There seem to be lots of corporate events taking place earlier than usual this year, possibly due to the Brexit effect, and all the uncertainty surrounding it.
Anyway, exciting for us to be given new challenges, and no time to feel the exhaustion from the week before!
Wild, natural and meadow flowers are very popular right now. If you’re looking for the natural look, but with flowers out of season, it’s a bit more tricky to recreate in the early part of the year.
Some flowers with all year round availability, like veronica and clematis, have a wild, natural look, with their delicate nature. But fresh grasses and seed heads are not available.
The first image shows the meadow bouquet we created this week, from cultivated flowers. The soft mauves, pinks, whites and yellows of a summer meadow, and the small, delicate blooms of wild flowers have been used.
This image shows what is really on offer in the garden at this time of year – wallflowers, japonica, myrtle, lavender leaves and camellia. The abundance of green, in all its various shades, is missing, and is replaced with blossom and leafless trees.
I’m working with a couple who’ll be getting married in July. I’ve seen the venue, and I know where they’d like flowers, but I hadn’t seen an image of the bride’s dress. They had described it to me. When I finally saw the dress, it was a reminder of how important it is to see the whole picture. The colours were not what I had envisaged, neither in shade nor in quantity.
My favourite time for flowers is in the summer, when we are surrounded by a profusion of green and flowers. Nature provides all the inspiration I need to create amazing designs.
My preference is always to add flowers to a backdrop of foliage, just like we see in the wild. The natural curves, gnarls – and even gaps, allow us to see the true beauty of their juxtaposition.
It’s amazing how certain flowers thrive some years, and not others. Of course it depends on the weather, but not just the recent weather. A dry winter can have an effect on what happens in summer.
The cow parsley was beautiful this year. All of a sudden, one hot day at the end of May finished off all the beautiful white clusters in my garden.
This was soon replaced with the joy of seeing the first digitalis, or foxgloves, as they are affectionately known. Tall and proud, they sway gently in the breeze.
