Flowers fit for a princess' wedding

JANE WRIGGLESWORTH

Talk of the royal wedding still continues, but it's the bouquet I'm interested in.

Compared to Princess Diana's grand affair, Kate Middleton's arrangement was understated elegance.

It contained just four flowers – myrtle, lily of the valley, Sweet William and hyacinth – but the perfume must have been divine. Hand-wired into what is called a shield shape, each flower is beautifully scented.

They all had meaning, too. In the Victorian language of flowers – a means of communication in Victorian times – Kate's flowers carried messages of coy flirtation.

Myrtle is a symbol of love, passion and marriage, and Sweet William (clever!) symbolises gallantry. Lily of the valley means sweetness, return to happiness, and humility, and hyacinth means games and sports. More specifically, white hyacinths mean loveliness or constancy of love.

Carrying myrtle in a royal bouquet is something of a tradition since Queen Victoria included it in her wedding bouquet in 1840. Victoria even planted a sprig of myrtle from her bouquet in the garden.

Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana both included a sprig of myrtle from Victoria's tree on their wedding day. And, following that tradition, so did Kate.

A friend of mine who is getting married in September was quite taken by the whole meaning of Kate's bouquet and wants to replicate it. She asked me whether she could grow her own – and indeed she can, although she is unlikely to get myrtle flowers at that time of year.

A sprig of myrtle, though, would do just as good a job.

If she plants hyacinths, lily of the valley and Sweet William now, she has a good chance of picking these flowers for the big day.Myrtle

Myrtle (Myrtus communis) is an evergreen shrub or small tree to 3-5m high. Throughout summer it produces small white flowers with a central powder puff of stamens. The leaves are highly aromatic, white summer dresses too. When crushed they emit a sweet, mildly spicy fragrance, which has long been used to scent perfumes and soaps.

Unfortunately, it is hard to find this plant (try the online nursery The Fragrant Garden, www.fragrantgarden.co.nz).

It is also frost tender, so in cool areas it is best planted in containers and moved to a sheltered spot in winter.

Feed lightly with liquid fertiliser during the growing season, but don't overdo it. Overfed plants will grow luscious leaves and no flowers.

If you have a friend with a plant, take a softwood cutting in spring or semi-hardwood cutting in summer. Lily of the valley

Famed for its sweet perfume, lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) grows in clumps in fertile, humus-rich plus size dresses , moist soil in shade. Its pure-white bells are produced on 20cm-high stems in spring. Occasionally, you will find pink varieties, too. It grows best in cold climates, naturalising well under trees.

You can plant the pips (rhizomes) now. Soak the pips in lukewarm water for several hours before planting, until they swell and become hard. Choose a variety of areas to grow; prom dresses a little more sun in one area and dappled shade in another will give you slightly different flowering times, extending your picking season.

When growth appears, apply liquid fertiliser to promote further good growth. Flower and leaf can be cut together for the vase, the flowers lasting about five days.Sweet William

Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) is a biennial, although many of the newer hybrids are grown as annuals, which means you are guaranteed a showing in the same year of sowing. There are dwarf varieties that hug the ground or taller selections that grow 15-20cm high.

Sow seed in trays and cover lightly a line dress , using no more than 5mm of soil to cover the seeds. Avoid over watering while establishing because stems may rot. Even established plants will succumb to stem rot from excessive watering or rainy weather. When big enough, plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Plant in pots if your ground is wet and icy cold. Seedlings are available at garden centres, too, if you prefer.

These plants will self-seed if you leave the flowers alone but, if you wish to pick them, they can last an impressive two weeks in a vase.Hyacinths

There is still plenty of time to plant hyacinth bulbs – in fact, like tulips, cheap wedding dresses cheap wedding dresses they like a cooler ground. Any time up to early June is fine.

Plant bulbs about 10cm deep in free-draining soil in full sun. Once growth emerges wedding dresses wedding dresses, feed with bulb food.

If you prefer to grow your hyacinths indoors, plant in a hyacinth vase instead. They are cheap and available pretty much everywhere – even an ordinary glass vase with a narrow neck may be suitable.

Place a decent-sized bulb in the neck of your hyacinth vase and fill the vase with water to just below the bulb. Add a quarter teaspoon of cut-flower food to provide nutrients as the bulb grows. Place the vase in a cool, dark spot for two months. The bulbs must be kept cool to allow development of the bud inside the bulb or it won't flower. Check weekly to ensure the water level remains just below the base of the bulb to encourage root growth.

After two months, bring the vase out into a dimly lit place. Then slowly (over a period of three weeks) bring the vase into stronger light and a warm position (not more than 18degC).

Four to six weeks after bringing the vase out of its cool, dark spot, your flower will be in full bloom. Keep out of full sun.

Then all you need do is pick your flowers Red Dresses Red Dresses wedding dress , wedding gowns for europe wedding gowns for europe fit for a royal bouquet.

- The Southland Times