SPRING

Why I love British Spring time… By India Burrill

Growing up, my parents had always been such keen gardeners and spring was one of my favourite times of the year. The garden overfilling with colour and the grounds filled with Bluebells and Snow Drops, was my favourite place to play. As a child I would spend many hours walking around the National Trust Bluebell woods in Coldharbour, Surrey which still to this day is one of my favourite things to do in spring. I also enjoyed walking across our local green which would be filled with bursts of yellow daffodils and flowering blossom tress. With my parents being such keen gardeners it wasn’t long before I had my very own little patch in the garden, which I treasured. Here is where I grew my first ever flowers, Sweet Peas. From sowing the seeds, to Dad helping me make a wigwam for the Sweet Peas to trail up, I was hooked. My Mum would then help me pick a handful of them and we would arrange them into a small vase and place them in my room. My calling as a florist started at this young age, and my love for flowers was first inspired by Spring.

I am now lucky enough to be part of the Lavender Green Flowers Family and I am the Store Manager for our beautiful Victorian styled greenhouse store at 46 Fulham Road, London.

Designing the store in spring is always so exciting and the flower stand is stacked with a range of spring flowers, from the fabulous Kloon Ranunculus to the smallest but by far the prettiest Fritillaria. The giant terracotta planters at the front of the store are lined with the heavenly scented Narcissi Bridal Crown, delicate Muscari and classic Hyacinths, all finished with a Pussy Willow caging. The windows are filled with a large range of spring bulbs, some currently sprouting from a large zinc bath in tones of pink, purple, blues and yellows. From Daffodils to Crocuses, we love watching the spring bulbs shoot from a tiny green sprout into magnificent blooms. And then there’s Blossom, we love it! Currently in store we have giant milk churns stuffed with white Blossom. It fills the store with its soft, but impactful displays, and everyone comments on how magnificent it is. Blossom is the perfect backdrop for our galvanise jugs filled with the English grown Sweet Peas, the combination filling our store with the most gorgeous smell of spring.

The varieties of flowers which are only available in spring makes it even more special. Where do I begin? From Ranunculus, Anemones, Hyacinth, Daffodils, to one of my favourites; Tulips… the list just goes on and on. Being a florist, I find it hard to say which flower is my favourite as we are spoilt for choice, but when it comes to the season of spring it has to be Tulips. I particularly love the French and Parrot Tulip varieties, the range of colours they come in, the detail on their petals, watching them open and close with the daylight and how they dance towards the sunlight always doing their own thing.

I hope you enjoy spring as much as I do and remember to look up at the flowering blossom trees, take a deep breath and drink in those beautiful spring flowers.

India x