High demand for unique buildings and significant progress in the science of building materials and methods means architects are free to take inspiration from an impressive variety of sources, from the shell-like Sydney Opera House to the organic masterpiece that is 30 St Mary Axe, London (aka The Gherkin). It is perhaps inevitable that several of our most stunning new buildings honour some of the most beautiful creations from the natural world – flowers.

Lotus Temple, Delhi

The Lotus Temple in Delhi (more properly known as the Bahá’í House of Worship) is a marble-clad concrete structure built in 1986. Multi award-winning, it is one of the most iconic buildings in the world and draws massive crowds; it is estimated that 4 million people visit the temple every year. The person responsible for designing the building is Fariborz Sahba, an Iranian architect of the Bahá’í faith.

Lotus Temple, Delhi

Regent Hotel, Canal Point, Dubai

Dubai has built its global reputation on the ambitious, amazing buildings that have sprung up in recent years. One of the planned additions to the desert landscape to have been delayed by the worldwide economic recession has been the Regent Hotel at Dubai’s Canal Point. Slated to sit alongside The Palm, Jumeirah, the Regent is another building inspired by the lotus flower, and is planned to have 250 luxury guestrooms spread across 17 floors.

Regent Hotel, Canal Point, Dubai

UK Pavilion, Shanghai Expo

At the Shanghai Expo 2010, amidst tens of exciting new buildings from many of the top architects in the world, one stands out. The UK pavilion, nicknamed “The Seed Cathedral” takes inspiration from the dandelion – a symbol of tenacity in the West and good luck in China. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, The Seed Cathedral is formed from 60,000 7.5 metre-long transparent rods, which quiver in the breeze. Each rod contains a seed and acts like a fibre-optic filament, drawing light into the building and giving the structure a halo-like glow at night.

UK Pavilion, Shanghai Expo (Seed Cathedral)

Constellation of Leo

Unless the request is specific, the florist will usually rely on input from friends or family, e.g. favourite flowers or colours, filling in the gaps with the knowledge of which flowers work well together. However, if the recipient takes more than a passing interest in their horoscopes, it can be a fun idea to match their bouquet to their astrological sign.

Flowers, just like people, each have their own unique characteristics and personalities, so here are a few suggestions:

Aries (20 March – 20 April)

Aries is one of the fire signs and Arians are considered to be impulsive, powerful and extrovert people. An equally forceful flower would be the Red hot poker (kniphofias); a strong and striking bloom.

Taurus (21 April – 21 May)

Taurus is an earth sign and is symbolic of fertility. Taureans are renowned as uncomplicated and straightforward, and understated plants such as ferns would be suitable additions to a Taurean bouquet.

Gemini (22 May – 21 June)

People born under this air sign, which is ruled by Mercury, are known for being vivacious and bubbly. Consider fun or interesting plants, such as pom pom dahlias or gypsophilia.

Cancer (22 June – 22 July)

Cancer is a water sign and those born under it are reputed to be frequently changeable, yet tenacious.  A suitable flower would be the short-lived but beautiful daylily.

Leo (23 July – 23 August)

This fire sign produces people who are strong, dominant and ruled by the sun. Any member of the sunflower (helianthus) family would be ideal for a Leo.

Virgo (24 August – 23 September)

Virgo is another earth sign, and is associated with meticulous, neat people. A good flower for Virgos would be the small and delicate Viola, a hybrid of violets and pansies.

Libra (24 September – 23 October)

Libra is an air sign and Librans are considered to be glamorous and sophisticated, whilst being surprisingly resilient. Great matches for this sign are flowers such as the tulip and daffodil.

Scorpio (24 October – 22 November)

A water sign associated with secrecy and intensity of feeling, an unusual and distinctive flower such as the Snake’s Head Frittilary is ideal for a Scorpio.

Sagittarius (23 November – 21 December)

Sagittarius is a fire sign that produces sociable people who hate being tied down, making the trailing nasturtium or any variety of sweet pea a good choice.

Capricorn (22 December – 20 January)

An earth sign, Capricorns are known for being dependable and patient, making the rose an appropriate flower for their bouquet.

Aquarius (21 January – 18 February)

Aquarius is an air sign and those born under it are said to be rebellious and naturally good-looking. The attractive yet unconventional sea holly is a good match for Aquarians.

Pisces (19 February – 19 March)

Pisces is a water sign and Pisceans are thought to be sensitive and creative. A beautiful, delicate flower such as the iris would be a good choice for this sign.

