With winter weather fully upon us – we are all in need of some bold colors and fresh fragrance. What better way to warm up the winter and cure those blues than with a variety of fresh flowers? “I think about making a flower arrangement the same way I consider a room, creating a composition that will equal the sum of its parts. Let me explain: color, texture, scale, and location of an arrangement are as important as doing a floor plan in decoration. It is essential to take all elements into account. Consider the container: What will you choose? Where will it go? Answering these simple questions will prevent you from making something that may need a haircut, an overall scale-down, or lightening up.”
“Flowers can create all sorts of moods in a home—festive primary-colored zinnias in a basket, seductively fragrant garden roses, one statuesque ‘Casa Blanca’ lily, a sweet nosegay of freshly picked daffodils, or a landscape of miniatures. Each in its own way says something different. The smallest gestures suggest you care. A single blossom in a simple vase or a vase with some sentimental attachment can add meaning to your life or, at the minimum, a splash of beauty in your room.”
“If you are worried that it is not your long suit, so to speak, well, guess what? It never will be if you don’t give it a try. The late grand dame of English interior decoration, Jean Monro, used to always say to me, “You’ve just got to ‘give it a go.’” Jean’s decorating shop on Montpelier Street in London was one of my favorite haunts, and I considered her a mentor as I met her right after I started my business. I could always count on finding delicious porcelains of all types, including vases, in her shop. I still have some of those vases, and I think of her indomitable spirit every time I pick one up.”
So next time you are at the corner store, the flower market or your local florist, remember, you just have to “give it a go.”
For more inspiration from Charlotte, pick up her newest book Garden Inspirations.
