![The bad and the beautiful](https://cdn.magzter.com/1422872219/1689070694/articles/Gxa6NqcVj1689224867799/THE-BAD-AND-THE-BEAUTIFUL.jpg)
A BRUSH WITH NATURE
I've always been drawn to the work of the 18th-century Dutch still life painters, dynamically lit to increase the contrast of light and dark - a technique known as chiaroscuro. The inspiration for this arrangement came from Jan van Huysum's painting Flowers in a Vase, and like his painting, it includes wildlife in the form of snails - a reminder that all life is important along the food chain.
How to achieve the look
This old metal ornamental vase was perfect for the display with its low, wide curvaceous shape raised on ornate legs. I placed a narrow, elliptical glass vase inside, and added two layers of one-inch gauge chicken wire, secured with pot tape. This helps hold the stems in position, removing the need for floral foam. I then filled both vessels with cool, fresh water.
This arrangement includes an array of different species, mostly chosen for their value as food plants for wildlife. Big and bold flowerheads contrast with a host of spiky, soft, rough and smooth leaf shapes. The inclusion of very short stems gives the arrangement depth, while curvaceous stems extending beyond the vase give movement and flow. The flowers and foliage were picked late the previous evening and conditioned in plenty of water overnight. Each stem was recut before placing in the arrangement.
Bu hikaye Gardens Illustrated dergisinin Summer 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Gardens Illustrated dergisinin Summer 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
![STEPS TO SUCCESS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/IsLR0Aa0H1716465027220/STEPS-TO-SUCCESS.jpg)
STEPS TO SUCCESS
Enclosed within a rustic barn conversion, this courtyard garden contrasts riotous Mediterranean-inspired gravel planting with clean lines and a reflective pool
![ANNIE GUILFOYLE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/e2EIxi9Wj1716464833724/ANNIE-GUILFOYLE.jpg)
ANNIE GUILFOYLE
The garden polymath on the pleasures of passing on knowledge, the rewards of close observation and the circuitous route towards grounding her itchy feet
![HEAVEN SCENT](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/kveapN1yW1716464473452/HEAVEN-SCENT.jpg)
HEAVEN SCENT
As summer adds a new dimension to his garden, Nigel Slater reflects on the rewards of planting for perfume
![Colour therapy](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/tjbvnk40D1716463776224/COLOUR-THERAPY.jpg)
Colour therapy
Ann-Maree Winter's joyful Australian garden became a place of solace and nurture in hard times
![30 plants with interest all year](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/AbqLT7bnP1716462312763/30-PLANTS-WITH-INTEREST-ALL-YEAR.jpg)
30 plants with interest all year
These hard-working plants provide several seasons of interest in your garden through flowers, fruit, foliage, bark and even spring shoots
![PERFECT HARMONY](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/U87XcfuW01716461552401/PERFECT-HARMONY.jpg)
PERFECT HARMONY
Rosarian Michael Marriott and TV producer Rosie Irving have very different ideas on gardening, but they have discovered the secret to sharing a single plot amicably
![SUMMERFLOWERING ALLIUMS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/NFbOe9y0R1716460759401/SUMMERFLOWERING-ALLIUMS.jpg)
SUMMERFLOWERING ALLIUMS
Loved for their showy spheres, alliums have long been stalwarts of late spring, but now new introductions are extending the party through summer
![Faith in the future](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/zmA9_B7WZ1716460391082/FAITH-IN-THE-FUTURE.jpg)
Faith in the future
Marian Boswall's contemporary design for the garden of a former chapel respects the property's history while looking to the future
![Summertime at Sissinghurst](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/TydprowFz1716459419577/SUMMERTIME-AT-SISSINGHURST.jpg)
Summertime at Sissinghurst
Ensuring Sissinghurst’s famous roses look fabulous throughout the season is one of the many tasks keeping head gardener Troy Scott Smith and his team busy right now
![FRESH APPROACH](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8833/1708876/w2UqFuBc61716459099296/FRESH-APPROACH.jpg)
FRESH APPROACH
Colm Joseph’s design for this new garden, which surrounds a modern house within a heritage setting, uses clever planting to give a historic site a contemporary feel