Sense of Flair

You have a flair for using nontraditional containers―from boots to hatboxes to bags―for your arrangements. How do you pull that off without it looking kitschy?  

Thank you! I don’t know. I feel lucky that I was born with some innate sense of taste. I think taste is very hard to define and impossible to learn. You either have it or acquire it with time. I think this is my most kitschy book, but the time was right for this look.

In your book, you say that you are reconnecting with gardening at your home outside London. What advice can you give gardeners who want to plant flowers for cutting?  

I adore English cottage garden flowers, so I have a lot of foxgloves, lupines, delphiniums, eryngiums, echinops, roses, and sweet peas. I love flowers that keep producing blossoms after you cut them, such as sweet peas, roses, and dahlias.

We’re in the peak of wedding season. What should a bride consider when choosing wedding flowers? 

They should suit the personality of the bride. There is a flower out there for everyone. Choose the wedding date to suit the season of your favorite flower. If I were planning a wedding, I would pick May or June. It is the perfect time for my favorites―ranunculus, peonies, foxgloves, lilacs, sweet peas, lilies-of-the-valley, and so on.

What are your favorite summer flower combinations?  

Garden roses with astrantia. Peonies with lady’s-mantle. Sunflowers and dill. Dahlias and achillea.

Are there any combinations you should avoid?
 
 Everything in nature can be made to work with the right amount of foliage. The only thing I avoid is the use of too much variegated foliage, which can dilute colors and diffuse color schemes.

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