Flowers for spring

With Mothering Sunday and Easter just around the corner, the changing seasons mean our Garden Room at the farm is filled shades of white, creamy pinks and lilacs, pale blues and soft greens.

Our floristry team is using this gentle palette of early spring to make beautiful floral hand-tied bouquets and trugs of planted spring bulbs, using fresh blooms, greenery and plants from our Market Garden and sourced carefully from local, sustainable British growers.

The Victorians used floriography, a secret language of flowers to reveal their true feelings in a time when some subjects were taboo. If you were thinking of making your own hand-tied bouquet or vase arrangement for a loved one, this is a lovely way to imbue a deeper, personal meaning at the same time.

Think of it as floral poetry; you can even choose your own combination of meaningful blooms and attach a card explaining the significance behind each one. 

Here are some of our favourite seasonal blooms, along with their hidden meanings.

• Eustoma (Lisianthus) – “appreciation”, to show you are thankful for all they do
• Pink Roses – “grace”, a lovely compliment at any time
• Tulips – “declaration of love”, always a wonderful message to receive
• Rosemary – “remembrance”, to evoke memories
• Daffodils – “birth/ new beginnings”, fitting for spring
• Lily of the Valley – “return of happiness”, perfect when loved ones are reunited
• Stocks – “you will always be beautiful to me”, a touching way to express deep feeling
• Myrtle – “love and good luck”, members of the royal family often include a sprig of this fragrant shrub in their wedding bouquets
• Blossom – “purity, loveliness”, a fitting celebration of spring
• Lily – “majesty”, for someone you love more than any other
• Altro – “devotion”, to show your commitment
• Primrose – “childhood”, for someone who makes you feel young!
• Snowdrop – “consolation”, for times when friendship and support are needed