Velvet Brown - Home Accessories

The humble Hyacinth is often passed over as a cut flower as it’s not a particularly dramatic or tall flower, but all the best things come in small packages.  You only have to inhale the scent of  a Hyacinth, with its soft, soapy perfume, and you’ll instantly think ‘Spring’.   Traditionally and more commonly Hyacinths are grown as flowering bulbs, often planted late Autumn in bowls or pots, then hidden away in a dark cupboard or corner to bring out to flower for Christmas or early Spring.  However Hyacinths are becoming more widely available as cut flowers and even some of the large supermarket chains now stock cut Hyacinths in their flower sections.

Popular colours for cut hyacinths are blue/mauve, white or pink, however more recent cultivars include a pale yellow, apricot, deep purple and deep fuschia-pink.  When buying Hyacinths as cut flowers, always look for tight green buds (know as ‘nails’), tinged with colour, along with firm stems and leaves - a good sign of freshness.  To preserve the vase life of cut Hyacinths, it is best NOT to cut the base of the stem (one of the few cut flowers which do not require a re-cut).  If the stems are gritty from the soil or sand they have been grown in, simply rinse the stems under running water otherwise this will pollute the vase water.

Place the Hyacinth stems in tepid, clean water and enjoy their long vase life (around 10-14 days) as the buds (or ‘nails’) become plump and colourful and the perfume becomes more intense.  It is recommended to change the vase water every 2-3 days to extend the life of the flowers.

With the Christmas and New Year festivities over and the decorations packed away for another year, January is the perfect time to fill the house with cut flowers as thoughts turn to imminent arrival of Spring.  With very little choice available in the garden to cut and only a few shoots from early flowering bulbs peeking through the ground, it’s worth paying a visit to your local florist to see that Spring is on its way.  Although cut flowers for the house are not abundant at this time of year, you should be able to find early narcissi, early tulips, anemones and hyacinths to name but a few.

 The Narcissi family is vast, ranging from the humble but adorable Daffodil, through to the deliciously fragrant pure white Paperwhite. Most Narcissi available to buy in January will have been grown under glass and forced, however with careful treatment they can last well in centrally heated homes. 

 If buying Daffodils, look for tight buds with crisp, straight leaves.  However when buying the fragrant varieties of Narcissi, such as Sol d’Or or Paperwhites, these flowers will not have been cut until they have started to flower so don’t be put off by their open florets, just ensure the stems are straight and rigid to ensure freshness.  All varieties of Narcissi are best on their own and not mixed with other varieties of cut flowers, due to a sap which can exude from the stem and which can be harmful to other flowers.  If you intend to mix Narcissi with other flowers, first cut the stem and place in a separate container with fresh water for about an hour.  This will dilute the sap exuded from the Narcissi stems.  Then take the Narcissi and arrange with the other flowers in a separate container with more fresh water.

To purchase Narcissi we recommend www.scillyflowers.co.uk and www.flowerfarm.co.uk for home-grown Daffodils.

Without doubt the cut flower for December has to be the Amaryllis - also known as Hippeastrum.  With it’s long, thick stem, large and bold flowers and superb lasting ability it really is the ‘king’ of the cut flower world.  It is also the perfect cut flower to have indoors in December as it has excellent long-lasting ability and will cope well in most centrally heated homes. 

The stems of Amaryllis are hollow and it is along this hollow channel that the flower takes up water.  As you take a cut Amaryllis stem out of a vase of water, you’ll hear the water trickling back down the stem.  For this reason, always place cut Amaryllis in deep clean water as they are thirsty flowers. 

Each Amaryllis flower has stamens similar to Lilies and it is worth removing the pollen on the stamens when the flowers open, to avoid staining furnishings - do this as soon as the flower opens and it will help to make the flower head last longer too.

To create a striking arrangement, place two or three stems of cut Amaryllis in a vase with long-stemmed foliage or twigs - no special flower arranging skills required, the Amaryllis with their stunning flowers and colours will do the work for you!

The much maligned Chrysanthemum gets a lot of bad press in the world of floristry, however with an increasing number of new varieties in an array of colours, there couldn’t be a better cut flower to have indoors durng the start of the winter months. 

