SUMMER
CARE GUIDES, INSPIRATION & TUTORIALS
CLASSIC APOTHECARY VASE
An apothecary vase filled with a mass of seasonal foliage and a few flowers, is one of my all time favourite designs. It’s a brilliantly quick, impactful design for larger spaces at home and for informal events. Here I share a full step by step guide, from conditioning to creating, to aftercare.
SIMPLICITY & ELEGANCE IN PERFECT HARMONY
As Spring approaches and seasonal flowers become more plentiful, this beautiful bud vase design will enhance any space with its simple elegance.
Whilst you have an infinite choice of delicate flowers and grasses to choose from, selecting ingredients which complement each other perfectly, bringing movement, shape and texture is essential …
ELEVATING CLASSIC STRUCTURES
AND PROFESSIONAL WEDDING FLOWERS MASTERCLASS 2023:
I believe one of the key skills in becoming a phenomenal florist, is the ability to see the potential of any space, specifically utilising existing structures and architectural detail, bringing them to life, highlighting them with carefully considered seasonal flowers and greenery, and by using practical, robust sustainable techniques, that can be applied to a multitude of different scenarios …
COMPOTE BOWL HOW TO GUIDE
The best sustainable mechanics to use to create a wild and loose table design and how to assemble the mechanics correctly within your vessel, so they fully support each stems. You will also learn how to choose the best seasonal ingredients, how to create the outline shape with greenery, to form the base to your entire design and how to add your focal and accent flowers. Plus you will learn tips on best ways to care for your design, to increase its longevity …
NOTES FROM A GROWER - WOLVES LANE
For anyone running their own business, or thinking of doing so, this is an inspiring story. Two university friends, who after ten years working in jobs that were destroying their energy and outlook took control and followed their original dream to live ‘The Good Life’.
A new way of life meant absolutely everything to both Marianne and Camila. They continually overcame inevitable obstacles and sought out solutions for every problem …
HOW TO WRAP HAND-TIES
This is a brilliantly quick, cost effective, elegant and sustainable wrapping guide, to help you easily and effectively wrap hand tied bouquets. It's best suited for hand gathered bunches, and can be used when gifting to friends and within your business.
PIP RICH: AUTHOR & EDITOR
I have always been inspired by Livingetc’s fresh outlook on design and the way we live, particularly that of their editor Pip Rich (née McCormac), so I was thrilled when Pip was happy to be part of our new series, Meet the Creative.
I was keen to find out about Pip’s career path, how he has achieved his ambitious goals - which in turn I hope will inspire others when setting your own goals …
8 Mins Video Tutorial - honeysuckle & garden roses
PLUS CARE GUIDE & ALTERNATIVE RAMBLING BRANCHES/VINES FOR DESIGNS.
In this eight minute video Tutorial below, I demonstrate a step-by-step guide for a summer vase design. The rambling, long reaching vines/branches of the honeysuckle, combined with the softness of the garden roses, creates a beautifully relaxed arrangement, full of fragrance and sunshine colours.
HOW TO CREATE BUTTONHOLES
A few days ago, I asked on Instagram, what are the designs you would most love a step-by-step for … and buttonholes/boutonnieres were one of the most requested designs, specifically non wired styles.
I have created a complete step-by-step guide, that's easy to follow, featuring three different styled buttonholes. Each one takes you through the making, from beginning to end, to help you feel confident and to really enjoy creating your own miniature designs.
Creating Fruitful, Sustainable Gardens
INSPIRATION FROM A GARDEN DESIGNER - A few weeks ago I attended a one-day workshop with garden designer Alison Jenkins. Alison believes that all our green spaces can be beautiful, fruitful and sustainable. She works from a smallholding in Somerset, South West England, two-acres of mixed beds of vegetables, herbs and edible flowers, set against a breathtaking backdrop of rolling hills.
The workshop focuses on designing and creating an edible garden, one that not only looks beautiful and is rich in wildlife, using solely sustainable and organic methods, one that you can eat too…
Introductory Conditioning Guide
A PERFECT INTRODUCTORY video guide to basic conditioning, for straightforward, classic stems.
This is the best and most efficient method for most stems throughout all seasons … I very much hope this quick 30 second guide becomes your quick go-to for everyday conditioning!
Sustainable Floral Mechanics
PDF GUIDE - You’ll learn what sustainable floristry means and understand our ten most tried and tested methods. The mechanics we use everyday in our studio, to create both small designs and to form the base of significant installations. If you are new to sustainable techniques, or you have been using them for a while, I hope you will feel confident and further inspired to explore these techniques further.
Countryside Inspiration - shaded hedgerows & woodland paths
I share my favourite delicate umbel blooms, a brilliant care guide for these stems (which will make you feel a little like a magician!) and taking inspiration from the surrounding landscapes to soften austere architectural features with tumbling and billowing designs.
Bringing Florists & Flower Farmers Together
During the pandemic, I looked for small supplies of flowers, to create designs and bring a little colour into my home. I looked for Flower Farms who could deliver domestically, and I thought it would be wonderful to grow this list and connect as many local growers with florists, all around the world. And when we reach the end of this current time, we will all be familiar with a far greater number of local growers. We will have built new relationships and we will be able to offer our clients a far greater variety of locally grown flowers, for future weddings and events, and in turn support more smaller growers.
CLICK below to view the list, to add your own Flower Farm or to recommended a favourite local grower:
Key Learnings - large scale event management
We are living in interesting times, dealing with the unexpected and having to alter our normal routines and procedures to accommodate COVID. Recently we were working on a very large event, with a great team of crew and superb florists, and it was the first time in a very long time that I have felt a little nervous before an event.
I am used to project managing all types of scenarios, I like nothing more than clever problem solving especially for big events, but in this situation there were too many factors that could have been out of our control.
I thought I would share with you the key learnings and also the solutions that we worked with, in the hope it might help one or two others …
