Yuletide bling on a budget: London's florist to the stars reveals the secret to affordable Christmas decorations

London’s florist to the stars shares his tips for making yuletide bling on a budget. 
Poinsettia power: florist Neill Strain at his Belgravia shop
Alex Mitchell15 December 2017

Lady Gaga flies florist Neill Strain to Milan. A recent commission was to create a giant “DV” in roses and gardenias for Donatella Versace’s party. Joan Collins adores him. He’s in Kanye West’s address book — and Victoria Beckham’s. Neill, 34, the Belgravia florist with a Northern Irish lilt, is a flower obsessive.

The outside of his shop in West Halkin Street is unmissable, a real crowd stopper. Neill Strain Floral Couture has recently also moved into Harrods. At Christmas, he and his team are frantically wiring, tying and arranging, often working through the night.

Manoeuvring tall Christmas trees and huge arrangements into some of his wealthy London clients’ homes full of precious porcelain and priceless furniture can be a heart-stopping, hazardous business.

“When we take large trees and hundreds of decorations into these exquisite homes, we have to plan our moves like a military operation.”

But Neill loves Christmas. “It’s a time of creative paradise,” he enthuses. “There are almost no limits. Clients allow us to be wild and stylish or childlike and fun, with all sorts of colour schemes. It’s a joy.”

NEILL’S GUIDE: AFFORDABLE CHRISTMAS FLORALS

1. The secret is to use really fresh materials. “If you have access to a garden, bring in twigs, branches and seasonal foliage. Pick your plant material from the garden in the middle of the day, once the morning dew has dried off.”

2. Save money with an early morning trip to Covent Garden Flower Market. Whether it’s holly, yew, conifer branches or ivy, evergreen foliage and berries keep fairly well when watered regularly and not allowed to get too warm. Spray vase arrangements over the sink every two days.

Table treats: spray pine cones and evergreens in silver and then add candles

3. If you can’t get the real stuff, faux foliage looks convincing. Or mix a bit of both. It’s very effective when sprayed — outside — in gold, silver or red.

4. For a show-stopping hall or table arrangement, Neill says go for Vanda orchids, berries, roses and long stems of amaryllis, then combine them with lots of foliage and festive baubles.

5. For the mantelpiece, Neill has some short cuts. Instead of wiring lots of little bunches of foliage together into a garland, lay long stems of seasonal foliage, such as spruce, loosely on top of the mantelpiece and place your decorations in a row on top. Add candles — but move them into holders away from the foliage if you light them.

Or line the mantlepiece with a series of similar containers — glass bowls, perhaps — filled with pine cones, berries and baubles, with candles in between.

6. For the Christmas table, place lots of little arrangements of foliage, berries, silver-sprayed pine cones and baubles down the middle. “Maybe spray some small garden pots with gold Oasis flower paint and use these. Be creative — just make sure containers are watertight.”