Flowering your nest this spring: The joy of bouquets & plants, fresh or faux

Can you believe it? We are only weeks away from the coming of spring! After a long winter, we can hardly wait to flower our nests. Before you pick flowers from your own garden, here is some inspiration for creating bouquets from the flower stand in your supermarket or enjoying the beauty of a faux arrangement of everlasting silk flowers. And if you want to dig a bit in the dirt, consider the now very popular hobby of gardening under glass.

• Fresh flowers and flowering plants: They are always in season, even when snow covers tree branches. The French are famous for bouquets of a single flower like those displayed on this charming Ariana hand-painted chest The motif is floral-inspired and the glass knobs give the chest the touch of spring. I love the tall clear vase to coordinate with the knobs.

It’s the time of year when lilies are in bloom and available in shops. They make a wonderful base for a large arrangement. In a room with white furniture, such as this bedroom featuring the Harbour Point shelter bed, a grand bouquet is in keeping with its sophisticated country look.

This flowing lily arrangement is reminiscent of those in the Karen Blixen house in Denmark. Blixen, who famously wrote about her life in Africa under the name Isak Dinesen, eventually retired to her Danish home by the sea and took great pleasure in making bouquets from her cutting garden. Visitors see the exact same arrangements that pleased her. She is a real inspiration both as a writer and an artist. Take the armchair trip to her lovely home which captures the essence of beautiful simplicity.

You might also mass a few lily plants in a large container to create drama appropriate to the setting. This is a wonderful way to have flowers last much longer than cut blossoms.   Here in this Classique pedestal dining table, lilies take center stage for a glorious announcement of spring! They trumpet family gatherings in a traditional setting.

• Silk and faux florals: I became a believer in silk arrangements when I met the talented Diane James. Granted, her delicate silk arrangements are a bit expensive, but when you think that they last a good long time–they can be a true investment and her artistry can be inspirations for your own fresh or faux arrangements. Diane offers arrangements by season as well as color and flowers.

Enjoy her delicate creamy rose posy many a spring day on this Primrose Hill bedside table, a delightful turn-of-the-century piece with the garden grove finish the collection.

You might also be attracted to Diane’s discrete pot of pretty, everlasting white primroses. You’ll never grow them prettier…

Gumps also has an abundant garden of silk floral arrangements. For my own head start on spring, I ordered this agapanthus arrangement. One of the benefits of selecting faux flowers is the great variety of blossoms you might not find growing in your garden or at the local florist.

• Under glass gardens: If you hanker to actually do some planting in this prelude to spring, consider creating a terrarium. So very popular in Victorian times with some terrariums being works of art, the gardens under glass are popular again–with many receptacles for them readily available. Check out the terrarium jars on Amazon. Fresh green plants can thrive all year round and creating a terrarium is not a difficult assignment. Follow the wonderful instructions from Better Homes and Gardens to have lively, living plants to adorn your desk or dining room table. Kids can also happily take part in this project.

Sum: One of my favorite writers talked about seeing 1000 flowers and not picking one. In all deference to her, bouquets in our homes are almost essential for our well-being. So, happily pick fresh flowers or beautiful silk ones to enhance the beauty of your home and your furnishings. At this time of year, a flowering of your nest truly trumpets the spring days to come.