Friday 12 September 2014

The Flower List: Growing Your Own Vintage Country Bouquets

Today, I'll be sharing my all-time favourite Vintage Country Flowers to grow in my garden for beautiful Modern Country Style bouquets.

Reem Acra wedding dress, Babington House Wedding, Ria Mishaal Photography

With this Vintage Flower Starter Kit in your own garden space, you'll be putting together Country bouquets in no time at all.


How can your Vintage Flower Starter Kit possibly start anywhere but roses? I can always, always, always find another space in the garden to squeeze in an extra rose.

Flower Design Events: Autumnal Pinks for Victoria & Sam's Glorious Wedding Day at St Anne's Parish Church & The Grand Hotel

Many of the roses available from florists have been greenhouse-grown or imported but it is possible to get a similar look with roses from your own garden. If you have a small garden, stick with varieties in soft pinks (New Dawn, The Generous Gardener, Geoff Hamilton) and whites (Iceberg, Elina) but if you have more room then the sky's the limit! For soft yellowy-butterscotch roses, try Graham Thomas. One of my favourite climbers is Dublin Bay, which produces perfect, soft, velvety red roses. 

Passion for Flowers - gorgeous avalanche and amnesia roses

Sweet Peas are easy to grow from seed. The spidery tendrils produce a tumbling mass of flowers that, rather miraculously, the more you cut, the more they respond with even more blooms. 

Sweet-Pea-Rose-Ranunculus-Bouquet

Buy varieties that smell delicious, like Matucana and Black Night, and, by sowing in succession, you'll have sweet peas by your bedside from May to September.

Image

Next on my list is Larkspur, the annual version of the delphinium. Plant these once and they'll be with you year after year, thanks to their awesome self-seeding skills. 


The tall spikes of Larkspur add height with prettiness: perfect for soft country shades of pink, purple, blue and white..

Delphiniums: The Regent's Park by curry15, via Flickr

Foxgloves are another tall flower that self-seed magnificently. I know many a gardener that might label them a weed but, ever since I was a little girl, I've adored their finger-sized rows of mini megaphones. 

Honey of a Thousand Flowers - Journal - A whisper and a breath  #blush #flowerarrangement #weddings

Foxgloves are just lovely in any number of colours, from softened magenta...

Foxglove and Lady's Mantle (you just can't go wrong with pink and chartreuse in my opinion!) | Cottage Magpie

to the rather more sophisticated white forms (try Snow Thimble)...

The white garden.....love the Foxglove!!!!

Hydrangeas are my current numero unos. O:B:S:E:S:S:E:D!
In fact, so evangelically enthusiastic am I that I'll be sharing my must-have varieties in the very next post. Warning: it's really worth researching carefully before you buy because hydrangeas change astonishingly throughout the season

Lovely tablescape with hydrangeas and roses in a white china cachepot for a dramatic effect.    http://www.annabelchaffer.com/categories/Dining-Accessories/

Last on my list is lilac. 

Lilac and Sage Bridal Bouquet | Lauren Albanese Photography | See more http://heyweddinglady.com/boutique-de-fleurs-french-flower-shop-wedding-inspiration-blue-purple/

Sturdy, easy-peasy to grow and look after, even for a novice, lilac's itty-bitty flowers bundled together into spire-like cones soften the formality of roses. 

Flowers: 30 paper white narcissi, 25 white ranunculas, 25 white single tulips, 15 white hyacinths

With my Starter Kit of these glorious Country flowers:

roses,
larkspur,
hydrangeas,
foxgloves,
sweet peas...

Flower Design Events: Autumnal Pinks for Victoria & Sam's Glorious Wedding Day at St Anne's Parish Church & The Grand Hotel

...coupled with the best foliage around (post coming shortly), your Modern Country flower bouquets will be the envy of all your friends.


Images via: Lovemydress, fioribylynne, Pinterest, Pinterest, Sarah Raven, Elizabeth Ann Designs, ewildflowers, flickr, sarahwinward, cottagemagpie, indulgy, unknown, lovemydress, hgtv, flowerdesignstannes

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2 comments :

Justine said...

Oh WOW!!! Those flowers and bouquets are STUNNING!!!

jaosnsmskth said...

ks for sharing the article, and more importantly, your personal experience mindfully using our emotions as data about our inner state and knowing when it’s better to de-escalate by taking a time out are great tools. Appreciate you reading and sharing your story since I can certainly real

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