use your extras from that,” Flora North Owner Sarah Bjork said.

She starts with her bowl or vase, which has chicken wire balled up inside and crisscrossing floral tape across the top.

“I like to start, I kind of like to create whatever shape I want to go with,” Bjork said. “And so I kind of look at what materials I have. I have some white pine that’s a little more structural. It’s a little more linear.”

She started with that, then added greens that drape. The bonus of arranging a centerpiece from scraps is the piney smell.

“It is one of our favorite parts of the season when we finally are getting in all of our wintery greens. It just is so fresh all the time,” Bjork said.

She said an arrangement made with winter greens will last through the holiday season.

“As long as you’re keeping the water level higher and not super warm temperatures, it should last months because we’re not putting any fresh flowers in it. It’s all greenery,” Bjork said.

She turns the vase as she arranges to make sure she’s getting the shape she wants and not leaving any holes. To finish it off, she likes to add some extra adornments.

“You could use Christmas ornaments or like different dried pods. We like to have some sort of focal piece that just sort of draws your eye down,” she said. “So I’ll put these a little bit lower in the arrangement.”

Flora Fest is this Saturday, Nov. 12. There are centerpiece and wreath-making demonstrations at 10 a.m. and noon.