Nice & Native Artificial Flower Arrangement

King protea is a flower most people recognise but rarely see in arrangements. Its large, layered heads in muted green and cream look almost architectural, and they give this piece a point of interest that's hard to find elsewhere.

Cream rose buds sit alongside them with a softer, more familiar quality. Their petals shift from pale lemon at the centre to green at the edges, which keeps them within the overall palette rather than standing out as something separate.

Paniculata hydrangeas add their conical lime-green clusters, and from there the arrangement builds out through a generous mix of foliage. Eucalyptus, salal leaf, bracken fern, nettle leaf, Queen Anne's lace and snowberry branches each bring a different leaf shape, tone or texture. The fern fronds reach out furthest and give the piece its width, while snowberries add small cream clusters that echo the rose tones.

At 70cm, it has a full, botanical feel. It reads as something gathered from a very well-stocked garden rather than designed for a shelf. Clear glass suits it because the stems are worth seeing, and it works well in living rooms, entrance halls or anywhere with enough natural light to pick up the range of greens.

Protea and fresh roses in the same vase rarely last the same length of time. Problem solved.