BUTTERCUPS & FRINGECUPS
The epitome of the garden as spring transitions to early summer: profusion, delicate details. A zingy base of lemon and lime, and a light touch of lilac.
MAY
INGREDIENTS
Clematis vitalba (wild clematis)
Spiraea japonica (Japanese spirea)
Polemonium (Jacob’s ladder)
Ranunculus acris (meadow buttercup)
Tellima grandiflora (fringecup)
VASE
Ceramic ‘Aesme Studio’ beaker
Small scrunch of chicken wire
NOTES
Do you remember, as a child, holding a buttercup beneath the chin of your friends to see if they liked butter? What a silly game - everyone likes butter!
Late spring is the best time to really zoom in and look at the unfurling beauty of the garden in all its intricacy. With this arrangement I include a mass of meadow buttercups and choose the other ingredients based on colour nuance, or movement - the Jacob’s ladder have beautifully variegated leaves, the fringe cups seem to wiggle and dance.
A tip: buttercups tend to droop when they are cut. I condition them, straight after harvesting, by stripping any unnecessary foliage and searing for a few seconds in just-boiled water. Within a few hours they perk right up.