h for hellebores

Ranunculus and Anemone bridal bouquet

2010-03-04T17:55:00.003Z

I've been dying to post images of today's lovely bridal bouquet.

More over at my new website, Lilac & Lily.

2010-02-24T19:20:00.008Z

After weeks of tweaking I'm really excited to finally launch my new website Lilac & Lily.

I set up this blog back in 2008 when I took the huge step of leaving my regular day job in marketing and began the journey towards retraining for a new career in floral design

I've worked as a florist since then and had the opportunity to design flowers for weddings and events at some amazing venues. I’ve loved every minute of it but, ultimately, it’s always been my goal to set up on my own.

So now, I’m really excited to announce the launch of my new website and floral design business and invite you to take a peek at what I’ve been up to.

I'll continue to post here at h for hellebores from time to time, mainly using this blog to post design inspirations and favourite finds.

Please stop by my new site and say 'Hi'. I'd love to hear from you

Decorative containers

2010-02-22T14:14:00.014Z

Just doing some research for a brief to come up with designs that integrate decorative containers with the arrangement and am loving Laura Dowling's work.

Images: Laura Dowling

My big fat gypsy wedding

2010-02-19T18:38:00.005Z

Why settle for Jenny Packham when you can have a Big Fat Gypsy Wedding?

Paper Mosaic

2010-02-17T21:34:00.009Z

I came across this beautiful paper mosaic from a series of botanical images by Mary Delany over at All things considered the other day.

Angie Lewin writes:
It wasn’t until Mary Delany was in her 70s that she first picked up a pair of scissors and began cutting intricate shapes from coloured tissue papers which she mounted strikingly onto dense black backgrounds. The hundreds of collages which she created are the most beautifully coloured and botanically accurate plant portraits.

The exhibition is on rom 19th February until 10th May at Sir John Soane's Museum, 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP.Website: www.soane.org

Edmund de Waal

2010-02-17T19:38:00.010Z

Poor neglected blog. I've been a bad blogger. Forgive me, I've been busy at work on a new site for my work which I'll be launching soon, but I plan to continue to post design inspirations and favourite finds here on this blog from time to time.

I popped into the Pump Rooms at Leamington Spa the other day to take a look at an exhibition of ceramic works by Edmund de Waal.

De Waal uses a subdued colour palette to create beautiful vessels that are both comfortingly domestic and calmingly sculptural.

The Exhibition, water-shed, features a collection of recent work and includes a newly commissioned installation by the same name. The show is open until 11th April 2010.

Amaryllis

2009-12-16T18:15:00.014Z

Seasonal corporate arrangement with Amaryllis, Protea and Carnation.

The container is wrapped with willow sticks tied together with bullion wire.

Fragrant Christmas wreath

2009-12-14T10:53:00.002Z

My Christmas door wreath, lovingly constructed on a traditional moss ring at great expense to my poor hands.

No bling, no bows, just fragrant blue spruce and eucalyptus and a few berries.

Rose & Protea bridal bouquet

2009-12-04T21:21:00.002Z

Hand tied bridal bouquet of 'Sweet Avalanche' Roses, Protea, Hypericum, Pittosporum and Eucalyptus.

The Crown Inn at Amersham

2009-11-23T22:35:00.008Z

Over the weekend it was my absolute pleasure to attend the wedding of our friends Ali and Chris at The Crown Inn in Amersham. The Crown is a delightful old coaching inn that featured in Four Weddings and a Funeral. You might remember it as the setting for the scene where Hugh Grant cosies up to Andie Mcdowell. It has since been exquisitely restyled by interior designer Ilse Crawford with Farrow and Ball colours, Welsh wool blankets, Ercol chairs and vintage radios combining to delicious effect to create a warm, welcoming and soothingly simple interior.

It was so lovely to relax and enjoy a wedding where I wasn't running around worrying about the flowers and the Crown was not only a perfect venue for an intimate informal wedding, it was also a lovely place for a romantic weekend break.

I could go on and on about the delicious food, the crisp white linen, the sumptuos beds, the chic bathrooms etc... but maybe I'll just show you a few more pictures instead and let you make up your own mind.

Roses & Calla lilies

2009-11-10T17:23:00.005Z

Just back from the wholesalers with flowers for this weekend's wedding this weekend. These will be mixed with rich orange 'Cherry Brandy' roses and Ilex berries.

