Spring in Mid Winter
S/S '23
It’s always good to start the New Year with a breath of the freshest air. We’re launching 2023 with some cheerful Spring bulbs in the cheeriest of glass vases and metal bowls.
S/S '23
Forced Bulbs
It sounds a bit painful but it’s just keeping the bulbs cold for 6-12 weeks (in a brown paper bag at the bottom of the fridge) to mimic the conditions of deepest darkest Winter and then bringing them into the warmth of the house so that they assume it’s the dawn of Spring. If we haven’t left you quite enough time to force them with cold conditions, try forcing them in water. Fill your vase with enough water to touch the fleshy stem (the basal plate, let’s embrace the language of horticulture) of the bulb. Place the vase in a cool, dark spot for a couple of days until the roots begin to form and the stem starts to sprout then bring it into the big bright world to bloom.
Bulb Vases
A bulb vase, or forcing or hyacinth vase, is the perfect vessel for the purpose. It should be large enough to hold sufficient water for the plant with a flared top to support the bulb. We love the Stromshaga vases in three sizes and three colours. Mix and match (see our brand new Spring table in the shop) or choose your colour. The clear glass vase is particularly good if you’re interested in botany (lots of root growth easily visible below the water line).
Which Flowers
We’ve gone all out for Hyacinths for Spring but other favourites include Muscari (grape hyacinths), Narcissi and Irises. Just think about shape, colour and scale when you come to make your choice. And to keep them growing straight, rotate the vase a little each day so they don’t keep growing the same way towards the light. And waste not, want not. Once your blooms have stopped flowering, and the weather warms up, you can plant the bulbs outdoors for next year.
Hellebores
If forcing bulbs is a bit too Percy Thrower (or Monty Don, depending on your fancy, and we think we know where that might be), there is always a trusty hellebore, which flowers naturally from mid-Winter to late Spring. These hardy perennials are probably already in bloom in your gardens and can be dug up and brought inside to add some natural colour to your interiors. Keep them moist but not too wet. Keep them light but not too sunny. They don’t like extremes.
The Vessels
What better than an interesting bowl? We’ve used a mix of Stromshaga metal bowls in different colours and sizes. Make sure the plant is in a pot with some drainage holes first. You don’t want it to get waterlogged. We’ve chosen subtle colours to ease us into Spring with pretty softest mint, white and dark green.
Location Location Location
We’ve massed the flowers on the large table at the front of the shop, setting out our optimistic stall for 2023. At home you might want to add them to a table setting for a dinner party; add a few to a console table in a hallway; place a single vase on top of a stack of books on a coffee table or on a bedside table. Just put them wherever you want to add a note of Spring.
Shop The Look
We’ve got the vases for you. You just need to find the flowers.
