The spring is one of my favorite seasons for flowers.   I remember when we were planning our October wedding many years ago, all the flowers that I loved the most were unavailable or too hard to get because they were for Spring.   Now of course it’s possible to get anything year round, but I really try to stick to what’s in season and to look forward to what is blooming next.   I can’t wait to get my hands on some lilac!

An early spring (late winter?) favorite are ranunculus — they are so soft and feathery and are such a treat.  I also just discovered these white tree peonies at a local shop and fell in love with them; I bought them “open” but they seem to be holding up ok!  Daisies are a favorite, as are sweet peas (I bought some “wild” sweet peas yesterday — something I had not seen before, either).   Tulips, daffodils, speedwell, queen anne’s lace and snapdragons are all so beautiful and delicate.  I also ADORE paper whites, clematis and hellebores.  The list goes on!

People often ask me how I select my flowers.  The truth is that I go totally by color and texture, and only by following this instinct has my knowledge and taste expanded.  I remember that I used to feel that I could only buy romantic antique roses and peonies and didn’t quite understand the rest and how to handle them once I brought them home and had to make an “arrangement”.    The more you practice the better but one thing that makes it super easy is just to keep your flowers in pretty monochromatic arrangements: all the ranunculus together, all the daisies, etc.  while you gather confidence in processing and handling flowers.

The same goes for color; if you’re feeling intimidated, just stick with a really simple color scheme, like white, and then select all the white flowers that you like from the store.   I’m known for laying out all of my flowers at the wholesale florist and then eliminating or adding from there — a habit which I am sure is very annoying (and well handled by them) but since I am a visual learner, this is the best way for me to educate myself on what works well.