YOU WILL NEED
ARRANGE
3 amelanchier branches
1 Tape a ball of chicken wire into the container.
(Amelanchier canadensis)
Then pour in water.
3 spiraea stems
(Spiraea x arguta)
2 Cut the three woody, structural branches of the amelanchier to about three times the height of 7 ranunculus in a variety
the container. Use these to create the triangular of pastel colors
(Ranunculus asiaticus)
outline of your arrangement.
2 Icelandic poppies
3 Place the spiraea between the amelanchier stems, (Papaver nudicaule)
al owing some of it to trail downward.
3–5 parrot tulips (Tulipa
‘Apricot Parrot’ )
4 Hold the ranunculus, poppies, and tulips up to 3 heuchera leaves
the arrangement one at a time so that you can judge (Heuchera ‘Pewter Moon’ )
the required position and stem length. Then cut and place them into the arrangement appropriately.
3 snake’s head fritil ary
stems (Fritil aria meleagris)
5 Slip a few heuchera leaves between the foliage and ceramic, footed bowl
container. Final y, dot the snake’s head fritil ary stems chicken wire
in the gaps of the arrangement for a finishing flourish.
floral tape
CARE
pruning shears
Refresh the water every 2 days as the ranunculus cannot tolerate bacterial buildup. The arrangement floral snips
will last for up to 7 days.
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72 Winter & Early Spring
Pussy Willow
Salix
At the start of the year, pussy
wil ow is one of the first things
I venture into the garden to pick.
Pussy willow is known for its soft, silvery-gray catkins that appear on long, dark, slender
stems. One of the earliest signs of spring, these catkins provide an important early
source of pollen and nectar for bees and other insects. The tactile nature of the branches contrasts beautifully with other early spring flowers in both form and color.
BRANCH LENGTH
FROM THE FLORIST Select catkins (the downy
cut branches to
flowers) that are still a good silvery gray with an desired length
almost metal ic sheen. They should not have started to bloom—this is when they are showing a good deal FLOWER SIZE
1½in (4cm)
of yel ow pol en.
LONGEVITY 7–10 days
IN THE GARDEN Wil ows prefer a moist, wel -
in water; longer if dried
drained soil. Catkins are produced on the previous FORMS catkin
year’s growth, so prune wil ows before midsummer so that stems have time to regrow and produce COLORS silvery white
catkins for the fol owing year.
FRAGRANCE none
CONDITIONING Chop the branches down to the
BEST COMPANIONS
desired length before arranging, cutting at a sharp anemones, hellebores,
angle and placing them in water afterward.
narcissus
DISPLAY The tal , straight stems of pussy wil ow work well in large, narrow containers, either on their own or mixed with other early-spring-flowering branches and bulbs.
CARE Pussy wil ow can be dried and preserved in the vase to prevent it from flowering. To do this, remove the water and keep it in a cool spot.
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In Polish folklore, a wil ow tree pul ed a
group of drowning kittens out of a river.
The furry blooms appear where the
kittens held onto the branches.
Salix caprea is found across
Europe, as well as Western
and Central Asia. A separate
species—S. discolor— is
native to North America.
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74 Winter & Early Spring
Lilac
Syringa vulgaris
This garden favorite has
bil owy panicles of richly
fragrant flowers.
Lilacs bridge the gap between spring and
summer. While the flowers are commonly
With their old-fashioned charm, lilacs lend a vintage feel to arrangements, working
particularly well when combined with other
spring foliage and flowering branches.
STEM HEIGHT
FROM THE FLORIST Select branches where
cut branches to
most of the flower panicles are open, as tight buds desired length
will not develop after being cut.
FLOWER SIZE
1
IN THE GARDEN As slow-growing, hardy
⁄4–3⁄8in (5–8mm)
shrubs, lilacs should be pruned immediately after LONGEVITY 5 days
flowering. This will ensure that more flowering branches appear the fol owing year.
FORMS single, double
COLORS purple,
PREPARATION Remove the majority of the
pink, white
leaves. Cut 1in (2.5cm) up the stems with shears after FRAGRANCE
cutting across at an angle—this creates more surface sweet and heady
area for the plant to take up water. Before arranging, condition them overnight in warm water up to BEST COMPANIONS
their necks.
American cranberry bush,
blossoms, ranunculus
DISPLAY Lilacs make beautiful, frothy, scented fil er flowers in mixed spring arrangements. Their soft colors work well with other blossoming branches and spring bulbs.
CARE Change the water every 2 days, adding floral preservative. Arrange them on their own to preserve their vase life as hormones released from other plants will cause them to wilt more quickly.
