Creative ideas crafted and shared by our local florist, Sophia Mason. This month we’re displaying:

Lilac

In the garden of the first house I ever owned, there lived a huge lilac tree. It wasn’t a big garden and the very mature tree, as tall and wide as the little terraced house, made it difficult to grow anything else in its shade. But wow, was it worth it.

There were two more lilacs in the gardens of the neighbours on each side, making a row of one white, one pink (mine) and one purple, and in spring when they flowered, it was like heaven had come to the whole street.

I hung a hammock underneath mine and (when the spring weather permitted) I would spend an hour, after I got home from work, looking up at the clouds of soft colour and breathing the sweet scent while petals fluttered gently all around me.

Far from vulgar

So when I trained as a florist and learned that the Latin name for lilac is Syringa vulgaris I was confused – there is nothing vulgar about this gorgeous, delicate yet robust flower and its cute heart-shaped leaves!

In fact lilac makes a gorgeous cut flower. So if you don’t have a mature bush or tree in your garden, I strongly encourage you to beg some branches from a friend who does. Look for flower heads where the buds are just starting to open and they can last 10 days or more in a vase if you care for them the right way.

Preparing lilac

Cut the woody stems with sharp secateurs at an angle, remove all the leaves that would be under water and put into deep water with flower food. Then – and this is the key bit – change the water every day, re-trimming a few millimetres off the bottom of the stems each time.

Lilacs will do best in a cool place with good air circulation, so don’t cram the vase too full, and if the leaves start to wilt just pull them off to prolong the life of the flower heads.

Companion flowers

If you have any early-flowering peonies, try framing them in your arrangement with a cloud of lilacs, as the strong stems and pretty leaves will help to support the heavy peony heads. Go big and add spirea and weigela for a truly show-stopping design! But on the other hand, don’t be afraid to cut lilacs a little shorter as well, to go with your more delicate cottage garden flowers like aquilegia and rocket.

Cherish

With its short flowering season, lilac is one of those plants that reminds us to cherish beauty while it lasts. So do it now – find yourself some luscious lilac, and bring heaven into your home while you can!

Sophia Mason is a florist based in a little studio in Cam. She offers flowers for all occasions, with a focus on sustainability and supporting local growers. Find out more on the Sophia Mason Flowers website