Grand Prix bouquet

2009-10-29T19:41:00.006Z

Grand Prix roses for today's bride.

2009-10-26T09:57:00.009Z

What to wear on your head when you wed is a much debated topic in the world of blogging brides. For me it was a beautiful Butler and Wilson crystal flower hairpiece which I fell in love with and designed my entire wedding "look" around, but rarely have I seen anything with the sheer show-stopping glamour of this stunning vintage inspired piece by Stephanie Browne Australia.

I loved Peony's what to wear on your head post over on A Practical Wedding but I loved her post about why when it came down to it she decided not to wear a veil even more. When wedding planning starts to spiral out of control and you start to obsess about details so much that you lose sight of what matters, sometimes you just have to take a step back and remember what it's all really about.

Autumn country wedding

2009-10-17T18:45:00.009+01:00

In a few weeks time I will be doing the flowers for the wedding of Claire and Michael who are getting married at the beautiful Callow Hall in Derbyshire.

Claire has chosen a colour scheme incorporating rich autumnal shades of orange. I'm really excited about some of the ideas we've discussed and can't wait to see how the flowers turn out. Here's a moodboard I put together to work from.

Photo credits
Dress: David Fielden
Venue: Callow Hall
Arrangement of orange and white roses with mango calla lilies by CM Designs
I wasn't able to find the original credit for the calla bridal bouquet. If it's yours please let me know so I can credit you.

Willow wreath

2009-10-12T18:01:00.004+01:00

I re-enrolled at college last month to continue my floristry studies with an advanced course focusing on contemporary and European design. For the first few weeks we have been having fun creating willow frames and other structures.

I really enjoyed creating this piece. My aim was to create lots of movement in the design with the overall effect soft, loose and flowing.

Vintage vase

2009-09-24T19:16:00.003+01:00

Leftover roses and hydrangeas in a vintage Sylvac vase.

Sitting pretty

2009-09-15T13:17:00.023+01:00

Did I mention that I'm not a huge fan of autumn? One of the few things I do however love about this time of year is the desire it unleashes in me to go shopping for new winter boots, especially if the shoe store is as pretty as this new Camper store opening on Regent Street later this month.

The design concept for the store features an installation and bouquet chairs made of folded tissue paper by Tokujin Yoshioka. And lets face it shoe shopping can be hard work, so why wouldn't you want to take a moment or two to relax and sink into a soft cushion of petals whilst pondering whether to opt for ankle boots or knee length this season.

via Dezeen

Calla Lily, Rose & Freesia wedding

2009-09-12T18:28:00.010+01:00

A few images from today's wedding. The bride chose white roses, calla lilies and freesia for her bouquet. I always love green and white as a floral colour scheme. The two colours look so fresh, simple and elegant together.

Florist shop windows - No. 2

2009-09-07T09:05:00.000+01:00

The Garden Room Florist - Porlock, Somerset.

Woodland Posy

2009-09-03T19:23:00.002+01:00

Grouped woodland posy with white roses, 'Anastasia Green' chrysanths, carnations and ivy.

My other obsession

2009-08-28T23:00:00.003+01:00

Scandinavian glass vases - my other obsession.

Long before I became a florist I had already acquired a huge collection of these.

Here are a few of my favourite pieces, mostly from the 60s. I love 60s and mid-century modern design. My favourites change from time to time as I find new pieces in junk shops or on ebay and sell old ones on. They look great when grouped together and most pieces are still relatively inexpensive, so it's possible to build up a decent collection without spending a fortune.

Seaside kitsch

2009-08-27T20:52:00.008+01:00

When it rains on your summer holiday in England there are always kitsch and colourful treasures to be hunted out.

Seaside confectionary shop, Lynmouth, Devon.

(Mr H and I have just been away for a few days camping on Exmoor.)

Blackberry time

2009-08-18T22:22:00.005+01:00

I picked some blackberries whilst out walking Albert in the woods this afternoon and did this mock up for the table arrangements at my sister's wedding.

Box of memories

2009-08-16T18:29:00.032+01:00

I packed my wedding dress away this afternoon. The ritual of lining the box with tissue paper and carefully folding it away felt like one of the final acts relating to our wedding. The thank you notes have long since been written and sent, the photographs chosen for our wedding album. Now all that's left is to fold away my dress and, remembering how I felt on that day four months ago when I stepped into it, look forward to our marriage and all that is to come.

