• Modern design on diagonal - full instructions to have a go with Margaret Holmes!
• Recommended reading~The art of Floral Design by Norah Hunter, Creative Flower Arrangement by Jean Taylor
• Flower of the month: Proteas

From a workshop by National Demonstrator,
Margaret Holmes, New Zealand.
This design has to be balanced actually or it will fall over, and also balanced visually. Mechanics must be stable and as it is a modern design you will be using less material so you can't hide your mechanics and oasis with tizzy plant material. 

Build your container
The natural look is in, so you are going to glue natural materials on to 2 heavy cardboard roll centres, or PVC plastic downpipe, or waste pipe, alkathene or carpet roll. One cylinder, which is the bottom section,  cut to 46 cm (18 inches) the other, which is the top section, cut to 33 cm (9 inches). Use a hot glue gun.

Look around and see what you can cover your cylinders with.
Layered leaves are very much in vogue, but glue them in a uniform manner for neatness. Honesty leaves dried are also wonderful, or Ginkgo leaves, but iron these between 2 sheets of waxed paper as wax seals the leaves. The bracts of the King Proteas give a wonderful texture with the velvety and silvery appearance. Camellia leaves and Silver dollar gums if pressed so they do not curl are also good to use. Stalks of Pampas grass, dried rather than green, bark, reeds, all can be used.

There is no need to make the stalks or leaves on the top section even, and you can stagger their level for effect. The top section is going to sit on top of the bottom section, with oasis in the middle.

Mechanics
Depending on the diameter of your container, you will need a 1/4 or 1/2 or 3/4 oasis foam block inside a cage for stability, Kebab sticks, glue gun, wire, secateurs.
Click here to buy oasis in New Zealand, here to buy it in the USA
After you have cut your two cylinders to length and glued your plant material to them, hot glue 4 kebab sticks into the bottom of the top section, and 4 into the top section of the bottom container, so they stick out 10 cms (4 inches)
Place your oasis, which has been soaked in water, on the top of the bottom cylinder. with the kebab sticks through the oasis. If your cylinder is heavy cardboard, wrap your wet oasis in clingwrap so the water does not soften the cylinder.It is also a great idea to "cage" the oasis in fine chicken wire so it doesn't crumple especially when using big stalks. Now lower your top section onto the oasis block again skewering the oasis with the sticks. You should now have 8 kebab sticks securing the oasis top and bottom.
If your joined cylinders feel as if they will topple, fill a jar with sand and slip your bottom cylinder over it. If the jar fits snugly, it will provide stability.

Plant material
You will need long stemmed flowers such as kniphofia (poker), gladioli, Proteas as well as extra plain long stems such as agapanthus for effect, or use bare branches for wonderful patterning and with these you can use pods, cones, berries OR seaweed, shells etc.
You will need two kinds of foliage, one variegated and one plain, whatever suits your covered container, such as aralia, aspidistra, puka, fatshedera, variegated honesty, hosta leaves soaked in water for several hours etc.
For added depth and rhythm and unity use vines such as actinidia, wisteria, supplejack or long reeds to bend at angles.
You will need moss to cover your mechanics.( the oasis and "cage")
These are a guide only, see what you can find in your garden or buy what is in season here if you are in New Zealand orClick here here if you are in the USA

The design
As this is a diagonal design, first insert the long stemmed flowers into the oasis on a sharp diagonal pointing downwards. Match this angle with the bare long stems inserted on the other side. Note that the stems do not travel right through the oasis although it looks like they do. Cut the stems with a good point for ease of poking into the oasis.
Cover the mechanics with moss. Don't tuck it in tight but let it flow down for texture and colour and so it becomes part of the design.
Now add your variegated and non variegated leaves to add interest and to give the design balance visually and texture. Don't add the leaves like ears or butterfly leaves, but vary the angles and length to offset them, one from the other..
Finally bend the reeds, or curve the vines around the design to create a sense of space, and giving a lot of rhythm, form and texture.

Have a go, don't get disillusioned, and have another go!