An Easy Way to Welcome Spring

Lucinda Ledford, one of Biltmore’s talented floral designers, enjoys using natural elements in her arrangements. With treasures collected from the great outdoors, she’s created a pretty tabletop display to help ease us from winter into spring.

“You’ll be surprised at what you can find in your own back yard,” Lucinda said. “Just take a walk and see what you see. Look for things like pine cones and interesting branches that catch your eye—you might even spy an empty bird nest or two! Use your ‘findings’ to create a winterscape arrangement, and with a few simple changes here and there, it can go all the way through to spring.”

If you don’t have a backyard or some nearby woods (or 8,000 acres of gardens, grounds, and forest, like Biltmore!), you can always stroll through your local craft store, nursery, or florist shop and come up with a great array of natural and silk items that suit your décor.

Materials

Biltmore Ruffle Cake Stand

• 2 or 3 types of moss, including flat sheet moss
• Bird nest and/or other natural and decorative elements
• Twigs and different lichen branches
• Several small, fresh plants (greenery for winter; flowering for spring)
• Floral putty (optional for securing items)

Instructions

Start with sheet moss to cover your cake stand, then build up different areas with different mosses.

Establish a focal point and add your treasures to create a natural, relaxed flow.

“As you transition into spring, add bird eggs to the nest, and a couple of spring plants that will bloom with pretty color,” Lucinda suggests. “That will freshen your arrangement without having to start from scratch!”

Arrangement shown on our Ruffle Cake Stand. Biltmore Ruffle Serveware Collection available at Belk and belk.com.