FLORISTS Blooming great expert advice on houseplants

NURTURE NATURE

lovely b nch of florists talk s thro gh the oys of ho seplants and bea tif l bo ets By Sarah Moolla

Since lockdowns the nat ral world and all its bea ty seems to have grown in significance in o r lives and taken on a vital therape tic dimension. rom a spider plant on a bathroom shelf to a towering cheese plant flo rishing in a once forgotten corner or a vase of c t flowers on a dining room table – they are all bringing vitality, colo r and cheer to these dreary months. t’s not st aesthetics that are pleasing, there’s a science to their val e too. esearch by N S reveals ho seplants can remove p to per cent of air toxins in ho rs, pl s st dies have repeatedly shown indoor flora can red ce stress, and improve concentration and prod ctivity by p to 5 percent. ere we ask o r local experts to help s c ltivate o r blooms and botanicals and ask how to treat them with the respect they deserve.

Fiona Haser Bizony, Queen Bee at Electric Daisy Flower Farm which grows organic flowers on their farm just south of Bath, to sell both locally and in their shop based in Highgate, London; www.electricdaisyflowerfarm.co.uk f yo are st beginning yo r advent res in gardening as many people are d ring lockdown – apparently, it’s the second most pop lar past time after Netflix – wo ld always s ggest yo begin with a plant or gro p of plants that yo really O . Start with a selection of yo r favo rites like maybe herbs, vegetables or c t flowers. en oy planting a clove of garlic with children and watching that grow, it’s ama ing how ickly yo get res lts in a pot on the windowsill. hese days all the information yo need to get started is available with the flick of a mo se as oogle is the most powerf l tool in gardening.

Kate Bravin of Chapel Farm Flowers on the cutting plot

“I would suggest starting with smaller plants of the cheaper variety and watch them grow”

“Personally, I only have a few houseplants because I spend all my days caring for flowers on the farm, don’t have the bandwidth to look after more green st at home. y da ghter on the other hand is a cra y ho seplant woman, her flat is like a ngle and she has ama ing green fingers. y ho se plant of choice is Pilea peperonioides or Chinese money plant. love the way it looks and it’s s per low maintenance. he only thing it doesn’t like is direct s n. rotate the pot each week so that the plant doesn’t grow towards the light and get lopsided, b t sometimes that might be the look yo are after.

Pilea is considered to have good eng sh i. Called the money plant probably beca se its lovely ro nd leaves look like green coins, it’s believed to bring l ck and prosperity to the ho se in which it thrives. I happily tend to my little plants in the belief that they will bring me happiness and oy. arcia ood is the artisan florist of lores, alcot Buildings, ondon oad www.flores ymwood.com he best place to start is to b y a really good plant care book – my absolute favourite is How Not To Kill Your House Plant by Veronica Peerless – a local ath a thor. book like this can save yo r plants and in t rn, save yo money. here are plants for all b dgets b t wo ld s ggest by starting with smaller plants of the cheaper variety and watch them grow – it’s also a lot more fun that way! I do recommend sansevierias or a zamioculcas as they are easy care and hard to kill. owever do look at the right spot for the right plant – string of pearls, s cc lents, and cacti are a great addition to a s nny window sill. Oxalis, erns and Calatheas are great for shade and moist areas. Philodendron scandens and Scindaps s pict s are fast growing trailers, and make a great feat re on bare walls. Palms, Ficus and Pachiras are tall and lush trees, perfect for those larger

The low maintenance Chinese Money plant is Electric Daisy’s Fiona Haser Bizony houseplant of choice forgotten empty corners. lways have a good look at the plant before yo b y, checking for b gs and eggs and also that the foliage is healthy.

