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The well-known phrase might suggest that it’s a picture which will speak 1,000 words when you can’t quite find the right ones, but let us not forget that it’s flowers which also have their own unspoken language. The surprise arrival of a floral bouquet is one of the little perks in life which gives a rush of joy, one
which I don’t think could ever get old – regardless of style, colour or budget. The thoughtfulness of the act surpasses all else. But to really add a touch of personal sentiment, M&S have a range for each occasion. Here’s how I’ve styled my favourites from the collections, and how you can too.
Saying “Happy Birthday” with Flowers
Roses are red and violets are blue, right? Well, they don’t have to be! If you’re a bit of a non-traditional design-wise but love a good classic, you’ll be pleased to know that roses, a longstanding favourite for florals, come in a range of colours – and my personal favourite for birthdays? Yellow. The colour of sunshine, of happiness, energy and intellect. So let’s take a look at the Fairtrade Yellow Rose Bouquet.
This particular range arrived in a sealed bag, a way in which flowers can be delivered maintaining their high quality, without requiring water. (Tip – With bagged flowers always open from the bottom to avoid petals becoming damaged.)
Now, the biggest temptation when a bouquet of flowers arrives is to lift them out of the packaging and then lower them straight to the vase.
A few years back, a florist gave me some brilliant advice – don’t forget to prune each stem first. Determine where the flowers will reach the top of your vase by holding them up against it. Then, remove all of the leaves and/or shrubbery below that point.
Because the nutrients rises upwards in the stems, the more leaves you have under the water, the less of that goodness is passed to the blooms outside of the vase. This is particularly nicer for transparent vases too, as the water will not turn green in colour until much later, adding longevity to your bouquets.
How stunning is the yellow of the roses paired with the blue ceramic speckled vase? A colour-pairing that can’t go wrong.
Next up, we have the Amethyst Bouquet. They say that with age comes wisdom, so what better floral bouquet could be sent for a birthday than purple amethyst, which symbolises both wisdom itself as well as royalty – who wouldn’t want to feel like a King or Queen on their special day?
Personal tip: If you are planning on delivering yourself, feel free to get creative with what arrives. I’ve popped two of the yellow roses from the first bouquet into the Amethyst bouquet for a colour pop which matches my lounge beautifully! Feel free to Google whether your flowers are compatible and then get playing with customisation. If your friend with the birthday has a certain taste, matching a bouquet to that could win you big brownie points.
You’ll find that many bouquets arrive with ribbons. Feel free to add them back into your display! I like to tie mine around the vase I’m using. This is the Conical clear vase in Large size and it’s beautiful.
Speaking of sizes, if you’re gifted large flowers, it can be tempting to pop them on the top of the fireplace. It can certainly add interest through height but some bouquets are just too large for this and may be better placed on the hearth so that you can really see the arrangements – especially if you’re short like myself. A tall bouquet on a high point means I’d never get to appreciate a long leafy bouquet without a step-up!
View the full range of Birthday Flowers
Saying “Thank You” With Flowers
The Protea is one of my most favourite of flowers, ever, and this is the Protea Posy bouquet which definitely packs a punch, smelling all kinds of wonderful on delivery. As a gifting flower, it’s a dream as it has a long vase life in flower arrangements meaning that it will likely last well past the already generous 5 day guarantee which M&S offer.
For bouquets with a variety of flowers, ensure you twist your hand with each stem you add to make sure they’re all intertwined properly and adds to the fanning shape of the arrangement, like shown below. It can be a bit fiddly, but worth doing!
Back to Protea, traditionally, it’s a flower associated with diversity, courage and transformation but just to look at the huge-headed bouquets, whatever you believe about flower meanings, they really make a statement. So if you’re thinking you need a bunch which translates to a grand gesture, this is surely one to consider.
Onto the fourth and final choice, the Collection Cymbidium Orchid Bouquet.
It’s one of the many collections which arrive in an upstanding box to protect the petals, with stems in a contained pocket of water. When opened, it smelled the same as when I walk through a botanical garden (basically, amazing) and each orchid even comes in it’s own plastic stem with water source to keep it upstanding within your arrangement.
For me, I really love the Snapdragons in this bouquet, and feel like they’re the best fit for saying thanks to someone special. Said to stand for grace in the Language of Flowers, these Antirrhinum are meant to be gifted only to those we truly appreciate and love, sending a message of deep respect and admiration.
