Rustic Box Centrepieces

What sort of arrangements work well on the ceremony and/or top table, and which sorts of containers work well as centrepieces on long rectangular tables? When the flowers need to be long and low to suit a rectangular table and not obliterate people's view it really works well to have the flowers in a rustic wooden box. I think these look amazing in a more informal venue such as a barn where they tie in with the timber structure. They also work really well in a country marquee setting where a more relaxed look is sought. They make a lovely alternative to the conventional low arrangement in floral foam and as an added bonus make really nice giveaways afterwards!

Dahlias, stocks and roses by the Homegrown Flower Company

Rustic box for a June wedding at Hendall Manor Barns

Dahlias, ammi and feverfew by the Homegrown Flower Company

Lovely delphiniums! (found on Pinterest)

Peach roses and stocks (courtesy of Pinterest)

Summer flowers (found on Pinterest)

Rustic meadow

Rustic box with stocks, roses and hydrangea by us for a wedding at Hendall

Lovely pink gypsophila! By the Homegrown Flower Company

Photographer Georgianna Lane

I am always on the lookout for flowery inspiration and on a recent online quest I found some beautiful images of my two favourite things - Roses and Peonies. The pictures were so ravishing I wanted more, so I was led to the website of the US-based photographer Georgianna Lane.  All I can say is "wow", and suggest very strongly that you take a look! She takes the most mouthwateringly stunning pictures of flowers, often in the form of still-life studies and every one is simply gorgeous. She also travels extensively and there are many shots of flowers in garden settings, with a recent blog post of her trip this summer to the David Austin rose gardens. I contacted her and she very kindly said I could show you a few examples of her work on my little blog, so here goes.... (It was really hard to narrow down which ones to use!)

A Look Back on This Summer's Roses

It's always a shame when good things come to an end, and now that it's properly Autumn, lots of flowers are entering their dormant period so sadly we have to say "goodbye" until next year... I thought I'd look back on some of the lovely roses which we harvested in the summer.

The ones that seem happiest are situated in the top garden, whereas the field-grown ones are not as strong growing (poorer soil, moles, too exposed, lots of reasons!). I've therefore decided to dig up the unhappy ones (sounds ruthless but every inch of productive ground counts!) and concentrate on mollycoddling the ones up top. There are still a few flowering but the damp air and falling leaves suggests that it won't be for much longer. They'll get a bit of a tidy up and then a proper pruning in late winter. The lovely thing about the garden varieties compared to the imported ones is they actually smell like a rose ought to! Plus I love the look of the ruffled petals and colour variations.

Queen of Sweden and Sweet Juliet David Austin Roses

Queen of Sweden Roses in one of our mixed buckets, including ammi, cornflowers, delphiniums, astrantia, lambs ears, sweet williams and alchemilla

Brother Cadfael

Duchess of Cornwall, a lovely peachy pink variety

Queen of Sweden,  Wollerton Old Hall, and Chandos Beauty 

A Bridal Bouquet with Duchess of Cornwall

Bouquet with Queen of Sweden roses and Senecio foliage