Bringing the Garden Inside

The Christmas table decorations mentioned in an earlier post have prompted me to think about the occasions when flowers have been brought inside. While I am a firm believer that plants are meant to be kept outdoors, bringing the occasional arrangement inside can liven up the house.

 

 The sad thing about cut flowers is, of course, that they do not last long in our centrally heated homes. Consequently, I do not reserve any particular outdoor space for floral arrangements. To try to keep the flowers a few extra days we trim the stems at an angle (helps increase moisture up take), scald the flower stem before arranging and use some proprietary flower feed if you have any. I remain to be convinced by the other web solutions such as vinegar or soda or even aspirin
and vodka! Alternatively, some plants can be grown inside (in our case the conservatory) and never find their way into the garden. The iris in the Clarice Cliff mugs above are such a case in point.