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In the language of flowers, lilacs
represent newfound love. White lilacs
are said to represent innocence.
Syringa vulgaris originated
in Eastern Europe, but is now
naturalized throughout Europe
and in parts of North America.
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76 Winter & Early Spring
Tulip
Tulipa
A top favorite for many,
the tulip celebrates spring
with real panache.
I always feel spoiled by the overwhelming
choice of color and variety this flamboyant flower provides after the limited palette of the winter months. Unlike most other flowers,
tulips continue to grow after they are cut, stretching and bending toward the light.
This makes them an unpredictable, but
fascinating addition to an arrangement.
STEM HEIGHT
FROM THE FLORIST Choose stems with closed
6–30in (15–75cm),
flowers showing a good flush of color. The flowers depending on variety;
should be held on upright stems and the leaves viridiflora group, 16–22in
squeaky and firm to the touch.
(40–55cm)
FLOWER SIZE
IN THE GARDEN Grow tulips as an annual,
21/2–4in (6–10cm),
planting the bulbs 4in (10cm) deep and 4in (10cm) depending on variety;
&n
bsp; apart in late fall or early winter when the ground is viridiflora group, 3in (8cm)
cold. In spring, pull the stems (bulb and al ) out of the ground to harvest.
LONGEVITY 7–10 days
FORMS multiple,
PREPARATION Cut off the bulb and the white at such as single, double,
the bottom of the stem. Then peel off all of the leaves lily-flowered, fringed,
except the top two (this prevents the plant from viridiflora, parrot,
becoming saturated) and condition in water overnight.
and others
COLORS white, red,
DISPLAY Definitely a focal flower, tulips look orange, yel ow, green,
wonderful both on their own and with cherry or purple, pink, brown,
pear blossoms. When arranging, leave plenty of space apricot, black
around the flowers because they grow in the vase.
FRAGRANCE some
A footed container will lift up the plants, al owing varieties have a subtle,
the stems to dangle so that you can make the most freesialike scent
of their ever-changing stems.
Tulipa ‘Spring Green’ is a
BEST COMPANIONS
CARE Tulips may need reorganizing and retrimming anemones, cherry or pear
viridiflora group cultivar that
blossoms, ranunculus
every couple of days as they grow. Top off the water develops a green stripe on its
level every 2 days.
white petals when ful y mature.
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In 1630s Amsterdam, single tulip
bulbs are thought to have been
sold for as much as ten times
a skil ed craftsman’s annual salary.
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78 Winter & Early Spring
Spring Showstopper
This bold statement piece would look great in a large entrance foyer or as a centerpiece in a lofty space. To minimize the weight, I have used a faux urn and a plastic bowl filled with chicken wire that sits perfectly in the top.
YOU WILL NEED
ARRANGE
5 hawthorn branches
1 Make a chicken-wire ball and tape it into the bowl.
(Crataegus monogyna)
Then fill the bowl with water and place it in the urn.
7 plum blossom branches
(Prunus mume)
2 Cut the woody hawthorn and plum blossom
branches to at least twice the height of the urn.
4 eucalyptus branches
Position them in the chicken wire to create an (Eucalpytus gunnii)
asymmetrical shape, then tape them in place.
6 pieris stems
(Pieris japonica)
3 Use the eucalyptus to fill the central area above the 8 lily-flowered tulips (Tulipa
urn with green. Slip the pieris stems under the foliage
‘White Triumphator’ )
so it hangs over the edge of the urn.
6 peony tulips (Tulipa
‘Mount Tacoma’ )
4 Place the tulips and anemones between the lines of the hawthorn and plum blossom branches. Cut 4 anemones (Anemone
some of their stems shorter to create layers of flowers.
coronaria ‘The Bride’ )
Don’t be afraid to position them in clusters instead of 10 viridiflora tulips (Tulipa
dotting them equal y throughout the arrangement.
‘Spring Green’ )
5 Solomon’s seal stems
5 Add the Solomon’s seal, ensuring the arching stems (Polygonatum x hybridum)
and hanging flowers can be seen clearly.
2 crown imperial fritil ary
6 Add the pair of showstopping fritil ary to the right stems (Fritil aria imperialis)
side of the arrangement. Ensure the stems are long large urn
enough to extend out past the other flowers.
plastic bowl—to fit snugly
CARE
into the top of the urn
The tulips will grow in the vase, so retrim and chicken wire
reposition them every 2 days to maintain the pot tape
arrangement’s balance and proportion. Replenish the water every 2 days and the arrangement should pruning shears
last for a week.
