At a family get together earlier this month I was presented with a magnificent bouquet of flowers.  They were a beautiful mix of roses, lilies, carnations, chrysanthemums and assorted greenery.  In gorgeous shades of deep, deep red and cream they were not only a joy to look at but wonderfully perfumed.  Needless to say they had pride of place in my living room.  Sadly after just under two weeks it was necessary to relegate them to the compost bin where in time they will help to nourish further plants.  The pleasure they gave me in a relatively short time cannot be measured.

To take their place this weekend I bought two bunches of early tulips, one pale clover pink and one white, and their simple beauty more than fills the gap left by their exotic predecessors.  Which only goes to prove that a floral arrangement can be as spectacular or as simple as you feel is right for the occasion and still make a statement.   This applies from the grand displays used for weddings to a few flowers that you have picked from your own garden.

There is a special joy in picking flowers that you have grown yourself.  Few of us have space for a ‘picking garden’ but growing a few shrubs and plants that can be used to provide blooms for indoors such as roses and sweet peas pays dividends and remember the value of foliage plants, quite eye catching arrangements can be made with just a few flowers and a quantity of cleverly arranged greenery.  Even a single specimen in a slender clear vase can add the right touch where there isn’t room for anything larger.

There are so many options and it is great fun experimenting – even in winter check out what is in your own garden – you might be surprised.

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