When repotting is needed, use a good quality compost that has water retention properties. hen it comes to the act al pot, personally like the more irky shaped designs and a bit of imperfection – it makes the whole thing more interesting to look at. y favo rite places in ath to pick these p are ardenalia, lways S nday Store, and the anti e market on alcot Street. t don’t forget, when starting o t yo r collection, yo can save money for the act al plants by sco ring yo r recycling box first. ins, old c ps, ars, old pans and plastic bottles can be a very creative and cheap way to grow and display yo r plants. lla arks is the owner of lowers of Bath, a er am ridge treet, arkhall, Bath www.flowersof ath.co.uk t’s a known fact that plants are good for the so l. Not only do plants improve the overall look of a house, most plants purify the air therefore reducing stress levels, eliminating air pollutants and increasing creativity – essentially creating a healthier and happier yo

Start o t by so rcing a good ality and easy to care for ho seplant and ask yo r florist garden centre for in depth information of how to care for it and what that exact plant re ires to thrive. here’s no better feeling than seeing your plant have babies you can propagate and new growth. One of the best ways to red ce cost when splashing out on house plants is to buy young growth plants as opposed to the mat re plants and n rt re and care for them yo rself over time. lso, if a friend has a houseplant or two that you have taken a fancy to, have a little nose and see if there are any babies on route and propagate so yo ’ll end p with its sibling. f yo think yo ’re the sort of person who kills every plant – there is hope. Start with an aloe vera – these are so easy to care for – act ally the ma ority of people tend to bring them to an end early by giving

“It’s a known fact that plants are good for the soul”

Bouquet by Chapel Farm Flowers

Ella Sparks of Flowers of Bath advises against ‘fast-grown’ blooms

Fiona Haser Bizony of Electric Daisy Flower Farm selecting blooms at the organic flowers farm near Bath

The exterior of Myrtle Mee in Bathwick

them too much attention. Succulents do not require much water but they do love the s n. et the soil dry o t before watering again, water once every two weeks or so. hen it comes to fresh c t flowers, it pays to spend a little more on them from a florist that specialises in c t flowers as opposed to yo r s permarket down the road that has prod cers who force the flowers to grow as rapidly as possible. his red ces their length of life, giving o minimal, if any, scent and generally the heads will be a lot smaller with shorter stem length. n the height of s mmer, the last place that yo sho ld sit ate a vase of fresh flowers is on a window sill with direct s nlight and heat, as the next time yo take a look at them, they’ll be ready for the compost heap. resh flowers sho ld ideally be kept in a cool room to prolong their life, along with fresh water on a daily basis and a trim of the stems. mma ees li iere owner and creati e director of yrtle ee, eorge s lace, Bathwick ill www.myrtlemee.co.uk y favo rite Chinese proverb says, hen yo only have two pennies left in the world, spend one on bread and the other on a flower – the bread will s stain life, the flower will give yo a reason to live.’ N rt ring flowers and plants at home gives s o r little spot of nat re and contributes to our wellness and creativity. The lockdown has seen an explosion in the already blooming ho seplant and c t flower trend with the foc s on tech and screens, the calm relaxation and satisfaction these greens give s is m ch needed. O r green companions force s to slow down and the fact that plants p rify the air aro nd s makes them such a positive addition to our homes.

Start with the easier end of ho seplants like s cc lents – they started this new trend anyway a while back. The very low maintenance desert folk like cacti, echeveria, semperviv m are perfect for beginners. ain confidence with these and then progress on to the low maintenance guys like peace lilies, spider plants, rubber plants, Swiss cheese plants, Pileas and di erent ivy and Prayer plants.

Buy one at a time and get to know it and grow with it. The more unusual and more expensive, such as Alcocasias, Syngoniums, ceropegias and orchids, will be better suited as your enthusiasm and expertise increases. Dried flowers are a big trend too at the moment in a more transient way than previo sly in the s. reaths, wall art and floral hanging clouds are all increasingly popular, with seed heads and grasses such as the pampas leading the charge, and straw flowers and statice, also known as sea lavender] adding colour. Anything goes now, I like to mix dried flowers with fresh flowers, and silk flowers have their place in displays too.”

