In Conversation with Hannah Hunnam

"Having grown up in the beautiful Norfolk countryside, I’ve always been surrounded by nature and flowers. My mum would often bring a jug of deliciously scented roses into the kitchen for us all to enjoy whilst we tucked into some jam sandwiches after school! Having recently become a mum to my twins myself (Spring 2022!), spending time outdoors has become even more enjoyable as I get to share the wonders of our surroundings with them both, and see the world through their eyes.After working in advertising in London for a few years, I decided to explore my floral calling and booked myself onto a professional floristry course at an internationally renowned florists - Jamie Aston’s, in the evenings outside of work, and have never looked back! I started focusing full-time on flowers in 2019 (just as Covid hit!), and have since worked on some amazing weddings and events; created flowers for wonderful private clients and worked with luxury brands including Viktor & Rolf, L'Oréal, Monica Vinader, Pandora and Edeline Lee. My floral style is loose, natural and whimsical, and I work with locally grown and British blooms as much as is possible in my work - I've built some great relationships with incredible local growers here in Norfolk and further afield. At the moment I offer flowers for weddings, events, parties, workshops and private clients."

Step by step guide to creating your Summer flower arrangement

Tools/equipment you will need: 

• You will need a pair of sharp scissors to work with. I always recommend Japanese floristry scissors - Niwaki is an excellent brand and available online in plenty of stores. 
• Wire cutters (for cutting chicken wire if using in the arrangement for structural support). Readily available online, in your local hardware store or garden centre. 
• Chicken wire - an excellent, sustainable method for providing a basic structure and allows the flowers to drink naturally. Can be sourced from your local hardware store or garden centre. 
• Pot tape - To secure chicken wire to vessels (or to create a grid system which can also be used as a basic support for stems). Can be sourced from your local florist or garden centre. 

A vessel:

• Have a think about the shape of the vase or vessel you would like to use, and where it will be placed - for example in an entrance hall you might like to use an urn or vase, on a kitchen table you may like to cluster some petite bud vases down the length (or simply a low jug!), or for a fireplace you may choose to use a mantle vase. Just make sure that whatever you are using is watertight! 

Sourcing: 

• To create your ultimate Spring arrangement, if you don’t have access to any flowers in your garden, you could look to visit either your local Florist for some Spring-time stems, or support your local flower Growers. There is an amazing website - Flowers from the Farm, where you can search for your nearest local Grower. Some of these growers can provide “DIY buckets” of flowers for you to arrange yourself at home. A good selection of greenery and a mixture of flower shapes and textures will help to create a good balance. 
• At this time of year, my all-time favourites for an arrangement are Ranunculus, Fritillaries, Hellebores, Tulips, Blossom, Guelder Rose, Icelandic Poppies, Spiraea, Wild Rubus and so much more!

Conditioning 

• Preparing your flowers before arranging them is key to ensuring they stay hydrated and strong - keeping the vessels squeaky clean and using cool, fresh water is essential. 
• When receiving your flowers either from your local Florist or Grower, re-cut the stems with your sharp scissors a sharp angle by at least 1cm. This creates a greater surface area for the stems to drink more easily. 
• Ensure any foliage below the water level is removed to prevent it from decaying in the water - this would introduce bacteria and shorten the vase life of your flowers. 
• Leave the stems for a good few hours (ideally overnight) in a cool, dark place once they have been prepared. 

Creating!

• If using chicken wire as your base mechanics inside your vessel, secure and fix this in place with multiple layers of folded chicken wire and secure in place with the pot tape. 
• Place your large greenery stems and Blossom first to form the initial outline of the shape of your design and continue to fill out the shape of your design with your greenery. 
• Then begin to add your flowers using the larger, accent flowers first - for example the Ranunculus and Icelandic Poppies.
• Complete your arrangement by adding in the more dainty, wispy stems, such as Tulips and Fritillaries, to achieve a natural ‘hand-picked’ from the garden look. 

Top tip - try not to over-think your design, the most important thing to do is have fun and enjoy the process of spending time with some beautiful flowers and creating something wonderful to enjoy in your own home!