Box of memories photographs by me. Wedding day photographs by Fiona Ensor.

Coral vase

2009-08-12T09:26:00.004+01:00

I love the subtle detail and simplicity of this porcelain 'coral' vase by Ted Muehling available from Rose and Radish.

More lovely porcelain here.

The Bay Tree at Chipping Camden

2009-08-11T18:04:00.008+01:00

On the way back from Hidcote on Sunday we stopped for tea and cake at Chipping Camden where The Bay Tree surely has to be one of the prettiest florist shops in England. I loved this elegant white Anthurium arrangement in the window.

Don't choose a wife for her bonnet

2009-08-11T17:17:00.011+01:00

"Buying a plant for its flowers is like choosing a wife for her bonnet".

Photograph by Dorothea Lange

Gardening wisdom found via A Rockridge Life.

August at Hidcote

2009-08-09T19:56:00.038+01:00

I begin to get a creeping sense of dread at this time of year. I know August ought to be one of the nicest months of the year, but I hate the feeling that the summer is starting to slip away. My favourite month is April when Spring really starts to get going, the days begin to lengthen and you have the whole anticipation of summer befor you - it was no coincidence that Mr H and I decided to get married in April.

So before summer ebbs away we headed out into the Cotswolds today where I took these pictures at Hidcote Manor Garden. Although some of the earlier summer flowers had faded they had been replaced by abundant borders of Dahlia, Canna Lily and Agapanthus.

From top to bottom: Aliums; Dahlia & Canna Lily; Penstemon & Nicotiana; Astrantia.

Summer basket arrangement

2009-08-05T09:43:00.000+01:00

Just a little basket arrangement I made in the shop yesterday. It's a traditional design, and in this case was a gift for an elderly lady.

I used Roses, Achillea, Echinops, Eryngium, Eucalyptus, Chrysanths and Carnations. There are a couple of pieces of Delphinium in there somewhere too.

A Norfolk wedding

2009-08-03T19:09:00.005+01:00

One of the questions in a quiz Flora tagged me to answer a few weeks ago was

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?

I never got round to answering all the questions, but I can answer this one without any hesitation whatsoever. If I could choose only one thing from my wardrobe it would undoubtedly be the blue five and a half inch Alexander McQueen shoes, bought at a greatly reduced price in a clearance sale for a party for a rather special birthday I celebrated last year.

They are just the right side of whoreish and create the very desirable illusion of legs that go on forever. These babies make me feel totally capable of outstrutting Carrie Bradshaw, and this weekend they got an outing. Since I don't have the type of social life that regularly demands the wearing of this type of ridiculous footwear I was very excited to have the opportunity to wear them to the wedding of our lovely friends Tom and Katharine in Norfolk.

The reception was held in a large tipi which had been erected in Tom's parents' beautiful garden. Katharine had decorated it with vases collected from car boot sales which she had spray painted and filled with hydrangeas.

The shoes drew lots of admiring glances as I tottered along the gravel garden paths in them after my third vodka and apple juice cocktail, but obviously even my Alexander McQueen shoes couldn't steel the show from the beautiful bride Katharine who looked stunning in this gorgeous Alice Temperley dress.

We danced all night to the excellent music provided by a local skiffle band (who knew AC/DC and 'Hit me baby one more time' could sound so good on a washboard?)

And the next morning a lie in, fluffy bathrobes and Sunday papers in bed at the St Giles House Hotel in Norwich with the best croissants and freshly squeezed orange juice.

So, all things considered, not a bad weekend really.

Not quite a Myla bikini....

2009-07-26T20:50:00.019+01:00

Yesterday at work we went out to collect the pedestals from last weekend's wedding from the church. We were delighted to find that one week on most of the flowers were still looking almost as fresh as they did when they left the shop, so I couldn't resist salvaging a few bits and pieces and bringing them home.

The lilac hydrangeas work really well as an accent colour in our new bedroom which I lovingly painted in Farrow and Ball 'Bone' just a couple of weeks ago after Mr H and I spent our entire week's 'holiday' sanding and varnishing floors. This year we decided to forego the lure of the Greek Islands or the South of France. Instead of spending my summer holiday lying on a beach in my bikini (the gorgeous yellow Myla one I spotted whilst out shopping today would have been just perfect), for most of the week I wore knee pads, overalls and ear defenders. But when we had finished and our new bedroom was complete, my lovely husband bought me a Robert Indiana 'LOVE' sculpture (as seen in first picture), which (apart from my Mulberry handbag) has to be just about my most favourite present ever!

