Karen McCartney writes about the power of flowers, both as decorative device and mood-lifter.  

What is it about the ability of flowers to elevate the mood?

I love to watch them transition through their various incarnations, from fresh and upright, through the elegance of the gently drooping stage, to the fully-fledged wilt. Even when money is tight I like to buy a big potted orchid which lasts for months and then when decamped to the garden, and somewhat neglected, occasionally sprouts a surprise stem heavy with blooms.

Flowers are one of life's great decorating devices as they bring life and a sense of creative care to any room.  Depending on the selection of flowers and the choice of vase, they can galvanise a room with an injection of colour, texture, form and often scent. I am far from skilled at arrangements and that is why I was particularly fascinated to see how Saskia Havekes of Grandiflora approaches the task.

Saskia is a star in the world of floristry, not just because of her talent, but because of her personality, and it is therefore no wonder she has a roll call of celebrity clients. Every meaningful event in my life since living in Australia, from the birth of my daughter to a new job, has been marked with a bunch of blooms from Grandiflora and so, like Pavlov's dog, I associate them with the happiest of times. My approach to arranging, when I receive a bouquet, is to try to wrangle it into a vase without disturbing its fundamental composition. Not so much arranging as placing.

So, on a practical front, here at Temple & Webster, Saskia took us through a few basic rules. It is a 101 in the art of arranging and here are the simple steps for all us novices to follow:

• Start with a solid base of one kind of flower or foliage – think of these as the 'bones' of your arrangement – before adding your more special blooms;


• Think of your arrangement as a landscape and aim for a few different layers and heights. Don't cram your flowers together; give them room to breathe;


• When long stemmed flowers are past their best, revive them by cutting them right down and placing into a low vase with new water – perfect for a table arrangement.