The name of  a woman may not sound like floral inspiration at first, but Constance Spry was once the biggest name in all things floral.  An Englishwoman born in 1886, she caused an absolute sensation in London in 1929 when she created an unusual arrangement of hedgerows and flowers in a Bond Street perfumery.  She popularized the use of unusual and antique containers, as well as plant materials to augment her flowers (ornamental kale, branches, etc), which was something rarely seen in floral design before that point.  She and her shop, Flower Decoration, created the floral design for the weddings of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (the infamous Wallis Simpson) in 1936 and then were responsible for all of the decor for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.

Ms. Spry changed the way we look at flowers at events and opened the up the world of event decor to include all manner of, what had been, strange and wonderful things.  In her later years she opened a “domestic science school” to teach young women how to cook meals that were tasty and elegant (her catering staff invented “coronation chicken”!) and also did pioneering work in the field of hybridizing tea roses.

Constance, we salute you and your excellent taste!  You can find out more about her in the charming biography: The Surprising Life of Constance Spry.