Alice Shepherd florist and chief petal pusher from She's a Wildflower shares her tips for creating a stunning floral arrangement that’s sure to impress your dinner guests.

1. Select seasonal flowers just as you would with your fruit and veg!
Seasonal flowers are often cheaper as they are in their prime and should last longer. Ask your florist to guide you as to what is in season

2. Choose your vases wisely
The smaller the opening of the vase, the less flowers you will have to use (being cheaper!) and the easier it is to handle and arrange the blooms

3. Keep it simple
Rather than putting yourself under pressure by trying to arrange the perfect posy, place one variety of flower in each vase and group the vases together so it looks abundant, everything looks fabulous en masse!

4. Think about height
When arranging the flowers in vases, always keep in mind that guests will be chatting and reaching over the table for salt, pepper, wine etc., so cut the flowers a little shorter to allow your guests to converse without having to compete with flowers and foliage

5. Make the table setting interactive
Include vases of herbs from your garden that compliment the meal and encourage guests to pick the herbs and add to their dinner as they please. The herbs can also act as the foliage!