Bouquet complete with gems!

Are being asked for a wedding bouquet in silk, well here’s an idea…. and just in case you need a few tips on how to do it or what products we have used, that’s here too.

position the wire collar & holder

Push the foam bouquet holder through the centre of the Wire and Bead collar. Secure in place with some Silver wire.

Trim the Eucalyptus and Bay leaves down to individual pieces, wire and tape the stems, so that they can easily be pushed into the foam. Repeat with the flower heads and gems. 

add hydrangea and lavender

Once these are all wired and taped, start to place the twelve Rose buds in position, (you may want to add a dab of glue to each of the stems before pushing them into the foam, just for extra security.) At this point you can also position the Eucalyptus leaves.

Fill in any spaces with the Hydrangea florets and Lavender.  When you are happy with the flowers add the Bay leaves to the arrangement, paying particular attention around the base of the bouquet.

Finished bouquet from the side

Now you can add the gems, placing them amongst the flowers will enhance the colour of the Rose buds and Lavender and add a sparkle to the arrangement.

Resources used
Wedding Belle Dry (code 10918)
Wire and Bead Collar (code 14989)
Eucalyptus w/powder (code 15922)
Lavender Bunch (code 17131)
Hydrangea – White (code 15932)
Bayleaf Spray (code 10585)
Gem Spray – Lilac/ Silver (code 16695)
Foam Rose Bud – Lilac (code 17838)
Silver Wires – 7” 28swg (code 13874)
Parafilm (code 15298)
Adhesive Glue (code 13452)

The 'Kissing Ball'

bridesmaids bouquet.  So here’s just one idea for a wedding pomander… 

And here’s how to make it 

prepare the sphere

The first step is to create a handle.  To do this, loop the ribbon twice     (allow at least 18cm in height for each loop).  Secure the ribbon loops with the wire, leaving a very long end.  Take the wire through the diameter of the sphere and then bend the wire to thread it back up again to the top of the sphere. Trim the wire and secure with a dab of cold glue.

Repeat this step to create the ribbon which will hang from the base of the sphere. This time however, cut through the loops of ribbon to make strands.

Cover the sphere with either Reindeer moss or Sisal.  We used lilac Sisal to complement the flowers.  To secure the Sisal to the sphere use the silver wire or Mossing pins.

add rose buds and lavender

Trim your flowers and foliage to the length required and then wire and tape the stems.  Position the rosebuds in pairs around the whole sphere.  (Remember that the pomander will be viewed from all angles.)  Now use the Lavender foliage to dot sprigs around the Rose buds.

The Hydrangea floret’s can be used to fill in any gaps in the arrangement, along with the Lavender flowers.

Take the Ribbon and release some of the pearls, so that you can make some simple bows to dot amongst the flowers.  Secure each of the bows with the silver wire leaving a stem that can then be pushed into the foam.

position the beads and ribbon

Finally thread and secure each of the loose pearls onto individual lengths of silver wire so that you can place them amongst the flowers to complement the handle and tassels.

Resources Used

9cm Dry Foam Sphere (code 10280)
Silver Wires – 7” 28swg (code 13874)
Mossing Pins (code 10631)
Adhesive Glue (code 13452)
Pearls on Ribbon (code 16111)
Sisal – Lilac (13693)
Foam Rose Bud –  Lilac (code 17838)
Lavender Bunch (code 17131)
Hydrangea – White (code 15932)
Parafilm (code 15298)

Standing against a consortium of international rights holders including Sony BMG, 20^th Century Fox and Warner Bros (and their team of expensive lawyers) was a group of just four young webmasters from Sweden, who were being sued for $13 million in damages.

Görel Wallis with some of her flowers

To fight their case, The Pirate Bay relied heavily on the testimony of a series of expert witnesses; among those who testified was Roger Wallis, Professor emeritus of Multimedia at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, who told the court there was no relationship between increased internet filesharing and declining album sales.

Upon leaving the stand, the court asked Professor Wallis whether he would like to be reimbursed for his appearance. “You are welcome to send some flowers to my wife,” he responded. Keeping an eye on the trial from around the world, hundreds of supporters of The Pirate Bay decided to act on his suggestion.

Several Stockholm florists had soon taken anonymous orders of flowers for Professor Wallis’ wife, Görel – hundreds of them, and they kept flooding in.

