Garden to Vase - Daffodils and Sweet peas by Studio Home

My self seeded Sweet Pea situation is beyond my control and, I think Mother Natures too.

Normally I would expect some healthy early growth once the seedlings have over wintered in the sheltered, sunny aspect of my front fence line. This year (the year of “all beats being off!”) I have my first flowers to be picked on the 1st of September and a completely unmanageable tangle of tendrils practically threatening to curl around an ankle on the way past.

To have Daffodils and Sweet Peas in the same vase is actually pretty unusual, particularly for South Island gardeners, so I had fun greedily slaying some of the tendril mass and picking my very first fragrant blooms to build something for over the kitchen sink.
It is ALSO unusual to see as many florists steer clear of mixing daffs in with any other blooms, believing their sap kills the bunch off quickly. For an at home bunch I don’t consider this a problem and also haven’t really seen a speedy decline of vase friends in my own playing.

Using some newly learned flower arranging skills (the internet is an excellent place!) I got brave with a slightly wider necked vessel than normal, an old silver beer mug given to my husband for his 21st. I then roughly curled and stuffed some coated chicken wire inside it to support what I hoped, would be an open and rambling arrangement.

RECIPE:

Daffodils – tall yellow trumpets and smaller, fragrant Narcissi I believe are called “Earlicheer”

Sweet Peas

Sweet Pea foliage

Jasmine

Pink Nemesia (also happily self seeding around my garden)

Baby Chrysanthemums (or any wee daisies)

A single Dandelion and a few of its leaves (controversial I know)

NOTE: You could substitute Sweet Peas foliage for any other green branches that are spare. Also try substituting Sweet Pea flowers for Hellebores.

Try to cut stems as long as possible to give you options and collect as many as you can spare picking, no big deal if you only have one of each!

Vessel with opening similar to a drinking glass

Secateurs

Snips for conditioning stems

Coated chicken wire – around 150 mm x 150 mm to scrunch up. You can by little rolls of this from hardware stores.

GUIDE:

• Plunge all stems (except daffodils) immediately into a jug of water as soon as possible after picking. Important to keep them hydrated.

• Pop daffodils into their own vase to give as much time as possible for their sticky fluid to be released. Florists give daffodils a wide birth when creating mixed bunches as their sap causes the other plants to die…but I haven’t really seen this in my home bunches so push on!

• Prepare or “condition” all your stems by trimming off all leaves or branches that will be below the water line in the vase.
This promotes cleaner water for longer vase health AND makes it easier to thread through or pull out of your chicken wire holder.

• My arrangement will sit on a window sill above my sink, so I was only concentrating on creating an arrangement that is primarily viewed from straight on.

• Use your Sweet Pea foliage first to help create the overall shape of what you would like the arrangement to be. As you thread into your vase of water, use the natural bends of the plants to your favour by letting them droop or whip off to assist with building your frame.

Ideally, the structure you create with your greens could be simply enough on its own before adding blooms.

• Next add blooms as you please. Ideally in odd numbers of each plant type, but don’t stress.

• Don’t forget to scatter you flower heights to spread interest and find some balance.

Aim for a soft, open, casual vibe.
This is achievable even for the inexperienced and the main aim is to celebrate a little of what you have managed to grow outdoors.