The Power of a Flower

Nothing makes me happier (on a superficial level), than a bunch of beautiful flowers. I love their delicate fragrance, their vibrant colours and their soft petals. I love the way they change the aura of an entire room. Perfect people’s houses always have flowers. When conducting an interior design shoot, magazines will always have at least one vase full of flowers decorating a room – most of the time they will have several. Magazine interior designers understand the power of the flower. 

I have interviewed many celebrities over the years in their homes – and without a doubt, they always have fresh flowers present. Even the men (although I’m sure this is courtesy of their wives in many cases). On one level, I’m sure they are had flowers there because I was media and they wanted to give a certain impression of domesticity and flair.

And I think that’s one of the important thing about having flowers decorating your house – it shows others you have style and reflects that you care about your home. I never have a dinner party, or invite people over, without a bunch of flowers bursting out of a vase somewhere in the house. I am in the habit of buying flowers every week now, so I no longer even really have to think about it. 

I love white flowers of any kind for both their clean, elegant look, and their addictive fragrance. I love white jonquils (above), gardenias, peonies and white roses the best. Asian lilies are also a winner for their spectacular colour, booming size and yummy scent – although they sometimes drop yellow pollen that stains everything. Beware. 

I also prefer having only one type of flower per vase, or one type of colour per vase. I find if you start mixing them, they look more like a gift you’ve received for a particular occasion, rather than a bunch you bought for your home simply because that’s what you do.

The owner of a prominent Brisbane-based florist also taught me the power of greenery – a vase of fresh leaves. Sounds boring I know, but it looks quite lovely. When Kristy Hinze got married to her billionaire, she followed this advice.

I like to buy my flowers from Flower Markets or Farmers’ Markets – I find they are the freshest and the best value for money.

I also like to pick flowers directly from my garden – it makes me feel like I live in the country, even though I live in an inner-city suburb. I have beautiful blue hydrangeas growing out the front of my house and I regularly harvest these.

I always keep a vase of flowers on the kitchen table, on the kitchen window sill, and on the bathroom window sill. If I’m feeling like spoiling myself, I also put a bunch next to my bed. I love waking up to the pretty smell.

For prolonged life, always make sure you cut the bottoms of the stems off flowers once you’ve bought them, so they can drink in the water more easily. I sprinkle a little sugar in my flower water to prolong their life (I think a florist told me to do that), and make sure to change the water in the vase every day or two. Once a flower starts to die, get rid of it. Brown petals malting on the table is unsightly, and they can begin to smell completely putrid.

I find another lovely touch and the hallmark of a perfect person, is buying a beautiful but understate bunch of flowers for the hostess of a dinner or party you attend. A simple bunch is inexpensive, tasteful and says thank you in just the right way. Pure class.