Dorothy Whipple is one of the best writers on Spring. In all her books and short stories, she revels in fresh air and small flowers: snowdrops, celandines, violets, catkins and more. We are led like characters such as Jane in High Wages who enjoys striding out over the hills, and Ellen who gardens in Someone at a Distance. There is a very telling moment in They Knew Mr Knight when Freda stops to admire crocuses before going into the Knights' house - and a different direction to her life. This is a c1932 fabric by Arthur Sanderson & Sons Co, which is in V&A 

It is feeling very springlike here, so this week on the Post we are celebrating small spring flowers - the crocus in particular. This lovely, bright, breezy poster in classic crocus colours (1935) is by Herry Perry (1897-1962); it is in the London Transport Museum collection together with several more cheerful designs featuring crocuses.

Arne Jacobsen (1902-71) is one of the design greats of the twentieth century. Here in the UK, he designed St Catherine's College (1964) in Oxford. His design "went much further than the buildings and grounds, as he created an integrated environment that was both practical and beautiful, including the cutlery, furniture and lighting". This is a 1964 photo of the Junior Common Room with his 'Swan' armchairs. The college is well worth a visit.

Several examples of the famous Margrethe bowl, named in 1954 after the young Princess Margrethe (later Queen Margrethe II), can be found in the excellent Design Museum in Copenhagen. It was designed for the Rosti company (founded in 1944 by Rolf Fahrenholtz and Stig Jørgensen) by Sigvard Bernadotte and Acton Bjørn, and has become an affordable and functional design classic which is available in a range of sizes and colours. Over 25 million Margrethe bowls have now been sold and it remains as popular as ever (and has even featured on a Danish postage stamp). 

In 1904, Georg Jensen (1866-1935), silversmith and designer, founded the renowned eponymous business which still sells silverware, jewellery, and many other beautiful items. The elegant and tactile Oyster Brooch was designed c1956 by Jørgen Ditzel (1921-61) and his wife, Nanna Ditzel (1923-2005), who was one of the leading post-war jewellery and furniture designers in Denmark. 

Bang & Olufsen was founded in 1925 when Peter Bang (1900-57) and Svend Olufsen (1897-1949) started making radios in the attic of the Olufsen family home. Bang experimented with Bakelite and in 1938 introduced the compact Beolit 39 which was much smaller than other contemporary radio furniture, and the first product made entirely from Bakelite. It was an instant success, and the Beolit name is still applied to Bang & Olufsen’s modern designs.

The Post is making a flying visit to Copenhagen, so this week we shall celebrate classic twentieth-century Danish design. Hans J. Wegner (1914-2007) began his career as a cabinetmaker and became one of the most influential furniture designers of his time. He is particularly known for his chairs - more than 500 - including the CH24 model designed in 1949 for Carl Hansen & Søn. It is better known as the Y Chair or Wishbone Chair.