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LATE SPRING &
EARLY SUMMER
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LATE SPRING &
EARLY SUMMER
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82 Late Spring & Early Summer
Alchemists once believed that
raindrops harvested from lady’s mantle
leaves could turn metal into gold.
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Lady’s Mantle
Alchemilla mol is
These frothy, green flowers with
their downy foliage are perfect for
a country-style arrangement.
A mainstay of early summer floristry, lady’s mantle works equally well with bright or
muted color palettes, and its soft, fluffy form will adapt to any kind of arrangement. It can be grown in two ways: planted in the shade, it will hold its strong, green color, but planted in a sunny spot, it will grow taller and
the flowers will turn yellow.
STEM HEIGHT
FROM THE FLORIST Ensure the flowers are
up to 24in (60cm)
frothy and not too tight. Do not choose flowers that look dry.
FLOWER SIZE
1⁄16–1⁄8in (2–3mm)
IN THE GARDEN Lady’s mantle spreads rapidly, LONGEVITY 10–14 days
so lift and divide it every 3 years. Once the flowers turn yel ow, prune the whole plant and water well for FORM clusters of
a second flush of leaves and sometimes flowers in the tiny flowers
fal ; this will also reduce spreading.
COLORS green, yel ow
CONDITIONING Be sure to cut the stems at an FRAGRANCE none
angle and condition in water overnight to prolong BEST COMPANIONS
the plant’s vase life.
roses, sweet peas,
cornflowers
DISPLAY The flowers are a great fil er, and create a wonderful backdrop for other blooms. Cut the stems short and work them into florist’s foam to create garlands and floral bal s. Alternatively, keep the stems Alchemilla mollis is a hardy
long and use them in hand-tied bouquets and front-plant that will grow in a variety
facing or centerpiece arrangements. Use the leaves of soils and conditions.
to create a col ar of foliage when arranging in vases.
CARE Refresh the water every 2 days to maximize the vase life.
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84 Late Spring & Early Summer
Al ium
Allium
With globe-shaped flowers
on long, straight stems, al iums
create a bold statement.
Alliums are an exclamation mark in the
garden and in the vase, but take some thought to arrange effectively. Each allium globe is made up of lots of small, star-shaped flowers that, as alliums are part of the onion family, have a slightly oniony scent. As they age,
some of the flowers turn into green seed
heads, and their scent intensifies.
STEM HEIGHT
FROM THE FLORIST A fresh al ium will have
up to 3ft (1m)
half of its star-shaped flowers open.
FLOWER HEAD SIZE
IN THE GARDEN Al iums are very easy to grow.
2–4in (5–10cm)
They like wel -drained soil and enjoy full sun. In fal , LONGEVITY
plant the bulbs three times their length deep in up to 2 weeks
the soil.
FORMS globe-shaped
flower head, cluster of
CONDITIONING A drop of bleach in the water
pendant (hanging) flowers
will help to minimize the oniony smel .
COLORS pink, purple,
DISPLAY To enjoy the detail of the flower, nestle blue, white
al iums into bouquets or take advantage of their FRAGRANCE
long stem length by placing them in large-scale mild onion
arrangements. Their starry globes combine well with tal , spire-shaped flower heads and arching stems.
BEST COMPANIONS
bishop’s weed, foxgloves,
Alternatively, display them alongside the softening Solomon’s seal, bearded
influence of umbel shapes, such as bishop’s weed, irises
or bold outlines, such as irises.
CARE They have a long vase life of up to 2 weeks.
Be sure to change the water every 2–3 days to prevent an oniony odor from developing.
Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’
is a popular variety among gardeners as it has a stable form and color, and is relatively resistant to pests and diseases.
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In the language of flowers,
al iums symbolize prosperity.
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86 Late Spring & Early Summer
Peruvian Lily
Alstroemeria
Flowering for months in the garden
and weeks in the vase, Peruvian
lilies deserve more recognition.
Peruvian lilies are tuberous perennials that originate from South America but, despite
their common name, are not related to lilies.
At the top of each stem, they produce clusters of flowers that have centers that are streaked with burgundy “brushstrokes.”
FROM THE FLORIST
STEM HEIGHT
Check that the smal er buds
up to 3ft (1m)
have not been removed and that there is no foliage on the stem.
FLOWER SIZE
13⁄8–4in (3.5–10cm)
IN THE GARDEN Preferring full sun and
LONGEVITY up to
rich, wel -drained soil, the fleshy roots will spread 3 weeks
underground and can become invasive. Cover with mulch in the winter—especial y in the first couple of FORM cluster of