DELICATE BLOOMS
IN HER NEW BOOK, SELF-TAUGHT FLORIST ANNABELLE HICKSON OFFERS HANDS-ON ADVICE FOR CREATING FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS THAT BRING JOY
After falling head over heels for a farmer, city girl and journalist Annabelle Hickson moved to rural New South Wales where, following a few hiccups, she discovered her love for the simple life. It was there, on a pecan farm, that she came to develop her skills as a florist, starting with bringing flowers into her own home. In her new book A Tree in the House, Annabelle shares an insight into her colourful life and gives readers advice on creating their own floral installations and arrangements for special occasions and the home.
Top of her floral to-do list, Annabelle suggests foraging for blooms or growing your own for your arrangements. “I very much believe that free flowers are the best flowers,” she says. “If, like me, you are greedy for flowers, you will have to explore ways of getting your mitts on them beyond simply buying them.” Other sourcing options include pinching foliage, gumnuts or branches from the roadside (“Keep some secateurs in your glove box and an old blanket in the boot”) or knocking “on doors and ask[ing permission to] cut a stem or a branch. Most people with gorgeous gardens are dying for an opportunity to talk about their roses’ first flush or their mulching techniques,” she explains. As for choosing blooms, the talented florist says: “Pick or buy a generous amount of the same flower, in the same or similar colours.”
“THERE IS SOMETHING SO joyful ABOUT A BOUQUET MADE UP OF ONE TYPE OF FLOWER. IT FEELS simple AND abundant ALL AT ONCE ”~ ANNABELLE
“TO GIVE FLOWERS, and to be given them, CAN BE SUCH A WONDERFUL THING”~ ANNABELLE HICKSON
In autumn, Annabelle suggests opting for anemones, roses and, surprisingly, dahlias. She says the long-neglected flower is making its way back into our homes and hearts. “They are all the rage again,” explains the florist. “In late summer, Instagram is flooded with images of muted wedding bouquets of soft Cafe au Laits and ute-loads of buckets bursting with brightly coloured dahlias.” To arrange your favourite finds, hold the flowers in your hand like you’re “holding an imaginary tennis racquet in your non-dominant hand and thread the stems into your loosely gripped fingers. When you’ve finished, you just cut the stems with secateurs to make them level,” she advises. Your creations needn’t be perfect though – the best bunches are wild, relaxed and remind us of nature itself.