The Wallis’ home was soon overflowing with bouquets, and when they had filled all their vases they started sharing them out amongst the other residents in their apartment building.

“We will make sure it will be beautiful here,” commented a delighted Görel.

The generosity of the file sharing community – a section of internet users labelled as ‘thieves’ by prosecutors – was welcomed by Professor Wallis, who revealed that his wife had been very worried about his grilling on the stand, having not slept for two days.

In total, Görel received over 4,100 Euros worth of flowers from well-wishers, plus a range of other gifts such as chocolate.

So, after bringing you a few ‘unusual suspects’ in a recent post we thought it was time to showcase some more bizarre blossoms:

Corpse Lily

Corpse Lily (Rafflesia arnoldii)

The Corpse Lily is known for producing the largest individual flower of any plant in the world, but it is its overpowering stench of rotting flesh that gives the flower its common name.

Found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, the Corpse Lily is a parasite which survives by attaching itself to the Tetrastigma vine.

Passion Flower

Passion Flower (Passiflora)

There are over 500 species of Passion flower; all unique and staggeringly beautiful.

They can be found on every continent but Antarctica and, belying their topical appearance, some species can tolerate temperatures as low as -20°c.

Flor de Muerto

La Flor de Muerto (Lisianthius nigrescens)

The Flor de Muerto, or Flower of Death, is the closest thing to a genuinely black flower in the natural world.

Found in the dry climates of Mexico and Guatemala, the flowers of the Flor de Muerto hang down from the plant’s 6-foot stems, looking almost withered and dead. Interestingly, the Flor de Muerto is the only flower to fully absorb all wavelengths of UV and visible light.

North American Pitcher Plant

North American Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia)

The Pitcher plant is a carnivorous flower native to North America, ranging from Texas up to the Great Lakes and Southern Canada.

Its leaves form a long funnel in which it traps insects and gradually digests them with special enzymes.

If the slippery sides of the pitcher plant weren’t bad enough, the nectar of the plant also contains a narcotic that causes drugged insects to topple into the digestive juices below.

Fly Orchid

Fly Orchid (Ophrys insectifera)

The Fly Orchid, a native of Southern England and North Wales, relies entirely on flies and bees for pollination.

To facilitate pollination, the orchid’s flowers do an excellent job of mimicking the creatures it needs to help it reproduce; not only do the flowers look like large flies, they also release a scent similar to the pheromones of female flies. Male flies land on the flower to mate with the ‘female’ and by the time they realise they’ve been duped are covered in pollen.

Could there be flowers on the moon by 2012?

It might sound as implausible and unlikely as polka dot roses, but a team of scientists in the United States are convinced they can grow the first flowers on the moon by 2012.

Paragon Space Development, a company based in Tucson, Arizona, has partnered with private lunar lander developers Odyssey Moon and aims to have the first moon-based seedlings sprouting in time for the London Olympics.

The firm is pinning its hopes on a miniature pressurised greenhouse, which will sit on the lunar surface soaking up rays from the sun and providing the plants with the water and soil they will need to flourish. In effect, the greenhouse will be a tiny flower space suit, ensuring the plant has enough carbon dioxide to breathe whilst disposing of waste oxygen.

Cultivating off-planet life is seen as an important step towards future permanent colonies in space or on other planets; it is envisaged that one day these colonies will be self-sustainable.

Paragon Space Development's hi-tech greenhouse

The team behind Paragon already have considerable experise in the area, with two of their lead engineers,  Taber MacCallum and Jane Poynter, having worked on the Biosphere 2 project – an artificially-enclosed eco system similar to the United Kingdom’s Eden Project.

Such are the difficulties associated with growing plants in lunar conditions (not only is there no atmosphere or soil, there are also wild extremes of temperature to contend with) that choosing the right plant was vital. Eventually the team settled on the Brassica; the plant’s 14 day growth cycle coincides perfectly with the lunar day, which lasts 14 Earth days, meaning it could grow to maturity and even re-seed.

The team’s target of having a plant on the moon in just two years might seem ambitious but there is a strong incentive – the Google Lunar X Prize will award $20m to the first private organisation to successfully land a robot on the surface of the moon, dropping to $15m by 2014. The race to plant a garden on the moon is on.

Orchid Pot Et Fleur

Fancy a few pointers for an exquisite Orchid design with plenty of detailed ideas, well look no further…..  here’s what we did

Start by placing the Orchid plant in the Summer planter to the left hand side.  Take your brick of floral foam and cut it to fit it into the remaining space.  Allow the foam to stand ‘proud’ of the planter by about 0.5cm.

