CLASSIC WHITE

White roses, peonies and baby’s breath in a solid glass fishbowl (£299.99, silkblooms.co.uk) WHAT ARE THEY? The arrangement is by a top florist, with peonies made from a microthin, dense latex fabric. The roses and leaves are a polymer foam (a technique only recently perfected). The baby’s breath is freeze-dried and preserved from fresh gypsophila. NICKY SAYS: I remember going to a dinner party in New York in the Sixties given by society hostess Pamela Harriman, Winston Churchill’s daughter-in-law. She had a display of fake flowers on the dining table. Everyone was horrified. Such a style crime! But, apparently, fake is fashionable now.

However, this bunch looks like it’s been uprooted from the top table at some starchy oldfashioned wedding breakfast. All that white — it’s so bland.

Peonies often look rigid, like tight little balls of Kleenex tissue — a giveaway that they are fake. And the tropical leaves are totally out of place on English blooms.

However, I can’t fault the workmanship. The intricacy of each petal is very impressive. And you get a huge bouquet, which would cost a small fortune if you bought it fresh.

5/10