Velvet Brown - Home Accessories

I’ve just come back from an unusual short holiday in Wales. Unusual because of the accommodation.  We stayed in a Romany Caravan in a quiet and private spot in the Ceredigion Valley.  The Caravan or “vardo” as is should more correctly be known, was purchased in 2004 by Holiday Company www.underthethatch.co.uk and set into an idyllic setting in the corner of a field on the edge of the village of Rhyd Lewis. Along with the Vardo, there is also a hut for day to day living with running water, shower, flushing toilet, fridge and hob - so not exactly roughing it. The Vardo and the Verandah on the hut both have extremely efficient pot-belly stoves . So efficient in fact the Vardo soon turns into a sauna if one gets over zealous with the coal,  as we and many previous visitors, according to the visitors book, experienced.  There are many mentions of visitors sitting outside in the frost in only their underwear trying to cool off!

 There is nothing quite like a cooked breakfast in the open air to get the day off to a good start and lots of beautiful places to visit very close by.  The coast of the area is like North Cornwall without the crowds and Welsh Cakes with butter  instead of Scones with jam and clotted cream.  

 Wildlife abounds - many visitors claimed to have seen up to 30 species of birds from the hut alone. It was also mentioned several times that otters had been seen, though they proved to be somewhat elusive during our stay.

It’s a great place to stay for a romantic break - whatever the weather - but is booked up for months in advance so be patient as all good things come to those who wait.

With an abundance of cut flowers available from florists during the Spring it’s hard to single out a favourite, however if I had to pick one for the month of April it would be the Ranuncula.

With layer upon layer of delicate petals, like fine tissue paper and available in a variety of colours, Ranunculas are a close relative of the humble Buttercup.  With it’s peony-like flower,  the Ranuncula is much loved by many of the top London florists, such as Paula Pryke and Jane Packer, and are perfect for a Spring wedding.  

When buying Ranunculas as a cut flower, always look for straight stems with buds which are beginning to open and showing good colour.  If you buy when the buds are too tight this may be a sign of a flower which has been cut too early and you may be disappointed with the flower not opening properly. 

When you get the flowers home, strip most of the foliage from each stem.  The leaves on Ranunculas often turn yellow well before the flower dies and can look scruffy, it’s far better to strip off the leaves and add some other evergreen foliage.  Cut about half an inch off the base of each stem and arrange in clean water.  Ranunculas should last for at least 7-10 days and will benefit from a change of water every couple of days.  

For lots of flower arranging ideas I can thoroughly recommend Paula Pryke’s various floristry books for innovative ideas and simple, stylish decorations.  Visit http://www.paula-pryke-flowers.com/ for details.