Sent with love

Valentines Day preparations began with the collection of the raw materials required for creating declarations of love for some local couples. Stunning scented Narcissus (one appropriately named Scilly Valentine) and some very perky Tulips arrived from a wonderful supplier in Cornwall, and the rest was sourced from a thankfully snow-free garden! There was Viburnum and Daphne and Rosemary for scent, Cotoneaster, Birch and Cherry blossom for a bit of dramatic flair, and the luscious dark Pittosporum Tom Thumb which is almost as good as receiving chocolates as well!

It was lovely to mix the Cornish flowers with other seasonal finds, and it really set the tone of a whole bouquet, creating a woodland garden effect in a vase. Because Narcissus need a little extra care in a vase at home, all deliveries went out with the care advice to change the water 30 minutes after cutting stems, to prevent the other flowers drinking their sticky sap.

And how did I and my other half celebrate the day of St Valentine? The day coincided with our eldest child’s school production, so I spent the evening in the school hall watching a gag-filled caper about the Stone Age. But the day at least began with a little romance: I presented him with a gorgeous blue ceramic beaker made by a local potter, filled with daffodils and a birch heart, and he left me a note on the kitchen sideboard along with a ‘Big Squeeze’ pot of Marmite. I’m a lover not a hater!