Chrysanthemums were once one of the most fashionable of flowers, beloved of Mrs Miniver and Proust's Odette Swann. More recently, though, they have been relegated to garage forecourts and sad buckets in supermarkets. Only in last few years have they been properly rediscovered, championed by Sarah Raven and English flower farmers such as Rachel Siegfried. They are now cultivated in a huge range in gorgeous colours, enough to dispel any lingering doubts. This is Summer Chrysanthemums in a Blue-Flowered Jug (c1930, West Suffolk Heritage Service) by Rose Mead.