Finalist for 2019 B&LLA Licensing Awards and Winner of the Cultural Enterprise Award 2020. Our beautiful Constable bouquet is arranged to represent the Cenotaph to the Memory of Sir Joshua Reynolds in the grounds of his home at Coleorton Hall, Leicestershire in 1812. When Constable visited Coleorton he made a pencil drawing first then ten years later he began to turn the pencil drawing into an oil painting which is now housed at the National Gallery London. Our florists have used twisted willow to represent the stag’s horns along with Naomi Roses to represent the warm woodland setting that surrounds the Cenotaph. For the autumnal dusted surface, we have added limonium and Green Bell Thlaspi to illustrate how Constable applied many hues including what is thought to be a thousand greens in the painting. Finally, the use of Thistle and gold Ruscus highlights the subtle light that illuminates this rich painting.
Finalist for 2019 B&LLA Licensing Awards and Winner of the Cultural Enterprise Award 2020. Due to seasonal availability, this bouquet will feature deep red Turkish Carnations that will make the beautiful bouquet even more impressive! Venus had many lovers. She was the goddess of love, after all! One of her lovers was Mars, the god of war. In this painting by Sandro Botticelli, an Italian Renaissance painter, we see Mars asleep and unarmed with Venus gazing upon him as they are surrounded by satyrs. The message behind this painting is that love conquers all or, alternatively, love conquers war. The wasps that swarm around Mars' head are believed to represent the pain that can often accompany great love as well as the Vespucci family. The word 'vespe' is Italian for wasp but the association with this painting is largely speculation. To capture the colours, textures, and message behind this great work, our expert florists have selected each stem with the greatest of care. The passionate emotion of this painting as well as the red accents here and there are represented by Naomi Roses and Tulips. The copper ruscus plays the role of the many gold elements in this work including the fine clothing trim and the colours of Mars' weapons and helmut. Finally, we added birch for textural contrast since this painting also includes various softer and rougher textures that all work wonderfully together just like those in our bouquet. © The National Gallery, London An excellent choice for all occasions especially romantic events like your anniversary or Valentine's Day!
When it comes to flavour, Broad Bean 'Masterpiece Green Longpod' is hard to beat. This RHS AGM variety has long been a popular choice for its generous, long pods filled with up to seven exceptionally tasty and nutritious green beans.
A fantastic runner bean variety in terms of flavour and cropping potential, Runner Bean 'White Lady' produces high yields of tender, thick, flavoursome and succulent stringless pods, perfect for steaming or boiling to enjoy as a side to your favourite meals. A long harvesting window allows for continuous picking as and when needed from July to October, any surplus are happy to be blanched and frozen for later use.
This reliable cut and come again variety will provide you with a rewardingly long harvest of tasty, crunchy salad leaves. Salad is always best eaten freshly picked for optimum texture and flavour - with successive sowings, Lettuce 'Valmaine' will treat you to an ongoing supply of fresh green leaves to harvest repeatedly throughout summer and into autumn.
An easy-to-grow, hardy perennial herb perfect for adding a delicious Mediterranean flavour to dishes, versatile Oregano is a useful addition to any kitchen or herb garden. Also known as Pot Marjoram, this vigorous plant produces masses of fresh leaves which can be used all summer long, simply pick and use whenever required and enjoy their fabulous freshly-picked flavour.
Bolt resistant Beetroot ?Moneta? produces a wonderfully easy crop, yielding uniform, tasty roots with a marvellous rich colour. Whether you sow thinly or more liberally, this variety germinates one seedling per cluster which reduces the need for time-consuming thinning out, meaning you can simply let them grow and harvest when ready.
Also known as Greater Quaking Grass, this fantastically elegant ornamental grass throws out burst of slender stems in summer which carry pretty clusters of hanging seedheads which quake in the breeze. Briza maxima is perfect for planting in borders or large containers where it will treat you to a long season of low-maintenance interest.
Producing pale yellow cylindrical fruits with a green tip, these zucchinis certainly stand out from the crowd! Courgette 'Zephyr' F1 Hybrid is attractive and productive, forming vigorous, bushy plants which produce high yields of distinctive courgettes with a firm texture and delicious nutty flavour. Enjoy a long cropping season, harvest them when young to experience them at their best!
Enjoy the fresh, aromatic flavour and convenience of home-grown basil, to use in salads, pasta sauces and whole host of other tasty dishes. This new and easy to grow variety is perfect for the UK kitchen or herb garden - Basil ?British Basil? is much more tolerant to cold weather, wind and even light frosts compared with traditional varieties, yet boasts the same authentic Mediterranean flavour.
Brussel sprouts are a ?must have? on your dinner plate at Christmas. Brussels Sprout 'Marte' is a particularly tasty variety, cropping from October right through to the big day! With plenty of F1 vigour you can look forward to heavy yields of large, rounded sprouts have a robust, sweet flavour, but no unpleasant aftertaste.
This yellow-podded sugarsnap pea will bring a colour contrast to your dinner plate, especially if served alongside a traditional green-podded variety. Pea ?Opal Creek? is the first yellow-podded sugarsnap available, producing vigorous climbing stems and an excellent crop of sweet and tasty peas.