How to arrange snowdrops using a homemade flower grid with Sarah Raven
This year’s snowdrops and early spring flowers are more welcome than ever aren’t they? I have banks of snowdrops in my garden but I never know how to arrange a few to enjoy indoors. They’re so delicate that I’ve always struggled – and end up with a disappointing jumble of floppy flowers that keep falling out of the water. Then it makes me feel guilty for picking them at all.
So, when I saw this idea by Sarah Raven, I was thrilled. It’s all a question of creating structure, I realised. Not sure why that didn’t occur to me before, but anyway…
In case I’m not alone in my snowdrop struggles, I thought I’d ask Sarah if she’d kindly share her beautifully simple idea, images and video tutorial with us. She has generously agreed to do just that – so I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
With the snowdrops in full bloom right now, why not forage for a few straight twigs when you’re next out walking and have a go at this? It felt like a revelation to me when I made my own slightly rickety grid which actually did the job brilliantly. I now have a beautiful small bowl of snowdrops beside my bed and I don’t feel the slightest bit guilty for picking them this time.
How to arrange snowdrops
make the flower grid
Sarah’s step by steps:
To make your own flower grid, pick some straight hazel, cornus or willow branches, about the thickness of your little finger. You want fine stems for a small grid and chunkier twigs for a larger structure. Four stems to make a noughts and crosses grid.
Cut them long enough so that they overhang the container you will be using by about an inch on both sides. Lay them out in a noughts and crosses structure over the container. Tie the structure with a succession of reef knots all tied in the same direction, right over left, then left over right. Tied like this, the grid will fold away like a concertinaed wine rack, so it’s easy to store.
For delicate small flowers like snowdrops, put a bunch of several stems through each square. For larger scale flowers, just add one to each segment.
Your flower grid is also perfect for arranging other short stem flowers and for flowers that don’t last well on a long stem – eg oriental hybrid hellebores, heavy-headed garden roses and magnolias. Also great for creating with large-headed blooms such as giant parrot tulips, sunflowers, amaryllis and dinner plate dahlias.
Flower grids work with with trailing plants too – such as clematis montana, wisteria, sweet peas.
How to arrange snowdrops and winter/early spring flowers video tutorial
Shop for snowdrop bulbs in the Sarah Raven online shop
Sarah Raven sells a range of snowdrops bulbs, including Galanthus nivalis (common snowdrop) and Galanthus Nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ as shown below. Plant in ‘drifts’ to enjoy each year. I can’t think of many things that lift the spirits more at this time of year than to see these exquisite white flowers.
INFORMATION
Photography © Jonathan Buckley
Sarah Raven sells a well-curated range of flower seeds, bulbs and plants as well vegetable seeds and plants and gardening gifts, garden accessories and courses & events. Find out more here: www.sarahraven.com
Find Sarah Raven in the Floristry Courses, Gardening courses and British Flowers sections of our Directory.
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Sarah, I loved your tutorial on how to arrange snowdrops and other spring flowers, and also on how to make a flower grid. I only wish we had the same spring flowers blossoming here in Canada! Hopefully in a few more months… it gives us something to look forward to. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the post Barbara 😊