Soak the foam and then using a plastic Pinholder and Oasis Fix, secure the foam to the base of the planter.  For added stability use a couple of strips of Clear Pot Tape across the top of the foam onto the sides of the planter.

Now carefully remove the support sticks from the Orchid plant and using the Raspberry Bullion Wire, wind it around each of the sticks to decorate the whole length of the stick, then cut and secure the wire to itself, before replacing the sticks back in the Orchid pot.

Fig 1 - using the sisal

Use pieces of Sisal to disguise the foam and tape, allow the Sisal to overhang the planter to soften the straight edges.  (Refer to fig 1.)

Trim the Antirrhinum stems so that they graduate down in height, and remove any unwanted leaves.  Place the tallest stem in the centre and towards the back of the foam. Then place the second and third stems a little in front of each other, so that they ‘step down’ from left to right and from back to front.

Repeat this positioning technique with the Alstroemeria; place the first Alstroemeria stem in the gap between the Orchid and the first Antirrhinum stem (but bring it forward a couple of centimetres.)

Cut each Germini flower to its correct height before supporting and strengthening each stem by using the Green Stub Wire (wind one piece of wire gently around the length of each stem.) Using the photo as a guide, position the Germini behind and in front of the already positioned flowers.

Fig 2 - Inserting the pink pearl pins

Fig 3 - twirl your bullion wire

Take the spray Carnations and allow one stem as the highest position next to the Antirrhinum and then trim the rest down so they graduate in height when placed on the right of the Antirrhinums.  Before using these stems, gently twirl the Bullion wire in a random and loose fashion up and down the stems and around the flowers. (Refer to Fig 3).

Lastly create your own Bullion Wire flower to place in the front right hand corner of the planter.  To do this hold about a 9cm length of wire which will be the stem and then making large loops of

Fig 4 - Secure using wire

Bullion wire, which fold over back to the base of the stem, repeat this several times to create a large flower. Finish by winding the wire around the stem several times to secure.  (Refer to Fig 4.)

Push the Bullion Flower into the Foam and decorate with a single Chrysanthemum head and two Skeleton leaves. 

Voila!  You’re Finished!

And just in case you didn’t manage to spot all the ‘ingredients’ used here’s a checklist…

Workbox Products  used:

For ease of reference we have included the Workbox product codes if you fancy using them in your own creation.

1 x Summer Planter S/2 – White (Code 17748)

1 x Wet Foam Brick (Code 17075)

1 x Pinholder – Green (Code 13267)

1 x Roll Mini Fix Adhesive Tack (Code 10620)

1 x Carbon Blade Scissors (Code 10633)

1 x Roll Clear Pot Tape (Code 14978)

1 x Reel Raspberry Bullion Wire (Code 15840)

1 x Pack Lilac Sisal (Code 13693)

4 x 12”Green Stub Wires 22swg (Code10728)

1 x Box Strong Pink Pearl Pins – 03.5mm (Code 14139)

1 x Box Lilac Skeleton Leaves (Code 15790)

Flowers Used:

1 x Phalaenopsis Orchid plant

3 x Stems of Pink Antirrhinums

3 x Stems of Pink Alstroemeria

4 x Cerise Pink Germini

2 x Sprays Chrysanthemums Green Kermit

3 x White Spray Carnations

The show gardens at Chelsea always produce some great ideas, and with fifteen showcased at this year’s event we’ve picked out a few of the highlights from the class of 2010.

The Tourism Malaysia Garden

This garden, from David Cubero and James Wong, recreates the lush, tropical setting of a Kuala Lumpur courtyard. Framed with minimalist white Portland limestone, the garden mixes the feel of a modern Malaysian garden with the wildness and chaos of the tropical rainforest.

Many plants have been chosen for their usefulness, but have been planted so as to appear wild.

“For example, Alocassia, the wild yam, is an edible root tuber. It is an invasive weed in Malaysia mainly because it is really popular and planted so much – it grows quickly and escapes from the gardens,” explains James.

Visitors stepping into the garden might well feel as though they’ve been magically transported to Malaysia, but the designers have tried wherever possible to source plants and materials locally.

The Laurent-Perrier Garden

This romantic garden from Tom Stuart-Smith is an understated study in elegance and peaceful reflection.

