In my parents garden in Australia the gardenia bushes flowering so prolifically became one of my favourite flowers. The amazing scent, delicate petals, glossy leaves and the simplicity of colour captivated me. It was my dream as a little girl to have a bouquet of these flowers on my wedding day. Little did I realise many years later I would get married in the UK in December and not a gardenia was to be found anywhere. This is where artificial silk flowers play a very useful role. Today I can have my gardenias every month of the year if I choose artificial!