We all know the cliché for February – love is in the air. It’s a time when most men break out into a sweat (and that’s not from our normal South African summer heat)!

That age old dilemma – what do I get my partner to show how much I appreciate her? Do I wine and dine her? Should I whisk her away for a weekend of romance?

Never fear, as the team at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa can assist with all of the above. However, Veronica Sookdin, the Banqueting Manager at the “Mouse House”, has quite a novel suggestion – try and do something practical and from the heart. We all know many ladies love flowers, so why not take a stab at making a bouquet!

Due to the demand, costs for bouquets around Valentine’s Day most certainly sky rocket, and more so if you give the gift of red roses.

Most of us with gardens enjoy the sights and smells of home grown flowers that pretty up our landscapes.

So here’s an idea for this year, why not you skip the store-bought flowers and get flowers for bouquets straight from your backyard!

We likely all agree that a bouquet of fresh flowers makes a space more inviting. Whether a romantic bursting bundle or a simple low arrangement on a candlelit table, they add a touch of natural beauty.

To achieve the hand-picked, romantic look of a hand tied garden bouquet tutorial, simply use a variety of South African blooms such as sunflowers, the geissorhiza tulbaghensis (shades of white, purplish and brown); clivia miniata (or yellow bush lily)’; amaryllis belladonna (also termed the belladonna-lily, Jersey lily, naked-lady-lily, or March lily), Pelargonium album (also called Pilgrims rest pelargonium), Agapanthus africanus (lily of the Nile or African lily), Gazania rigens (African daisy) or Protea cynaroides (South Africa’s national flower commonly known as the Protea and range in colors from white, red and pink).

When you have selected your choice of flowers, be sure to get your materials ready. You’ll need a vase, scissors, thorn stripper, floral tape, water and a colourful piece of ribbon (that complements the bouquet).

Depending on the choice of flowers, and your level of expertise, you can create the following options – simple assorted bouquet, a beautiful wild bouquet, a burst of African summer, farm stall bouquet or a lush bouquet featuring lots of different flowers and greenery.

To make a romantic hand tied garden bouquet, and achieve the hand-picked romantic look, gather and organize the flowers and foliage you have available in your garden, prepare the flowers by removing the leaves off the flower stems and lay out for easy assembling. Gather a few stems of foliage to create a base and thread 2 – 5 stems of the heavier feature flowers, and try to keep the bouquet looking balanced. Keep adding until you are happy with the result.

So you’ve ticked the boxes for personal gift and bouquet, why not step it up a notch and go to www.grannymouse.co.za and earn some extra brownie points by booking a romantic weekend away.

P.S. Don’t forget to bring your bouquet!

Inspired by: https://florgeous.com/african-flowers/