hyacinth garlands

 Following up on my last post "heavenly hyacinths". I thought that I would share a simple idea with you about making garlands from the individual hyacinth florets. It's really very simple and would impress your guests if you were having a party. 1. Remove individual florets from hyacinths, it takes around 15 or 16 for a napkin ring. 2. Using some florists reel wire ( I like to use a co-ordinating colour, as it shows a little when the flowers begin to dry out and shrink), push the florets unto the wire from the base of the flower, up through the middle. Continue in this way until you have the required length. Cut the wire and entwine the 2 ends of the wire together, wrapping around several times to make sure it won't come loose. The join can then be covered with some pretty ribbon. 3. To make the heart shape, just add more flowers and when you have the required length, and have tied the ends, simply bend into shape.  It is best to make them fresh, but if you have a lot to make you can put them in plastic bags and store in the fridge or a cool place for several days. They will eventually dry out and shrink, but they are still lovely.