Lizzies If you had to design the perfect cut flower, you might get close to inventing the 'lizzie' or lisianthus. It's not a very well-known bloom, but it's such an effortless, elegant beauty I wonder why it doesn't get the same sort of kudos the rose does. It also has a long vase life and no prickles which is a big bonus if you're a florist! With it's rose-shaped buds, it's sometimes called 'the rose without thorns'. It's a tricky one to grow and I'm delighted to have found a top quality British supplier that can add instant prettiness to our posies. It comes in a range of pinks, purple, salmon, white and creams and some bicolour varieties. Originally from...
We've got unusual blooms from Lincolnshire this week, such as celosia, snowberry and eryngium. The snowberry is a curious hedgerow plant related to the honeysuckle that you might spot if you're out on a walk at the moment. The berries are often white but the snowberries in this week's posy have a tint of pink to them. Its official name is Symphoricarpos albus and it's native to Northern America. In the UK it's a popular ornamental shrub and has also made a successful escape into the wild where it's become an important winter food source for quail, pheasant and grouse. The Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, was given a specimen and had this to say about it: "A very handsome little shrub of...
Six years ago I delivered my first MeadowSweet posies to my first local customers. It's been quite a journey! At that time, I wasn't sure I'd be able to source British flowers year round and one or two of the early winter posies did include the odd imposter! Over the next couple of years I found additional growers to provide winter British flowers and the posies have been 100% British flowers and foliage ever since. In the posies this week is dahlia for the first time this year. These russetty pom pom dahlias are a little hardier than the loose petalled varieties. The dahlia has a complex genetic make up leading to a vast array of different shapes and colours. However, there's still £2000 up for...
From Antirrhinums... (aka snapdragons) to Zinnias in this week's posy. This is the first time I've used zinnia this year. Although ours have been flowering for some time, they weren't too happy about all the hot, dry weather we had. These bright yellow zinnia have come out since the rain and were grown in Hampshire.They compliment the other yellows and contrasting purples in the arrangement.Zinnia are an unusual bloom with hollow stems which makes them a little fragile, and they come in a mouth-watering array of vivid colours. For a more subtle option, there are number of newer varieties, such as 'Queen lime blush', that have muted hues. Zinnias can provide a burst of mid-late summer colour in the garden and are a favourite...
Pampas grass Pampas grass is currently enjoying a fashionable come-back, featured in Instagram shoots and glossy home magazines. This large ornamental grass is in flower right now and if you have the space for it and can put up with its razor-sharp leaves, it's certainly a spectacular garden addition. Pampas grass was popular in the 70s and growing it by your front door came to be seen as an indication of the home-owner's relaxed sexual preferences. Sales of the grass plummeted after that, but I think we can safely plant it again now without getting too many unwanted knocks at the door. What's in the posy? Pampas grass, sedum, dill, carnation, helichrysum, lisianthus, basil mint, pittosporum, hops, aster, heather, geranium....
