May Recipe

A double bill - A Bridal Bouquet and Vase.

May

A Bridal Bouquet & Vase Arrangement

A mix of plants mostly grown just the Autumn before for the Bridal Bouquet. The vase arrangement is wild and loose - 10 days old by this point; when I shot it, I wanted to show that naturally grown flowers did last. Look closely to see where some petals have dropped!

Skill - Intermediate

Grow to Arrange Time - Bridal Bouquet - 6-8 months plus foraging mature hedgerow. Vase - 1 year +

Vase Life - 7-10 days +

Ingredients

Bridal Bouquet

• Tulips - Including Brown Sugar, La Belle Epoque, Black Hero, bicoloured Rems Favourite & Apricot Beauty.

• Ranunculus - yellow, pink & peach picotee. (bi-colour petals)

• Fagus sylvatica & Fugues sylvatica f. purpurea (Beech & Copper Beech)

• Malus Apple Tree Blossom or Sweet Rocket

• A shrub that was in our garden when we moved in and I have never identified it!

Vase

• Allium - any but purple sensation is a crowd pleaser.

• Leucanthemum vulgare

• Sweet Rocket

• Nigella

• Perennial Cornflower

• Aquilegia

• Buttercups

• Cerinthe

• Phacelia

• Phlomis

• Geum

• Alchemilla Mollis

• Lemon Balm

Growing Methods & Conditioning

1. Cut branches of green and purple beech. Being very fresh, I’d sear in just boiled water for 30 seconds and plunge into cold water to condition over night. I also used another shrub with beautiful brown toned leaves. I have never found out what it is! Other plants that might work well instead could be dogwoods, chaenomeles foliage, amelanchier.

2. Ranunculus can be planted out (after soaking and pre sprouting) in October, but also plants started in January will flower now. Water well and feed as they open to flower. Cut at ‘marshmallow’ stage, when the flower head gives a little when gently ‘squished’ between your fingers. Strip the lower leaves and condition over night. No need to sear.