Several people have lately told me, “I only plant the kind that come back every year.”  That’s good; it saves time—and eventually, money.  I plant perennials too but as a renting “foreigner,” I don’t want to invest too much since perennials tend to cost a lot more.  That aside, how can I refuse the glorious fiesta colours-reds, oranges, yellows, pinks—even purples, of zinnias (though mine grow as slow as treacle pours) or the cheerful trailing nasturtium of Monet’s Giverny? Do without fragrant, velvety petunias? I can’t. Surprisingly, petunias make okay cut flowers. Or what about stately golden sunflowers (though the snails do seem to love them)? No, the garden would be poorer without these dazzling, often bigger blooms.

I love cutting flowers from my garden and bringing them in our home–annuals and perennials.  My “vases” are an odd assortment of jars, bottles and cups plus a few small “real” vases.  For some reason, I never find a vase that I like in the shops—that I can afford, so these bits and bobs are fine. I cut the flowers first, then fit the vase to them.  The best time to cut flowers is in the morning when they retain the most water. Cut flowers should be displayed away from sunny windows and any heat source including TVs and radiators. Ideally, the water should be changed daily and the stems re-cut at an angle.

Though I spent about five years working in the floral industry—not as glamorous as people think but better than working at an office desk in my view, I tend to keep my arrangements simple.  I keep remembering that my grandmother preferred a natural look in her flower arrangements, “like they grow in a garden.”