Our Midwinter Supper Club took place on 15th February, which isn’t an abundant time of year for cut flowers. However, there are so many natural materials to play with if you look closely in gardens, hedgerows and woods for inspiration. Hazel catkins, hellebores, skimmia, viburnum tinus, snowdrops, glossy evergreen jasmine foliage, and the burnt still-autumnal shades of nandina “sacred bamboo” were all cut from the garden and gardens of friends the day before the event. The act of cutting and foraging ahead of the supper club centred me squarely in the season we were celebrating: my fingers were frozen, the tip of my nose numb and more than once I had to take cover from the occasional icy drizzle.While all of that might sound a bit miserable, it’s the perfect backdrop to a warm, cozy evening of hearty food and candlelit conversation.
I particularly enjoyed the opportunity that this event afforded (the day after Valentine’s Day), to celebrate and highlight the true, natural floral stars of mid-February. It’s the delicate beauty of the hellebore and snowdrop that is in season, not the ubiquitous imported red rose. At this time of year rather than harvesting roses, I am pruning the bushes back to bare bones to prepare them for flowering in 3-4 months’ time. While the hellebore and snowdrop may be humble, in the language of flowers they symbolise resilience in winter and therefore the enduring nature of love. True romance!
We can’t wait to share all the photography from the event soon!
Come join us at our next events, Mother’s Day Wellness Event and Spring Wreath Workshop!