ate Bra in, artisan florists and owner of ha el arm lowers, ha el arm, ansdown, Bath www.cha elfarmflowers.co.uk “There is nothing quite like heading out into the cutting plot and gathering an armf l of fresh, home grown, scented flowers to bring back into the ho se and arrange in a favo rite vase. he ality and variety of ritish c t flowers available is asto nding, with moment m towards sing more s stainable, locally grown blooms over imported varieties increasing all of the time. ith the formation of the not for profit co operative lowers from the arm’ it is possible for anyone to find a local flower grower and so rce ama ing seasonal ritish grown blooms. ith a little bit of research, and of co rse if yo ’re feeling green fingered, it’s also act ally very simple to begin growing a few c t flowers for yo r own se. o certainly don’t need fancy e ipment and masses of o tdoor space, as a few pots on a patio or deck can yield eno gh c t flowers for yo r kitchen table thro gho t the s mmer. f yo choose c t and come again’ flower varieties like the old favo rites sweet peas, Cosmos, or dahlias, c t the flowers reg larly and feed the plants well, they’ll keep prod cing for weeks and weeks. he vase life of c t flowers depends on many di erent factors. O r

Orchids make beautiful Mother’s Day gifts

KEEPING MUM

Our fl orists share ideas for Mothering Sunday gifts

Spread the love and maybe even the wealth with the Chinese money plant. Pilea obligingly have many babies or `offsets’ which can easily be cut away from the mother plant and potted up into smaller containers. Fiona Haser Bizony of Electric Daisy Flower Farm Mother’s Day is usually all about the fl owers, but if you are looking for a more long-lasting present, wild orchids, Calatheas, Dust pink Syngonium and string of hearts are lovely plants with a slightly more feminine look. Marcia Wood of Flores

Personally, I don’t think you can go wrong with a classic ivory, white and green fresh bouquet of seasonal fl owers as they look great with any décor or uniquely styled house. Ella Sparks of Flowers of Bath Flowering houseplants like hydrangeas and roses with their showy blooms, and jasmine and planted bulbs with their fragrance that can be enjoyed indoors then planted outside are perfect gifts. Emma Rees-Oliviere of Myrtle Mee A single beautiful stem displayed in the right receptacle can often have as much impact as a huge indulgent mixed bouquet, as can a single variety of fl ower displayed en masse. Spring fl owers such as tulips, ranunculus or narcissi can work particularly well in this way. Kate Bravin of Chapel Farm Flowers I love simple fragrant hyacinths, the beautiful Prayer plants, and look out for one of the up-and-coming superstars of the houseplant world Alocassi Zabrina. Joanne Swanson of Floral Touch Bath

Succulents such as these from Flowers of Bath, are a great place to start your houseplant collection

t in fl and ant at m iv itt t nat

Joanne Swanson of Floral Touch Bath pictured with husband and business partner Matt

fl owers are c t from the plot straight into fresh water, arranged and delivered often within st ho rs. his means they’re s per fresh when o r c stomers receive them. y advice for getting the best o t yo r blooms is as follows hatever receptacle yo choose to arrange yo r fresh c t fl owers in, it m st be completely clean. alf fi ll it with fresh water and snip cm from the bottom of all stems before placing them in. f necessary, top p the water when yo ’re happy with yo r display. very co ple of days, empty the water from the container and give it a good wash. rim the stems again, remove any dead heads and replace the fl owers in fresh water. oanne wanson fl orist and house lant o sessi e at loral ouch Bath, ellsway, Bear lat, Bath www.fl oraltouch ath.co.uk hen started in this b siness more than years ago, ho seplants were a big part of all the shops worked for. e had plants like spidistras, ferns like sparag s, speni ms and Platyceri ms, and egonia ex and frican violets were fi rm favo rites. Now interest in these plants has soared again, especially with the yo nger generation. or newbies, a good place to start wo ld be with plants that are forgiving s ch as the Prayer Plant family. good example is the aranta le cone ra commonly known as the herringbone plant which has the most ama ing colo rs, red veins on a bea tif l green and dark green backgro nd. o will see them move thro gho t the day praying and they always let yo know when they need a drink. s all ho se plants have their own individ al care needs, and the trend is growing so ickly, d ring lockdown we started p a weekly plant care top tips on o r nstagram page. love that ho seplants are so back in fashion b t always have a word of warning – it’s a bea tif l hobby that can get addictive