Cut Flowers ! 🌷

I do enjoy some cut flowers in the house from time to time but have to admit I don’t usually do too much with them. 🤔When I discovered alstroemerias lasted for ages, looked fab in any colour and were great value they became my “go to” easy option. It’s an area I haven’t really explored but I’m keen and ready to find out a little more.

I decided to ask florist Claire from “Bramble Blooms”, here in Inverness, to let me in on what’s happening on the flower front.

What's trending in the flower world right now ?

"PINK & YELLOW. We don’t often think of using yellow and pink flowers together, but they actually work really well together! Whether you go for bright shades or a mix of brights and pastels the finished look can be really effective !”😍

Now I wouldn’t have put those 2 together – they do look gorgeous and give me a real sense of summer.

"GREENERY & NATURALS. Wedding décor trends continue to feature lots of flowing greenery, creating venues with a natural and wholesome feel. Venues decorated with hanging floral décor make them feel intimate and romantic. You can bring a touch of this into your home too - get out into the garden and see what greenery might look great indoors!”

Now this is definitely more me.👍 Over Christmas I did get out and create quite a few natural decorations and then returned them to the forest when we were finished. They worked really well. However, I’ve not really done much since then. We currently have an abundance of foliage and a few colourful blooms in the garden that could be trimmed away without even noticing.

What common summer garden flowers are good for the indoors?

“Sunflowers, Sweet Peas, Tulips, Roses, Gladiolus & Peonies” 🌻

I’m feeling a tinge of sadness when I hear “sunflowers” as this is the first summer we have not grown them. My daughter and I have usually had a little competition to see who can grow the highest. And I do miss them as they are fascinating to watch grow, if they make it past the high winds, torrential rain and slugs of the north of Scotland ! Next year. 😂

Peonies have only recently caught my eye as I’ve been trawling through Instagram for ideas. I love the shape and fullness of them. They’ve been added to my grow list !

Any tips for putting together a small and simple arrangement?

* Choose your container and make sure it’s clean

* If using neutral flowers, try a colourful vase

* Cut stems at various heights to create some depth within your arrangement

* Try using a blend of colours in the same colour family

* If using only 1 type of flower, make sure you include various greenery and foliage to round off the design

* Don’t be scared to experiment with colours

* Remember - always cut stems at an angle and change the water every few days to ensure you enjoy your blooms for as long as possible.

Those tips are all super handy for me but perhaps the one I’m going to take away and implement first is the creating depth by cutting stems at differing heights. I usually just cut a little off the bottom and that’s it. 😄

Thank you so much Claire at