Recently I shared with you my passion for growing peonies at my country house. But they’re not the only garden flowers that I fuss over – I also grow narcissus, allium and tulips! Check out how they grow from their first “steps” till they’re part of a beautiful bouquet.

Narcissus

The name Narcissus is derived from the Greek word narke, meaning numbness or stupor, which it probably got because of the narcotic fragrance and poisonous nature of the Narcissus bulbs.

They’re one of the first flowers to appear after winter, along with tulips, allium and crocuses. They were planted by my grandma many years ago and since then, they’ve brought us joy every spring without fail. People say it’s a bit of a hustle to take care of them, but mine just grow by themselves without any extra work –lucky me! When May comes around every year, you’ll surely find a bunch of them in a vase on my kitchen table.

Allium

My younger sister calls them “cosmic onions”. Yes, they’re onions and they are cosmically tasty. They come in many different varieties, and the one I have is called Globemaster.

Alliums are known for their big, purple blooms and magical leaves that smell like fresh young garlic. They also grow to reach about 80 cm tall, though ours grow up to my height somehow. Allium flowers look perfect in big arrangements and look even cooler while they’re growing!

Tulips

When I was young, my dad would always give me big bunches of tulips, so over time, they naturally became my favourite flowers. They’re gorgeous when they’re crisp and fresh, with so many varieties, colours, textures to choose from! When I’m home, he still buys them for me and I still love them the most in mono bouquets.

They are also early birds – while snow is still on the ground, tulips are already fighting their way up. Actually, to grow and bloom they need to experience the winter cold – that’s the time the bulbs will collect all the necessary nutrients they need for the growing phase when springtime comes around.

By the way, did you know that tulips are one of only a few flowers that keep growing even after they are cut? They grow by up to 2 cm a day in your vase – that’s a good thing to know while making flower arrangements!

Now I’m experimenting with growing flowers on my balcony and seeing what grows well here in Singapore. Maybe some of them will end up in the bouquets you get from us! Drop me an email at hello@gatheredandstyled.com to place an order.