FLORALS rarely fade from fashion.

Our enduring love of the English country garden means flowery designs are once again a key interiors trend for summer 2017.

However, just as you wouldn't keep a wilting vase of blooms in your home, so any floral look needs to be fresh and up-to-date too.

Today's designers are making sure their interpretations are a world away from the fussy and old-fashioned, chintzy looks of yesteryear. They've embraced petal power with bright, bold, new designs helped by up-to-the-minute digital techniques for maximum impact.

Rebecca Snowden, interior style advisor at Furniture Choice (www.furniturechoice.co.uk), suggests the approach of pastel pinks and pretty petal-patterned wallpapers for bringing a soft, feminine look to any room in your home.

"When people talk about florals, it tends to be centred on spring and summer fashion and interiors, with powdery pastel pinks a hot favourite both for the catwalk and the home this year,” said Rebecca.

"Unusually, the trend will carry through late into winter and those pastel hues will move into deeper, darker reds and pinks. Plum and deep magenta against a smoky black background will conjure a dramatic, gothic effect."

Woodchip & Magnolia has a stunning Eunoia Watercolour Floral Wallpaper, £99 a roll (woodchipandmagnolia.co.uk). Hothouse botanical prints are also packing a punch this year, featuring vibrant Caribbean-inspired colours on dark backgrounds. Try turning up the heat with English Blinds’ Menton tropical Roman blind, from £53.95.

Pared-back, nature-inspired designs and bold colourways are perfect for a no-fuss or frills approach to the floral look.

"Giant florals have been the stars of the catwalk shows, and now, from wardrobe to walls, we're reviving floral patterns and embracing large-scale designs in bright, vibrant colours for a statement look," says Paula Taylor, colour and trends specialist at Graham & Brown (www.grahambrown.com/uk).

"Expressive, elaborate blooms are making their way onto our walls, furniture and homeware to create dramatic, coloured backdrops for the home. People are becoming much braver in their choice of design and colours and, after decades of plain magnolia walls, Brits are falling back in love with these patterns. It's time to be colour-confident again and express personality through dynamic palettes and opulent patterns."

Plants and flowers will always stand out against a dark backdrop of deep grey or black. Try painting an alcove or the inside of a dresser in a dark hue and then arrange bright flower displays in front of the backdrop, so the colour really pops.

Classic country style is a perennial favourite, which sees botanical illustrations that could have come straight from the pages of a traditional nature study book combine with natural textures and a neutral colour palette.

Claire Hornby, creative stylist at Barker & Stonehouse  - www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk - says: "If, like me, you love reflecting the subtle tones that you find in the garden, a palette of lavender, sage, rose and heather is a perfect place to start.

"These can be incorporated into your scheme through soft furnishings, or smaller upholstered pieces featuring designs reminiscent of natural history drawings, which will inject character into your living space.

"If an abundance of flowers, plants and all things natural appeals to your sense of style, then don't be afraid to use a large variety of plants and blooms in one room, to help achieve a fresh feel. These can be potted plants, vases of flowers, or even indoor trees. Intersperse greenery with country-themed decorative objects."

Wallpapering stair risers with floral papers is an inventive way to conjure a country-cottage look. Strip a staircase of carpet, sand and paint with floor paint, then use wallpaper off-cuts or a paper of your choice for each stair, attaching with wallpaper paste or a strong glue.

Meanwhile, outside in the garden, summer-flowering bulbs are well on the way to blooming, bringing bright colours and fragrance to patio planting schemes.

Lilies, dahlias, cannas and begonias can look amazing as stand-alone specimens in pots, and a team of experts from the Flower Council of Holland has come up with tips to look after some of its favourite bulbs- the Zantedeschia (calla), hybrid potted lilies and the star of Bethlehem (ornithogalum):

- Place in sun or shade: the temperature needs to remain above at least 5-8 degrees C, but that won't pose a problem in the summer.

- Don't let the soil dry out: water regularly, particularly when plants are placed in pots or containers. Bulbs and tubers will survive through a slightly drier period, which is handy when you go on holiday for a week.

- Feed them: once a fortnight should ensure lavish flowering.

After their summer flowering, bring potted bulbs indoors in October or November to give them a hibernation period where the plant remains dry and the foliage dies back. The bulbs and tubers will then produce plenty of new flowers during the next growing season. You can plant them outside again from April onwards to flower again in the summer.