Bottom Of The Garden Flowers 

It's that time of year!!!!! So to launch our christmas 2017 range we have made our competition bigger and better this year!

SO

Thank you for all your kind words and well wishes.

This was not the way I wanted people to find out!

As I know for those with upcoming weddings it has caused you panic.

I was diagnosed with rhumertoid arthritis 5 years ago and told I would likely be in a wheelchair within 4 yrs as it was so severe. Thanks to amazing drugs and a group of family and friends who's support is boundless I am still going. I am quite a private person so never told many people what was going on.

Over the last year my condition has worsened and things have become harder. I have had one surgery this year and several more coming up. So I have decided to take some time and try and get my body to behave again. Thank you for all your support and allowing me to be part of your special days, it was a privilege. To those still with weddings coming up I will be in touch with you all soon. But don't panic your wedding will still be all we discussed and all you dreamed x big love to you all x
Claire xx

Ok so it's May already, we still have lots of things in the pipeline. Today we are lauching our bouquet of the month. This bouquet will be available at a reduced rate throughout the whole month of May. So grab yourself or a loved one a stuning bouquet and spread a little flowery love!

This month's bouquet is a hand tied sheaf in soft pinks containing lilys, roses, gypsohillia, gerbra, carnations and greenery.

Wow so busy latley as always, my poor blog has been very neglected.

But now valentines and mothers day are behind us and wedding season is just getting into full swing I have a little more time on my hands.  As some of you know I was out of action for quite a while from Dec till pretty much the last few weeks following back surgery. But I am back on my feet and feeling much better.

So we have lots of exciting things planned over the coming weeks and months ( all that time off my feet gave me time to plan, always dangerous!)

A with most floristy types this is the begining of my favorite time of the year, the weather is starting to warm up and I can finally get out into our cutting garden and do some work ( yes we do grow some of the flowers and foliage we use) The projects from last year are begining to come along nicely, the wisteria arch is looking fab and should be ready for next summer. As for the honeysuckle arch that is looking amazing and should be ready for this summer.  We have lots of new projects on the go for next year including a cherry tree which will be available for hire as decoration or as a wishing tree.

So enough flowery ramblings from me, what everyone really wants to know is what is in season now. There are so many varieties available straight from the UK now such as, Hyacinth, bluebells, daisies, alestromeia to name but a few. But with flowers from anywhere around the world being available within 24 hours. There are no limits, almost every flower is availale year round.

Anyway thats enough from me today, can't wait to share lots of exciting news with you all over the coming weeks.

Claire

Well there are lots of things we as florists will ask you. I promise it's not an interigation.

We will work with you from the start to put together a personalised quote for you, so we would need to know what colour or theme you are trying to achieve.

We also need to know the colour and style of your dress, the bridesmaids dresses. We do ask a few awkward questions such as heights, hair colours and dress sizes. This is so we can get a good overall idea of the wedding party. This means we can get the bouquet sizes right as a smaller lady are larger lady need slightly different sized bouquets to help make your photos even. Dress shape dictates the styles of bouquet we would recommend both for you and your bridesmaids.

There is an awful lot of twoing and froing at this point, meetings, emails and calls. This is all part of the process to ensure we get it right.

But any florist will take the time to run through things with you until it's right. 

Budget plays a part for every couple be it large or small, so never be afraid to tell your florist you can't afford something. But do be aware of Pintrest, it is fantastic for ideas for colour themes and styles but can give people very unrealistic ideals when it comes down to cost. There are always ways to cut costs from the beautiful arrangements you may have seen, maybe less flowers or substituting for different types.

But the most important thing is to make sure you find a florist you trust, after all it's the most important day of your life. Make sure it's the right fit for you as a person and the style of work  to fit your dream day.

We are here to help with advice, recommendations on other suppliers but above all support to help ensure your day is all you wish it to be!

When do I book a florist?

So we get lots of enquiries for couples, sometimes months or years in advance of thier wedding date.

There are certain things you need to book before getting to a florist.  So start out with your venue, most importantly after that would be your photographer, as they get booked up a very long way in advance. Once you have these things in place then its time to start thinking about a florist, we also get bookings along way in advance.

Although it may seem early and you may not have finalised things like your dress it gives you plenty of time to visit different florists and find someone with a style you like.

So what is a year of love?

This is a new service we are offering to bring joy to your loved ones for an entire year.

How does it work?

You get to choose how your 12 gifts are spread out throughout the year. So you could choose to  have a bouquet for valentines, mothers day and a birthday. Then spread the rest throught the year.

What choices do I get?

For each occasion you choose you will be given the option to choose between two bouquets, or plant gifts. At christmas you would be given the option to choose between a bouquet, a door wreath or table center for the christmas dinner table.

How much does this cost?

All this for a set price of £250. This could save you a whopping £70 over the course of a year and think of the joy you can bring to that special someone.

How much notice do you require to order?

All we ask is a minimum of 48hours notice to arrange your delivery.

Do they have to be to the same address or recipient?

The short answer is no, so long as the recipent is with 40 miles of Christchurch, Dorset, you can send these bouquets and gifts to whom ever your heart desires. But just remember you only get 12!!!

How do I pay?

So you can pay in one lump sum or spread the cost either 6 monthly or quarterly.

Wedding Floristry The Perception Vs Reality

So the most common misconception is that all florists just start adding zeros to the price tag as soon as the word wedding is uttered. Whilst there are florists who do charge excessively large amounts for their work, there are many who under value their worth.

To most people flowers look easy to work with and we constantly have people say well you only put them together and put a ribbon around it! If only it was that simple. There is so much more that the client never sees.

I am an event florist who specialises in wedding and funeral work, so my average day starts around 5am. Heading into a freezing workshop to fill the buckets ready for the incoming delivery. Each flower is stripped of its foliage, thorns, whilst being checked for imperfections. Then it’s checking the emails, updating people on payment plans and all the associated paperwork, just like any other business.

But even before this there is the time for a consultation, sometimes my day finishes at 7pm others 11pm. Once you have met your client it’s carefully putting together a quote for their dream flowers and then taking the time to order the best quality flowers for their order. This can take a couple of days or hours depending on what they require.

So back in the workshop we nurture the flowers, every flower takes a different length of time to open to that perfect pose, so we nurture and cajole them (sometimes for 7 or 8 days) until we are finally ready to work with them. Then we work our magic, finally all done? Not a chance, we then deliver them to our client sometimes in one place more often than not to several places on the morning of a wedding, helping the groomsmen on with their buttonholes, calming nerves, assuring the brides all is well and the venue will be beautiful. So off we rush to the choosen venue to transform a beautiful, sometimes plain room or space into the magical space they imagined. Sometimes it takes an hour others we can be there all day…Finished at last? No, its back to the workshop to clear up and empty the buckets, clean them all ready for their next use. All done? Really, no next day its back to the venue to collect our items usually a 7 or 8 am collection as the venue will be used that day. Then they need cleaning ready for their next use. Finally we are all finished.

So the next time you see a florists price or quote remember to take a closer look, have they charged you for their travel time? The extras they get asked to do? As a florist I love the job I do, I am passionate about flowers and making my brides dreams a reality. I feel I am privileged to work in a job where I spend 99% of my time making someone else happy!