Winter is the season where pure white flowers flourish. Paired with a crisp green colour palette, they have a mood lifting quality. Here, florist Fleur McHarg reveals why winter is her favourite season for flowers.
Styling and words by Fleur McHarg
Winter is my favourite season because the flowers are so feminine. Soft pinks, the purest whites, big petals - they're pretty and very classic. Helleborus, also known as the winter rose (pictured above in the bottom right corner) is my favourite. For a florist or anyone that’s into flowers, it's your ultimate winter flower.
CAMELLIAS
Camellias are one of the most iconic flowers. So beautiful, classic and fashionable — you only need a few stems in a glass vase to make an elegant statement. The richness of that green leaf is striking against crisp white. For me, the season really conjurs up childhood memories and most people have grown up with camellia trees in their gardens — I'm reminded of all the times my mother used to pick them from our garden and put them in the home, she would place a little vase here or there.
PAPERWHITES
Paperwhites are a member of the jonquil family which are bulbs, and bulbs are always a winter flower; hyacinths, tulips and so on. These remind me of The Sound Of Music for some reason, they look like that mountain flower — I love them. Winter flowers remind me of seeing things sprouting through snow. Something to think about is that these varieties love the cold, and yet we put them into heated house. The same in summer: summer flowers love the heat and we put them into air-conditioned spaces, so be mindful where you position vases in the home.
DOUBLE TULIPS
Everyone loves a tulip, and these double tulips with their delicate frilled petals almost look like a peonie. I find that most people love big plump flowers and in winter you just don’t get those varieties so we have to think of alternatives that will help us achieve that look when creating arrangements for events or weddings. The tulip is our winter version — once in full bloom, it's magnificent.