New-season blooms deserve to have their arrival heralded with a pretty posy, especially when peonies are flowering.
“As a photographer my choice of flora is usually based solely on colours and textures I think will photograph well – I often put very unusual things together, but I like how pretty the unexpected can look.”
You will need
Spring flowers (peonies, craspedia, poppy heads, scabiosa, wild flowers Queen Anne’s lace)
Secateurs
String
Vase
I wanted something bright for spring so I visited the Remuera Flower Truck and picked out the yellow peonies, scabiosa flower heads, poppy heads and craspedia, commonly known as ‘Billy Balls’. Then on my way home I stopped at one of my favourite foraging spots to acquire some extra bits to bulk up my arrangement. I was lucky enough to find some Queen Anne’s lace and some wispy yellow wild flowers.
When I put an arrangement together I find it useful to lie all my flowers and greenery down in little groups so I can easily pick out the bits I want. I start with the feature flowers, which are the peonies in this case, from there adding medium-sized blooms and working my way out towards the delicate wildflowers and seed-heads. I find it’s best to make the arrangement loosely, so it’s not symmetrical and retains a bit of personality. Don’t be afraid to leave some extra long stems to drape across the vase.
Styling & Photography Greta Kenyon