Used imaginatively and simply the Chrsanthemum is the perfect cut flower for November.  Most Chrysanthemums are long lasting and tolerant of warm temperatures - an added advantage as we all start to turn on the central heating.  With the large, long-stem single-bloom varieties, such as limey green Shamrock, the autumnal Tom Pearce, or the crisp white Anastasia, it’s easy to create a stylish vase arrangement from a few simple blooms.   

Chrsanthemums have fairly woody, tough stems so it’s important to re-cut each stem before arranging the flowers in deep, tepid water. Even if you’ve only bought your flowers a few minutes earlier, you should always cut at least one inch off the base of each stem before placing in water as this will allow the flower stem to take up water efficiently.

For a daintier vase arrangement look out for the mini-spray varieties of Chrsanthemum, classified as Santini.  Especially pretty in a white daisy form or a rich yellow variety, Santini Chrysanthemums make pretty posy arrangements or are useful to cut up into more formal floral arrangements.

 It is important to keep changing the water in vases that have Chrysanthemums, as they can cloud the water if left for too long in the same water.  Also, make sure all leaves under the water line are removed as they will only cause bacteria growth in the water.

October heralds the start of Autumn and the plentiful supply of summer flowers beings to wane.  However if you’re struggling to find beautiful flowers to bring indoors in October, the Hydrangea will save the day.  Late season mop-head Hydrangea are the perfect cut-flowers to display in a vase as they’re easy to arrange, long lasting and are available in an array of Autumnal colours to complement the season.

If you’re cutting Hydrangea from the garden, it is easy to dry the flowers.  The best time to cut the flower heads is when the florets feel like fine tissue paper.  Cut the flowers and remove all the leaves, as these will become dry and crispy.  Then simply arrange the flowers in a clean vase with a little tepid water, ensuring the stems are immersed in water.  After a few days the Hydrangea heads will slowly dry on the stem and will stop taking up water.  Discard the water and these dried flower heads can then be used year-round as a dried display.  For a festive touch simply spray the flower heads with metallic paint, or cut the flower heads into clumps and add to seasonal flower arrangements or festive door wreaths.

There are now some stunning long-stemmed cut Hydrangeas available from good florists in an array of colours.  Three or five long stems in a vase will look amazing, however occasionally these long stems will struggle to take up enough water to keep the flower head looking fresh.  If the flower head starts to wilt, simply recut the base of the stem and place in fresh water and the flower should revive.

Sunflowers are one of the top ten best selling cut flowers in the UK and are plentiful in September.  With their bright yellow petals and rich velvety brown centre, Sunflowers are adored by children and adults.

 The latin name for the Sunflower is ‘Helianthus’, derived from the Greek word ‘helios’ meaning sun, and ‘anthos’ meaning flower and they belong to the Aster flower family.  Cut Sunflowers come in many varieties and sizes, including a rich maroon and brown variety (’Prado Red’) and several ‘double’ varieties such as ‘Teddy Bear’ with multi-layers of petals.

When buying cut Sunflowers always look for sturdy stems with upright flower heads.  When you get the flowers home, cut at least 2 or 3 cm off the base of the stem, preferably at an angle, and arrange the flowers is fresh, tepid water with flower food.  Sunflowers are thirsty flowers and it’s worth changing the vase water and re-cutting the stems every other day to prolong the life of the flowers.  If the petals start to fall off the sunflowers, pull off all the remaining petals to leave an interesting ‘flower’ centre, which looks good in Autumn arrangements.

The much maligned yet magnificent Gladiolus has to be THE flower to buy in August. With it’s tall, elegant spikes of flowers, resplendent colours and good vase life, the Gladiolus (or Gladioli plural) has grown in popularity in recent years. 

Often associated with the celebrity character Dame Edna Everage, the Gladiolus became a trademark of her stage shows as flower stems would be hurled out to the audience.  Although Dame Edna has Australian origins, the Gladiolus is actually native to Africa, notably South Africa.  However, as its popularity as a cut-flower has grown, Gladioli are now grown across Europe and are increasingly being adopted by English growers for the home market.

As well as the traditional tall, large flowering varieties there is also an old fashioned miniature variety known as ‘Bridal Gladioli’ or Gladiolus Colvillei which is a smaller, dainty version of Gladioli popular in wedding floristry.