Wedding flowers

2009-07-17T22:12:00.018+01:00

Today I've been busy putting together table arrangements and a couple of pew ends for this weekend's wedding in amongst the chaos of a busy Friday in the shop.

Cool water roses, Scabious, Freesia, Lisianthus, September flower and Eucalyptus - such gorgeous colours.

Peonies

2009-06-18T10:40:00.006+01:00

Mr H sneaked out with his fuzzy sidekick the other night and came back with these.

Behind our house there is a big old derelict property with an overgrown garden where these lovely peonies were blooming away for all they were worth totally unappreciated by any human eye. And whilst I'm not advocating that you go out stealing flowers from your neighbour's gardens, in this instance I was only too happy to provide them with a loving home.

A sofa for Albert

2009-06-17T11:30:00.003+01:00

Sorry for the lack of blog posts lately. I have been busy with my new job as well as out enjoying the sunshine.

With wedding planning out of the way, my thoughts have turned to gathering style inspiration for our new home. I think Albert would look rather handsome stretched out on this sofa.

From Flea Market Style via The City Sage

My dream job

2009-06-16T22:23:00.002+01:00

So, I was tagged by Flora to answer this quiz she has been doing over on her blog.

What is your dream job?

OK, here's the story since I've never actually written about this on my blog before. Twelve months ago I was working in a large organisation as a Marketing Manager. The salary was nice. It paid the mortgage and sustained my shoe shopping habit but the job ate away at my soul. I hated it and longed to do something more practical and creative. Then back last September I was flipping through some Adult Education brochures and decided to enrol on a Floristry course at my local college.

I'd always loved gardening, flowers and plants and had become more interested in floral design whilst thinking about flowers for my wedding. I was lucky enough to find myself on a course with a great teacher and within a few weeks I knew I was hooked. Meanwhile, working in a dismal windowless office in a job I was no longer committed to continued to sap the life blood out of me. By Christmas I realised that I owed it to myself to get out. I quit my job, rented out my house, moved in with my husband-to-be and began doing work experience for free at a local florist.

Then a couple of months ago, an opening came up at a florist shop in a neighbouring town. I applied and got the job! So here I am.... following my passion and loving every minute of it. If you'd told me just a year ago that I would be working as a florist I'd never have believed it. It's hard work, physically demanding, my finger nails are always filthy and the pay is peanuts, but right now I wouldn't change it for anything. Well, unless I could dance Argentine Tango for a living that is, but I don't think there's much chance of that particular dream coming true.

More of Flora's quiz later.

This week...

2009-05-22T21:33:00.000+01:00

This week I have been mostly...

engrossed in this book recommended by my friend Melissa - Buddhism, a history of western philosophy and a personal travel journey all rolled into one good read,

wishing I had written this letter about Madonna's mid life crisis,

wondering why the slugs have eaten most of my tomato plants,

and helping Albert with his flower arranging skills.

The best wedding video ever

2009-05-21T08:22:00.009+01:00

Wouldn't you just love to have been a guest at this great couple's wedding. Looks like they had so much fun.

Now, go get your grandma playing some air guitar.

via A Cup of Jo

Droog brooches

2009-05-20T08:54:00.026+01:00

I've got a bit of a vintage French style thing going on this week. I love these Alice in Wonderland-esque baroque style brooches by Iris Nieuwenburg for Droog.

Sweet avalanche roses

2009-05-13T18:59:00.046+01:00

Here are a couple of images from my final college assessment last week.

The brief: design a front facing triangular arrangement and create a moodboard to show the interior for which it would be suitable.

The arrangement we had to produce to meet the brief is quite a formal, traditional design. I aimed to give mine a slightly vintagey feel, inspired by elegant Parisian apartments and romantic English country style.

I used my favourite Sweet Avalanche roses, which were the flowers carried by my gorgeous bridesmaids.

image by Fiona Ensor Photography

Irises

2009-05-10T20:08:00.017+01:00

They grow in our garden and their colour is the most intense purple I have ever seen.

They have stamens which look like little furry golden caterpillars.

They will last for just another day or two but when they start to fade they don't dry out like most flowers, they melt magically and dissolve into indigo ink.

They are weird, they are wonderful, and I love them.

