Mothers Day is approaching and M&S have got a blooming marvellous selection of Flowers. You’ll be spoilt for choice with the vast variety on offer online and in store.
One evening this week, I had the pleasure of attending a Flower Arranging Masterclass at the very stunning Ivy restaurant in Chelsea. Like everything in the Ivy, the decor in this particular private room didn’t disappoint; The mood lighting, the ornate pictures hung on the walls, the table linen, the antique mirrors. The setting was perfect for our floral masterclass and I was wearing my floral M&S blouse to blend right in!
Hosting were two very prestigious people… award winning blogger Rona Wheeldon of ‘Flowerona’ and Marks and Spencer’s very own Flower expert Simon Richards. Both educated us with the knowledge of Flower arranging and essential tips and skills we needed to be equipped with. In particular, I learnt a few little pointers that I was totally oblivious to and advice I must share with you while I have your attention
Re-cut stems– I’ve always been aware of the importance of trimming the stems of fresh flowers. And like me, you’re probably clued up about the whole ‘cut diagonally’ technique? Well, apparently this only applies to hard stems such as Roses for example. All other stems which are more supple and soft needn’t be trimmed at a diagonal. This is because they are perfectly capable of drinking the water!
Keep your flowers in cool room– I’m particularly guilty of having vases of flowers on tables near radiators! But they do obviously live a much longer life in cooler places. Oh and NOT near fruit! That was a new one which i’d not heard before! But apparently the fruit lets off bacteria which can kill the flowers.
Flower food– There are a few myths flying around about what you can put in the vase water to increase the longevity of your flowers, some of which do work. However the little sachets of Flower food you so often get with your bouquets are scientifically formulated, tested and proven to increase the life of your blooms. So definitely use them!
Changing the water– It may seem obvious but apparently you should always replenish your flower water as soon as it is no longer crystal clear. So the minute it appears cloudy/ murky, then that’s your cue to change the water.
Remove any greenery below the water level– When prepping your flowers for display, as well as trimming the stems, it’s very important that you remove any leaves/ greenery from the stems which are ‘below’ the water level in the vase/ vessel as they carry bacteria which can kill your flowers.
Forecast Colour trends– Peach and Apricot colours are this season’s winners! You’ll be bang on trend if you have flowers in these colours!
My M&S TOP PICK– The Avalanche roses. These gorgeous Dutch big headed roses are of the HIGHEST quality and for only £50 online you get x20 stems (Shop them HERE). They come in a mix of colours and these are their individual meanings;
Pink– thankfulness and appreciation.
White– purity and innocence.
Peach– deep appreciation and gratitude.
M&S have a flower arranging hub online with how-to-features and more tips for you to create your own special bouquets for Mother’s Day. You can find it HERE.
I got to create bouquets at the masterclass using pretty Narcissi, Roses and some wild flowers. We took our arrangements home in vases of which are all available to buy online. To shop the full M&S Mothers Day Flowers range, click HERE.
Why not prepare your own little Mother’s Day spread, using some of the new Home range, including these beautiful Blue/ Turquoise Serving dishes which I love. I picked out these lovely floral napkins which set the Spring mood perfectly among the tulips I chose to display in the Apothecary vases- my favourite! To shop the full M&S Home range, click HERE.
by Laura xx
