When is a bouquet of flowers not just a bouquet of flowers? When it comes from The Real Flower Company of course.

I was ecstatic about being invited to write for The Real Flower Company and for my first post I thought that I should focus on my experience of being a recipient of one of the fabulous bouquets produced here, however, that then turned into another project of mine! Intrigued? Then read on.

I recently received a bouquet and not only were the flowers beautifully scented and perfect in every other way but there were also herbs included in the bouquet (rosemary, mint and sage). I love it when a company goes the extra distance and adds a new dimension to an already outstanding product. That is exactly what The Real Flower Company does.

I cannot convey in words just how amazing the bouquet was. I think you have to experience it to believe it and I would strongly recommend that you consider buying a bouquet from the company the next time you need a gift for that special occasion. It is most definately worth it.

The Real Flower Company is renowned for its unmatched quality, high standards and beautiful bouquets. We are all aware of the amazing aesthetic and decorative purposes of the products , but how can you increase the amount of pleasure you receive from your flowers? I have one simple suggestion, create a bath bouquet.

A Bath Bouquet is something I created when I was feeling under the weather recently. I collected some of my favorite herbs and plants from the garden, namely Chamomile, Purple Sage, Thyme, Lemon Verbena and Eucalyptus. I created a small bouquet with string and added them to the hot running water. This releases the beautiful scent of the herbs and also adds some of their oils to the bath water and your skin. I was amazed at just how much fragrance you can release from a small handful of herbs, the beautiful scent filled my house.

You too can achieve this with some of the herbs and foliage from your Real Flower Company bouquet. Couple this with good music and a candle or two from The Real Flower Company shop and you have a recipe for a great pampering session. If you could spare a sacrificial rose you could also add the petals to the bath for that extra special touch.

With a little know how you can select a small amount of your fabulous bouquet and use it to accompany a time of relaxation and make it that little bit more luxurious. Herbs, flowers and their extracts have been used this way for centuries and their benefits have been well documented and this will be discussed in my next post.

So, the next time you receive flowers from The Real Flower Company don't ignore the foliage. There are fantastic herbs that can be put to good use. Herbs including green sage, purple sage, variagated sage, fennel, rosemary, peppermint, spearmint, pink oregano, lavender, myrtle, jasmine, and rose scented geranium, and all included in the bouquets produced here and each has its own particular qualities that makes it perfect for the bath. So go on treat yourself!

Have you tried this for yourself? What would you add to your bath? We would be interested to hear your stories.

*Most herbs are safe to be used regularly but please check to see if any are known to have undesirable effects before use and consult your GP if you have an underlying medical condition.

Post by Ryan Lewis.

Ryan Lewis gardens in West Wales and blogs at Ryan's Garden