Shifting vase

2009-05-06T09:23:00.011+01:00

Simple, sculptural, architectural design by Isolation Unit.

This shifting marble vase is sliced into layers that can be twisted and rearranged.

Via Dezeen

Tulips

2009-04-30T08:43:00.005+01:00

Our wedding flowers were so beautiful that I couldn't bear to part with them so these Tulips came along with us on our honeymoom.

If you're lucking for ways to get the most out of your wedding flower budget then head over to Brown Bag where Nancy has written a great post showing how, by avoiding scarce, delicate, out of season or imported blooms, you can choose great flowers that won't blow your budget. In fact all this week Nancy has been running an 'Ask Nancy' series and she's posted some great advice and do-it-yourself flower tutorials.

Melin Tregwynt

2009-04-29T16:45:00.001+01:00

We were lucky enough to be given some money to buy a wedding present so we decided to splash out on this lovely welsh woollen blanket by Melin Tregwynt .

Best of all we got to visit the mill in Pembrokeshire where they are made and watched the fabric being woven, then took Albert for a walk on the nearby beach.

I grew up surrounded by these traditional Welsh textile designs and am really pleased that they are gaining popularity again.

Thought for the day

2009-04-28T08:33:00.001+01:00

Getting yourself locked out of the house in a heavy rainstorm is really not a very smart thing to do, especially if you don't happen to have anything as useful as a handful of loose change or a mobile phone on you and are armed only with a naughty puppy and a poo bag.

Image by A is for Angie via Flickr

The cake

2009-04-27T16:32:00.000+01:00

When we started planning our wedding one of the things I was sure about from the beginning was that I wanted to use native Spring flowers that I had grown and loved in my garden, flowers that were right for the time of year and that had some meaning to me.

As you've probably gathered from the title of the blog I love Hellebores and always knew that I wanted them for our wedding day. My florist was a little unsure about using them at first as they can be a bit delicate, but choosing flowers that have some personal significance for me felt like a way of ensuring that our wedding was authentic, that it reflected who we are, and that we hadn't just plucked ideas straight out of a bridal magazine.

The cake was from M&S. It cost a bit more than we'd originally intended to spend on a cake but I loved the simplicity of it. It was delicious.

The cake stand, found in a clearance sale at Habitat, was one of my best wedding bargains. I now have a great excuse to bake (and eat) lots of cake. After all it would be a crying shame if such a pretty cake stand just sat gathering dust on the shelf.

The Goddess

2009-04-24T16:05:00.001+01:00

Once there was a car...

the people who made her cheekily named her the DS (deesse) because they knew that everyone would think that she was as beautiful as a goddess.

She was loved by Presidents, Popes and screen idols.

Philosophers mythologised her and described her as having "fallen from the sky"

....and when you rode in her it felt as if you were floating on a cushion of air.

Well, turns out that all the time I thought that Mr H hadn't got round to sorting out a wedding car for us he had been secretly plotting a surprise.

Imagine how I felt when this pulled up to collect me on my wedding day.

Imagine how I felt as we glided through town with the warm afternoon sun glinting on her oh-so- shiny wing mirrors, happy in the knowledge that the months of planning and waiting was over and that I was finally heading towards my man to marry him.

Imagine how I brimmed over with happiness and excitement as people stopped and smiled and came out of their shops and waved......

and imagine the smile on my face as the car finally crunched onto the gravel outside the castle and I saw my man there waiting for me.

Hydrangea and Ranunculus posy

2009-04-23T10:34:00.002+01:00

I put together this little posy a few days ago using some flowers from our garden.

We held our wedding reception at home, so the week before the wedding I went out and bought lots of Ranunculus to fill the borders in the garden. The Hydrangeas are from a plant we received as a wedding gift.

At last

2009-04-14T09:26:00.000+01:00

So, we finally did it. After months of preparation, 10 days ago, on a beautiful perfect sunny Spring afternoon, Mr H and I exchanged rings, said our vows and the man that I love became my husband. Our memories of the day were captured by hundreds of wonderful photographs that we will treasure forever, but this picture of our nephew perfectly sums up the mood of the day.

Have you ever felt such overwhelming joy and happiness that you wanted to jump 10 feet in the air?

Bridal bouquet

2009-03-19T16:28:00.001Z

I'm pleased with how this piece of work turned out. I love the contrasting textures. The ivy collar was a bit of an experiment but I really like the shape it gives to the bouquet. The colours would work well for an autumn wedding.