Buy Gladioli when they’re in season and you can create a stunning vase arrangement simply and inexpensively. To prolong the life of Gladioli cut approximately one inch off the base of their stems and place in deep, clean water.  Then pinch out the top two or three buds at the stem tip as this will encourage the lower flowers to open and keep the stems straight.  Gladioli tend to be thirsty flowers so keep an eye on the water level in the vase.

Scabious - such an unattractive name for a very pretty flower!  Scabious have a fairly short season in the florist calendar but are a summer delight.  In soft bluey/lilac, or less commonly white, Scabious are a true English summer flower, frequently seen in cottage gardens or growing around the margin of corn fields.  

The vase-life of cut Scabious flowers is approx 5 - 7 days. When buying Scabious look for flowers with a smooth, tight pincushion centre, when the petals appear small and crumpled.  If the centre of the flower is fluffy and the petals ragged the flower is probably several days old. 

For maximum vase life simply cut the stems and place in fresh water in a clean vase.  Sadly English-grown Scabious are becoming hard to find, as many growers diversify into other products.  Many Scabious found today in florist shops tend to be Dutch-grown but they have the added benefit of long, straight stems - up to 60cm often with  a spray of buds halfway along the stem.  If cutting the long stems shorter, add the budded stems to the vase or arrangement as they’ll still look attractive and may even open into small flowers.

Sweet Peas

Who doesn’t love Sweet Peas? One of life’s little luxuries. This delicate flower is a gardener’s delight, as the more you pick the flowers from the garden the more they’ll keep coming.

Available from good florists during May, June and July many of today’s cut Sweet Peas are imported from Holland, however with a revival of the British-grown flower market we’re starting to see more British Sweet Peas. You can also buy locally -grown Sweet Peas at many of today’s local farmers’ markets.

The Sweet pea comes is a large spectrum of colours from deepest purples, rich reds, all shades of pink and lilac through to pure white. This five-petalled delicate bloom also has the added bonus of carrying a gorgeous sweet perfume.

The vase life of the Sweet Pea is around 5 - 6 days though they can be sensitive to weather conditions.  Hot summer days and damp drizzly weather are the enemy of the Sweet Pea and the petals will wilt quicker under these conditions.  Wherever possible display Sweet Peas in a cool and airy room to give them their best chance.

The Sweet Pea has become very popular for Summer weddings.  However it’s a volatile crop so it may be prudent to choose an alternative if the season is particularly poor or the weather is very wet, nonetheless an array of Sweet Peas can typify a country wedding.  Mixed with other seasonal flowers and foliage such as Alchemilla Mollis, Peonies and delicate Roses , Sweet Peas will give a relaxed and informal style to any wedding.                    

 Sarah Raven gathering sweet peas

 
The month of May heralds the arrival of summer and nowhere more so as a florist shop, where the Peony season arrives. These big, beautiful and blousy flowers have a relatively short season so it’s truly worth appreciating them whilst they are around. Cut Peonies come in range of colours from all shades of pink through to deep red and white and cream colours too.  The white variety (Duchess) can look like giant snowballs on the end of their delicate stems.

Most commonly available in good florists, throughout the Peony season, is the pale sugar-pink “Sarah Bernhardt”.  This is a ‘double’ variety with larger outer petals, which open to reveal a mass of smaller petals, giving the peony it’s full and blousy appearance.  Some ’single layer’ varieties of Peony only have a layer of large outer petals that open to show a heart of yellow stamens.

If you buy cut Peonies try to buy them when the buds are big, showing colour and about to burst open - this will ensure they will open fully. If the buds are too small and tight they may not always open.  Remove most of the leaves of the peony (the leaves are weak and tend to wilt quickly) and cut about 1 inch or more off the slightly woody stems. Place in a vase or jug of clean water and re-cut the stems every few days to ensure they continue to drink properly.  Peonies are thirsty flowers so always check the water level.

Combine Peonies with with Roses, Lilies, Antirrhinums (’Snap-dragons’) and mixed foliage for a quintessential English summer garden look.  

Further information about Peonies can be found on the Flowers & Plants Association website, click here for details.