Bringing winter flowers inside - Part 4: A few other favourites

Bringing Winter Flowers Inside

Part 4: A Few Other Favourites

In this lesson we demonstrate other winter plants that can be picked and brought indoors. Some of them work well only in small arrangements while others look impressive in large designs.

Cyclamen

• Cyclamen hederifolium - autumn-flowering with triangular-shaped leaves
• Cyclamen coum - flowers early in the year; has round leaves and tiny flowers (they are good for keeping in egg cups around the house)

Camellias

These hardy, evergreen shrubs come in a great variety of sizes and colours. We often pick camellias in bud - they open up well indoors.

Chaenomeles (common name: Japanese quince)

Commonly known as Japanese quince, this is not a very beautiful shrub but it is excellent for picking from. You can pick branches with barely developed buds - they will open indoors and give off a lovely scent. Prune the shrub by a third after the flowers have gone, keeping it very airy. Treat Lonicera fragrantissima (common name: winter honeysuckle) in a similar manner.

Anemone coronaria (common name: poppy anemone)

Anemones grow from tubers and need to be planted in mid-October in a polytunnel or a glasshouse if you want them to flower at the beginning of the new year or after Christmas for flowering in April/May.

Viola (common name: viola)

Tiny flowers which come in different varieties in violet or white.

Prunus x subhirtella (common name: winter-flowering cherry)

Winter-flowering cherries come in different varieties. A mature cherry tree will produce a profusion of flowering branches. In our view this is a 'must' in a winter garden.

Vases and Containers

We scour charity shops and street markets, such as Portobello Road Market in London, for pots and vases. We love using old china for planting bulbs (especially crocus) and have a variety of large and small, ceramic and metal jugs, bowls and cups for arranging flowers. If the shape of a container makes an arrangement difficult, we use scrunched-up chicken wire to anchor the flowers at the base. We love the Constance Spry vases and any inspired by them, such as the containers for a Moro Dabron candles.

Our Advice:

• Never use green floral foam in arrangements; it's really bad for the environment.
• To grow healthy camellias, you need to plant them in ericaceous or acid soil.
• Take care when cutting down Chaenomeles; if you cut it right back you will lose next season's flowering branches.