Jonathan Moseley, regular judge at Hampton Court Flower Show, shares his floral wisdom with Emily Horton ahead of Valentine's Day – click on the photo below to get great tips on making your own flowery gifts
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Click above to get Jonathan's tips on making floral gifts for Valentines
Valentine's Day is looming, and no-one wants to be the sorry soul who turns up at the last minute with a fistful of daisies snatched from a neighbouring garden.
As one of the three judges on The Big Allotment Challenge, Jonathan Moseley educated us middle classes as to the merits of the perfect pea, ‘erect stems’ and ‘hardening off’ – and as a regular adjudicator at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, he's well-placed to let us know just how to use flower power to keep our significant other happy.
“I’ve always been intrigued by flowers and their simplicity,” he enthuses. “It's the fascination of being able to sow an absolutely tiny little seed, knowing that, with a bit of care and nurture, it can manifest itself as this amazing colourful plant.”
So what suggestions does Jonathan have for us this Valentine’s Day?
“We should never not give flowers at Valentine's, however long our relationship has been going,” he asserts.
“For centuries they have been symbols of romance and fertility. In Victorian times, the language of flowers (floriography) enabled secret communication between lovers, as different flowers and arrangements conveyed a variety of messages."
Check the meaning
“We associate the red rose with passion and love, but other species have unique meanings too: a white hyancinth, for example, spells unobtrusive loveliness, while a blue hyacinth signifies constancy," he explains.
“The first flush of emotion should be celebrated by purple lilac, red tulips are a declaration of love and the fragrant tuberose signifies dangerous pleasure,” chuckles Jonathan. “But the real point is that giving something that you have made yourself is a very personal tribute to your loved one.”
Buy local
“We need to look for the British label when purchasing flowers and support our own farmers here at home. The supermarkets have swamped the industry. They often sell flowers more cheaply than the poor florists can buy them wholesale.
“There is a huge movement quietly taking shape to reacquaint farmers with the idea of growing British flowers. Lots of farms are now diversifying, turning parts of their fields over to floral production.
“We have all these flowers coming in at the moment from Cornwall and the Scilly Isles – daffodils, larkspur, foxgloves and love-in-a-mist. All those old, romantic flowers that you remember your grandma loving are now being grown again here.”
With that in mind, I decide that I am up for the challenge – as long as Jonathan promises not to judge me on my efforts. I’m not at all sure that I would be up for the gold rosette just yet.
But let’s hope my Valentine will think so!
Visit Jonathan Moseley's website for more information and tour dates
Click on the image at the top to get great tips on making floral gifts for Valentines
