Wednesday 2nd November 2011 - Simon gave the Alan Titchmarsh studio a floral makeover in order to illustrate a condensed but nonetheless informative History of Flower Arranging! Starting with the Ancient Egyptians, Simon told us that flowers were used by Pharoahs to adorn their war carts before heading off to war as well as to decorate the dead before they were sent off to the Afterlife. The lushbanks of the Nile enabled many flowers to thrive in ancient Egypt and indeed the lotus had a special fest-day in its honour. To illustrate his point, Simon had brought some wonderful graphic lotus flowers as well as the spectacular dried lotus seed pods which, like the rest of the entire plant, are amazingly bouyant. And papyrus of course! Grown by the ancient Egyptians and turned into paper by a process of pounding and flattening it.

Moving onto The Medieval Period, 800 - 1485AD, when flowers tended to be used for practical and medicinal purposes, although it is without doubt that people will have also used them as a decoration. They were not designed to be arranged together for decorative effect, rather to cure illnesses or to ward off foul smells - a very important use in a time with such basic hygiene and sewage facilities. Simon brought in a selection of flowers and herbs including Feverfew and Lavender, Sage and Rosemary, the latter allegedly introduced by Philippa of Hainault, the wife of Edward III in c.1340.

During the period of The Tudors, 1485-1603 many people grew flowers and herbs and again in this pre-sewerage system, used them to add freshness and fragrance to their lives in addition to their medicinal qualities.Women and men of wealth would carry a Tussie Mussie – a tightly bound posy of fragrant flowers to waft beneath their noses and mask the smells of the un-washed, the un-flushed, the animals and themselves! Alan was particularly taken with Simon's example of a typical Tussie Mussie of herbs arranged tightly into an easily carried posy secured with a simple ribbon tie. Christopher Columbus brought back many new plants from the Americas, such as peonies and sun flowers, tulips and yarrow. Flowers also became a political issue, with the white rose representing the House of York and a red rose representing the House of Tudor.

The Victorian Era, 1837 - 1901, was the beginning of formal displays, and the over-blown, over-decorative look typical of this time featured many growing plants as well as cut flowers. A sign of wealth and stature, flower decorations were a way people of every class demonstrated their social standing. Colour combinations were bold and contrasting, with chrysanthemums, dahlias and roses very popular, as were hydrangeas and ferns. Improved transport and roads made it possible for people to live in The Suburbs and for the easy movement of fresh produce such as fruit, vegetables, foliages and flowers. An era of prosperity, many used floral decoration as a way to showcase their new-found wealth and as a result flowers quite literally bloomed. If ever I was able to travel back in time, it would be to become a Victorian florist!

Simon showed a pyramid of flowers of the type used to decorate a traditional Victorian table for a formal dinner, and left its back clear for people to see how it is made in modern days using a pillar of flower foam, whereas in Victorian times a tin bouquet stand would have been used. Orchids and roses, dahlias and chrysanthemums, carnations, asters, geum, anemones, hydrangeas and ageratum, helichryums also decorated the Victoria stand making a glorious and authentic illustration.

A much more natural style of decorating was popular during The Edwardian Era - 1901 - 1910 with natural styles of arrangement. Vases of roses and pots of palms were very popular, as were ferns and orchids. Much was made of “hothouse” flowers and of showing off what ones gardener had achieved, with out of season blooms being especially prized! Simon showed some typical “plonked” styles of flowers arranging where the plant material is quite simply cut and arranged with minimal fuss in a vase of standing water. Hydrangeas and roses were again very popular at this time.

In the post Great War era of the 1920s, floral displays were minimal, white and clean - almost as a mark of respect, with asparagus fern and lilies very popular. Simple white lilies with stems of asparagus fern were used within tall stands known as Helen Terry stands which were introduced in the early 1900’s.

Floral displays during the 1960s and 70s were rather very contrived with tortured triangles and vast vases of pampas grass! The traditional triangular decoration of teasels and grassed with dahlias and chrysanths, solidaster and roses which Simon brought to illustrate the point looked familiar yet very dated!

Who could forget that Wall Street Chic was the main point of the 1990s, with conspicuous consumerism. Simon first came to work in London in the late 1980’s and people would think nothing of spending £200-£300 on a bunch of flowers to say that they were looking forward to meeting a client for lunch! Flowers represented wealth and the economic boom was the perfect time for people to splash out to demonstrate just how well they were doing. And this was a fabulous opportunity to show a gorgeous decoration of white lilies and glossy foliages within a vase.

Nowadays, the Noughties, whilst we might be spending less on flowers, Britons have embraced the European attitude of incorporating flowers more into their daily lives - we spend less but we buy more often when it comes to arrangements. Much more thought has gone into the ethics behind flowers - where they are from, who supplied them, if they have travelled, if they are ethically produced and if they can be bought from a local producer. Farmers markets have re-ignited the interest in seasonal and local produce, from fruit and vegetables to flowers too. An elegant bunch of mixed bright dahlias and showed a quick easy way to create an interesting decoration in an up-to-the-minute style!

Don't forget Simon's core rules:

• Buying seasonal flowers will generally be less costly, and more lovely.
• When buying flowers, try to use and get to know your local florist shop rather than a supermarket. They will look after their flowers and know their product, and maintain their stock in a correct manner, ensuring you buy fresh, well conditioned flowers, foliages and plants.
• For cut flowers in a vase, change the water regularly. Add a drop of bleach to the water to keep it really clear.
• A handy tip for drying flowers is to pop them in a vase with water and then never top up the vase.

Watch out for Simon's next appearance - coming soon!

Alan Titchmarsh / Simon Lycett photograph courtesy of Kelly Hogan (khogan@live.co.uk)

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