It eschews showy planting in favour of a natural woodland look; a pattern of paths weaves between river birch and spring woodland flowers, including the lilac blues of Phlox divericata.

The garden is bordered by York stone walling and at its heart lies a sculpted bronze pavilion overlooking a long pool of water. Colours have been carefully chosen for a warm, muted, and relaxing effect.

The Victorian Aviary Garden

Designed by Jonathan Denby and Philippa Pearson, this stunning garden harks back to the ornate, manicured gardens of the Victorian period.

The centrepiece of the garden is beautiful Victorian aviary, framed with woodland planting and colourful borders enlivened with tulips, peonies and white foxgloves.

Visitors entering the garden will be greeted by a magnificent 4m x 3m peacock mosaic path created by artist Maggie Howarth. The path, which leads a raised Cumbrian slate terrace housing the aviary itself, features dozens of ceramic bird designs along its border.

If you would like to see any of these gardens first-hand, the 2010 RHS Chelsea Flower show runs from 25-29 May.

Cream tea - lovely!

And it wouldn’t be a British summer without Wimbledon, which of course means strawberry cream teas. It’s that time of year when the home-grown (or even Pick your Own) strawberries are in abundance. Did you know that strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges?  Go one indulge yourself!

At this time of year flowers are in profusion.  Hanging baskets and window boxes adorn many homes and buildings.  “Friendly” competition amongst rural villages and pubs to win the annual title ’Best of’ ensure that there is no shortage of well tended gardens and public areas and the “green eyed monster”.

Some fragrant summer flowers include Roses, Honeysuckle, Sweetpeas, Geraniums, Fuchsias, Begonias, Marigolds, Petunias and Lobelia.  But of course this list is endless; one flower which always comes into its own at this time of year is the Sunflower.  

How tall is your sunflower?

Growing the tallest specimen inspires many of the youngest gardeners and indeed some older ones to become quite competitive,  with some varieties growing over twelve feet high, there could be a lot at stake! 

June

If your Birthday is in June the zodiac signs for you are: Gemini (the twins) and Cancer (the crab). Your unique Birthday Flower is the rose, which will be in full bloom during this month.  The Victorian meaning for roses was ‘love and beauty’ and with so many varieties now available, family and friends will be spoilt for choice when giving you a special present. However, if roses don’t fit the bill then your Birthstones Pearl, Emerald, Turquoise and Moonstone may provide an alternative option.

Notable dates and events in June
June 2^nd Coronation Day
June 11^th FIFA World Cup begins (ends July 11^th)
June 12^th Queens Official Birthday/Trooping of the Colour
June 20^th Fathers Day
June 20^th Longest Day
June 21^st Wimbledon
June 24^th Midsummer’s Day

July

July can be one of the hottest months of the year and is the time when deadheading, watering and weeding dominate the British gardener’s time, along with mowing the lawn. But on a positive note it is also a time for harvesting your fruit, vegetable and salad crops – nothing tastes quite like your own lovingly natured tomatoes, or smells like your own home grown Sweetpeas and Roses.

July - the Larkspur

The zodiac sign Leo is associated with late July birthdays along with Cancerians you share the Birthstone Turquoise, but you can also choose from Onyx and Rubies. This month’s Birth flowers are the Larkspur and Water lily.  Larkspur is meant to convey ‘an open heart and ardent attachment’.

Notable dates and events in July
June30th – 4^th July Henley Royal Regatta
July 6^th – 11^th Hampton Court Flower Show
July 15^th St Swithuns Day

August

August is a time to start planning the sowing and planting of autumn and winter crops, you can also start to collect seeds from your own plants. Watering is still a crucial every day task, if not twice a day task.  Remember using rainwater collected in water butts and recycling washing up water etc will all help the environment.

Dame Edna's Favourite - gladiolus

The long tall Gladiolus flower, loved by televisions Dame Edna Everage is this month’s Birth flower.  Known by the Victorians as the symbol for ‘sincerity and strength of character’, a trait we’re sure Barry Humphries would totally agree with.

The perfect Birthstones for Leo’s and Virgo’s are Moonstone, Topaz, Carnelian and Peridot.

Notable dates and events in August
Buckingham Palace opens to the public.

Notting Hill carnival

August 13^th – 5^th Sep Edinburgh International Festival
August 29^th – 30^th Notting Hill Carnival
August 30^th Bank Holiday

Enjoy the summer and make the most of the bank holiday!