HELLEBORE, ROSEHIP, EPIMEDIUM & CRABAPPLES
An autumnal concoction for spring ~ colourful foliage, pistachio hellebores, crabapples, rosehips and wisps of dried ornamental grasses.
FEBRUARY
INGREDIENTS
Rosa ‘Rambling Rector’
Rosa rugosa (Japanese rose)
Rubus fruticosus (blackberry)
Epimedium (fairy wings)
Eleagnus ebbingei (silverberry)
Nandina domestica (sacred bamboo)
Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort)
Helleborus x ballardiae ‘Candy Love’ (Christmas rose)
Malus (crab apple)
VaSE
Ceramic bowl in a textured mustard glaze (approx. 13cm diameter)
Kenzan
NOTES
I comb the garden for interesting textures - hips, berries, grasses and crabapples - and a varied selection of leaves in different shapes and colours. Using the fine stems of the rose prunings, I create a loose outline ‘V’ or ‘U’ shape, walking the flowers through the middle and interspersing with crowds of the fiery fruits.
A tip: at this time of the year we have to be creative since there is still so little in flower in the garden, especially if it has been a cold winter. It’s always a worthwhile exercise to walk outside and see what is happening with the plants as there is usually something that we can use as a jumping-off point for a design.