Journal PAPER THIN MOON - Spring 2023

How to Make a Spring Flower Display in a Bowl: I thought it would be the perfect time to put together some of the season’s finest blooms in our new fluted pedestal bowl, using one of our large Niwaki metal flower pins in the base.  I confess to having once again failed to plant any spring bulbs back in autumn (one year I will get my act together and get this done, I really will), so my garden isn’t doing all that well for spring flowers. I have a few tete-a-tete daffodils and the odd fritillary that I can’t bear to pick because they’re simply too close to perfection.

But luckily I know a lady who always has the most gorgeous selection of exquisite, seasonal (and unusual) flowers, so I headed over to chat to Claire Mothersdale of Bulb florist in Lewes.  Claire’s vibe and style is unstructured and loose and I knew she’d help me come up with something wild-looking and lovely.

Claire felt that our fine porcelain bowl needed a delicate display, and she chose a combination of pretty butterfly ranunculus, muscari, peony tulips, delphiniums, Japanese ranunculus and bridal crown daffodils. While I watched closely as she pulled out beautiful stems and placed them carefully into the metal flower frog, I asked her about how she approaches such a display. 

I love the way Claire is so relaxed about the way she designs her displays, but she’s also very picky about what she uses and has the most impeccable taste - I always find something I’ve never seen before when I visit her shop, it’s part of the excitement of going there…