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ASK THE EXPERT : HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN JAM JAR POSIES FOR A WINTER WEDDING
IF YOU ’ D LIKE TO CREATE YOUR OWN , VERSATILE WINTER JAM JAR POSIES THEN FOLLOW SOPHIE FROM ASTILBE & SORREL ’ S STEP BY STEP HOW TO GUIDE :
The beauty of the ‘ jam jar posy ’ is that it can be made low enough to line the centre of a dining table and tall enough to sit on a bar or an occasional table , depending on the size of the jar . They can also be staggered when using jars of different heights , which can be effective . From your classic Bonne Maman to well-loved Kilner jar , the same rules apply .
Winter posies , in my opinion , need a good selection of greenery - so gather a selection of soft mint greens and deeper forest tones , preferably in a variety of textures . The flowers that you pick to go in will depend on your colour scheme , so here I have picked flowers that are available in a variety of shades . All of these can be substituted to suit your style and event .
HERE ’ S THE LIST :
Foliage :
• Eucalytpus Cinerea
• Pittosporum Ralphis
• Berried ivy
Flower :
• Hypericum ( red , brown , burgundy , peach , pink or green ) - available as single stems or ‘ sprays ’ - spray hypericum will offer more value for money as there ’ ll be off-shoots which can be used as stems for your jars .
• Eryngium ( blue or white / green )
• Waxflower ( white or deep pink )
1 . Collect a range of jars - they don ’ t have to have contained jam . Pickled onions , gherkins , auntie Jan ’ s chutney ( you might want to soak that one for a few hours ) - once you have gathered a good selection and soaked off the labels , there ’ s a few more jobs to be done before you fill them . ( NB - try to collect jars with wider necks , thinner necks don ’ t allow the flowers to sit in quite the same way .)
2 . Pre-order your flowers and foliage from your local florist , unless you have spotted enough in the wild or in a friend ’ s garden to forage ! ( Always ask first !).
3 . When you get your flowers home , fill a clean bucket with water and cut all stems ( around an inch from the bottom at an angle ) and then leave in water for a good couple or hours to take in the fresh water .
4 . Take your jar and tie it with ribbon or raffia ; I like a simple green - sage or forest grosgrain ribbon for the winter months . Make sure that the jar is clean and fill just over half way with fresh , clean water .
5 . Measure your jar from top to bottom , then double that figure and that is the length that you ’ ll use to cut your pieces of foliage , berries and flower to . Cut all of your stems to size and have them laid out in their groups .
6 . Ensuring there are no leaves below the rim of the jar , add all of your eucalyptus cinerea stems . Next , place in your second foliage , in this case - berried ivy , so that there is a balance of greenery in the jar . Then add the hypericum stems , the eryngium , and finally the waxflower . If you ’ d like to add a touch of glamour to the jars , then you can place a single rose at the centre of the posy .
Try not to overload the jar - less is more , and they all need to drink , so keep it simple and use an odd number of stems per flower . i . e 1 , 3 or 5 . So long as there is a good balance of foliage and colour , they ’ ll look good .
Voila ! There you have your winter jam jar posy . Enjoy !
QUICK TO-DO LIST :
• Collect jars
• Order foliage and fresh flowers in line with your colour scheme ( discuss quantities with florist once you know how many jars you have )
• Collect foliage etc . from florist and bring home to condition
• Clean jars , fill half full with fresh water , tie a piece of ribbon around each jar , green is always a good ‘ neutral ’ choice for winter weddings
• Cut foliage and flower to required length for jars according to their heights
• Place foliage 1 into jar
• Place foliage 2 into jar
• Place flower 1 into jar
• Place flower 2 into jar
• Place flower 3 into jar
• Place onto table for a beautiful display !
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