FORSYTHIA, DAFFS, PERSIAN LILY
MARCH
Ceramic urn in speckled tobacco glaze
Medium kenzan
Chicken wire
Crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis)
Daffodil (Narcissus 'Blushing Lady' & ‘Replete’)
Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum ‘White Icicle’)
Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)
Goat willow (Salix caprea)
Persian lily (Fritillaria persica)
St. John’s wort (Hypericum lancasteri)
Nothing says ‘spring has sprung’ to me like Fritillaria. Every winter I count down the days until these incredible flowers are back and this week the studio was graced with their presence once again. We grow many different varieties and the differences between them are remarkable - some, like ‘Uva Vulpis’, ‘Elwesii’ and ‘Meleagris’ are slimmed-stemmed, with intricately-marked nodding bells - very dainty, perfect for gestural use in bouquets and small bowls and vases. Others, like ‘Persica’ and ‘Imperialis’, both of which I used in this arrangement, are chunky and sculptural with thick beefy trunks decorated with blade-like leaves and spiralling bells that taper - the ultimate flowers right now for larger vases, urns and installations. I particularly love the brownish purple of ‘Persica’ and how, though they might be growing relatively straight when cut, after a day or two in the vase, they start to curve and contort into wonderful wiggly shapes, like tulips do. They pair particularly well with yellow and peachy orange, which I brought in with the Narcissi - so uplifting on these still-cold and greyish days, a true gift from the garden.
