Bright, yellow and bold, we’re talking about the BEAUTIFUL Narcissus plant this month in association with The Joy of Plants.
These used to grow in the wild outside my home growing up, so I always have significant memories of me picking the flowers to create makeshift bouquets for our kitchen table. The vibrant yellows, the subtle whites and creams, and luminous green stems. They are simple and beautiful.
I truly do love the look of the Narcissus plant (is that Narcissist of me?)
This month, I put my DIY skills to the test, to create a basic, but staple piece in our London flat. I’m always looking for flowers to bring natural beauty to our surroundings.
And nothing brings spring us out of the cold spell like the narcissi. Hello Spring!
The plant incorporates the minimalist vibe that I’ve been working to create in our home. The bright yellow pops against the black and white floor rug and the marble surfaces. Equally, it balances with the wood flooring and furnishings.
I picked these up about a week and a half ago and let them grow tall in the windowsill before going ahead with my DIY project. They were barely sticking out of the potted soil at that point in time!
In fact, did you know that there are some 88 different varieties of narcissi, in twelve categories? They all trace their origin back to the wild narcissus, which has been growing in the northern hemisphere since time immemorial. The varieties that we know here mainly spread to northern Europe from Spain and Portugal.
Anyways! Onto the design time! In three easy steps, you too can create a floral arrangement for your home.
What you’ll need:
- Wire Basket
- Black Bin Liners
- Narcissus Plants (I used four pots of them)
I picked up this cute metallic wire basket to display them in. Automatically, you might assume that these should be planted in a closed basket… but I wanted to go for a bolder open look.
Next, I bought some black rubbish bags. Also, pond liner works well for this too, but I went for the veeeery easy option.
And lastly, what brings the look together : The Narcissus
Step one: Scrunch the bin liner and line the basket towards the bottom. You want it to be able to enclose the flowers, without covering up all of the wire basket.
The Narcissus plants will come in little plastic pots. Grab the flowers by the stems and give them a little pull. The plants should easily glide out of the pots.
And place them at the base of the bin liner, and arrange.
VIOLA!
It’s actually that easy.
Don’t forget…
How to care for the Narcissi
- Water, water, water. Don’t let the soil dry out.
- Sunlight! It seems obvious, but place them in a spot near the sun
- The plants grow towards the sun, so it’s important to rotate them if they are potted so that they grow evenly.
Fun Facts to impress your houseguests who compliment your amazing DIY skills
- The plant is named after the idle hunter in Greek mythology. Narcissus was so in love with his reflection in the water that he ultimately drowned in it. That’s why narcissi are always looking down a little.
- Potted narcissi often come with three bulbs in one pot, based on the motto ‘all good things come in threes’.
- The narcissus is the national plant of Wales. Originally it was leeks: soldiers in the early Middle Ages wore them on their hat in order to distinguish one another from the enemy. In Welsh the word for leek is very similar to that for narcissus. Cenhinen = Leek, Cenhinen Pedr = Daffodil/Narcissus. And because the latter is rather more attractive than leeks, it gradually became the national symbol over time. It helps that the flower grows and blooms there lavishly. Makes sense!
- Cutting off wilted flowers leaves the bulb with more energy for the rest of the plant.
The narcissus is the houseplant of the month for February 2016. ‘Houseplant of the month’ is an initiative from the Flower Council of Holland. Who knew that these plants could make your home look so good?!!
For more information visit…
www.flowercouncil.co.uk.
www.thejoyofplants.co.uk
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Twitter: @thejoyofplants
Kelly xx