To say the least, I’m always in awe of the arrangements that Natalie puts together. It looks as though it were effortless but it definitely isn’t. She has a discerning eye and is able to mix the perfect flowers and greenery together. This month, the bouquet is an explosion of Spring flowers. They’re not only fragrant, but also lovely, balanced, and make me smile with every glance. I feel as if they evoke the English countryside after a spring rain (a girl can dream, can’t she?). The flowers are also perfectly paired with my collection of Shakespeare plays next to them. See how Natalie puts this together and try a bouquet at home – mix the spring flowers you can find – I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
1.) Tell us a little about the types of florals you used in this arrangement. What inspired the mix?
I felt inspired to have a little more contrast in this month’s selection of blooms. Springtime is filled with so many wonderful colors and I wanted to celebrate those. When I was first choosing the flowers I was drawn to the blue in the muscari and muddy purple in the fritilaria. Then, I added the ranunculus as I felt they picked up the center of the frit and daffodils and made the whole combination more vibrant.
2.) Spring floral arrangements are often very cliche… How do you go about breaking the mold during this season?
I find that so much of it is about color and texture selection. If you use soft pinks, I’d round out the colors with more vibrent tones so that it doesn’t feel too babyish. If you use soft fluffy flowers, pair them with denser blooms for contrast.
3.) What are some of your other springtime favorite florals that we should have on our radar?
All of them! Spring is so special because most of the flowers are only available at this time. Unlike so many other varieties that can be cultivated throughout the year, these springtime blooms are only available in their short seasons. Other flowers that I cannot get enough of right now are clematis, spirea, cherry branches, dogwood, anemones, and sweet pea.
4.) What’s the best way to keep an arrangement like this alive and looking fresh?
The trick with lilac is to smash the ends of their woody stems so that they can take on more moisture. On the other hand, daffodils and ranunculus like only a couple inches of water. When mixing flowers with such different personalities I favor the flower needing more water and then try and not submerge the stems of the more delicate flowers. The nature of spring blooms is that some flowers have fleeting lives and only las a few days (daffodils, forget me knot, muscari, dogwood) and some will last quite some time if you get them when they are fresh (cherry blossoms, lilac).
To get inspired by past Blooms in Season posts – click here.
Flowers by Natalie Bowen Designs | Images by Ali Hartwell for Sacramento Street