Arriving in (retro) style

2009-03-13T15:30:00.001Z

There are just a few weeks to go until our big day now, and thankfully most of the wedding details have at last been finalised.

One rather important issue remains unresolved though. We still haven't figured out quite how I am going to arrive at the venue. This evening I am therefore going to work at persuading Mr H that we really ought to have a car like this.

Bridesmaid's posy

2009-02-26T22:07:00.000Z

Moving on from buttonholes and corsages at college, here is my first attempt at a bridesmaid's posy, which I constructed on an oasis foam posy holder. We tend to work a lot with carnations and chrysanths at college, because they are cheap and versatile. Most weeks our tutor chooses the flowers for us and my first reaction is nearly always 'Oh no, not carnations and chrysanths again', but often I'm amazed at the results that can be created by combining them with just a few focal flowers. Here, white roses provide the focus.

Bucktooth is in love

2009-02-12T23:11:00.001Z

Today was my first Valentine's Day as a florist, and despite the relentless dripfeed of media stories about global financial apocalypse, the boys were out in force. The shop brimmed over with gorgeous bouquets, uncertain young men happily handed over their cash and we sold out of roses by lunchtime.

I do hope the ladies love their flowers.

Image 'Bucktooth is in love' by =iKate via We Heart it

Say it with flour

2009-02-12T19:10:00.000Z

Sometimes the simplest gestures say more than the most extravagant ones.

Image by Josh Blacker from my favourite Flickr group Flower or Flour

Valentines window at Marc Jacobs

2009-02-10T17:42:00.000Z

How about this for a Valentine's window?

via Spotted by Normann Copenhagen

Friday favourites

2009-02-06T17:00:00.000Z

This week I have been loving...

Joanna Goddard's Swedish Mick Jagger look a like crush on 'A cup of Jo'.....

this gorgeous wedding on Green Wedding Shoes. Everything about this wedding is so stylish - the bride's cute hair, her fabulous yellow shoes and the beautiful photography by Sloan Photographers......

and these cool pictures of Paris in the snow found via Pia Jane Bijkerk.

Happy weekend!

Introducing Albert

2009-02-05T19:28:00.000Z

I've been feeling pretty tired this week as I've not been getting much sleep lately. This little fella is the reason why. Meet Albert, our new whippet pup.

Cymbidium orchid corsage

2009-02-05T17:42:00.000Z

I'm still practising corsages and boutonnieres for my assessed project at college next week. Here's one with cymbidium orchids that I made at the shop where I'm doing my work experience.

Wedding invitations

2009-02-04T11:43:00.000Z

You may remember that a few weeks ago I mentioned how much I loved these invitations by Storeyshop. Well, whilst it has been all cold and snowy here this week I've been busy designing and making our wedding invitations, and here they are. I'm going to head off to the post office later today to send them out. The illustration which you may just be able to make out in the top of the picture is a drawing of our wedding venue by my very lovely soon to be husband, Mr H.

Centrepieces

2009-02-04T10:28:00.000Z

How gorgeous are these centrepieces by Farmer Julie, featured this week on Style Me Pretty? There are step by step instructions on how to make them over on her blog if you fancy having a go at making your own. The purple Queen of the Night tulips are stunning, I can't wait for the ones in my garden to come up.

Friday round up

2009-01-31T01:00:00.000Z

Here is a round up of some of my favourite links from around the web found over the past couple of weeks.

Poladroids at Pia Jane Bijerk,

Parisian street style at Garance Dore,

fabulous paper graphics by Yulia Brodskaya

and gorgeous photographs from Bloom by Iris Velghe found via Kris's colour stripes.

Enjoy!

Silk corsage

2009-01-29T11:37:00.000Z

Here is this week's college piece, made with silk flowers. These weren't the best quality silks I've seen but I'm quite pleased with the shape and neatness of this piece of work. I think I'd prefer to use fresh flowers for buttonholes and corsages for the bridal party at my own wedding, but this type of design could also be used for pew ends, cake toppers or hair decorations, all of which I think would look great in silks.

2009-01-28T11:03:00.000Z

As January draws to a close lots is starting to happen in my garden. The first snowdrops are out and crocus and tulip shoots are tunnelling their way up out of the cold damp soil in search of daylight. Today I noticed that one of my Hellebore buds had finally opened. I couldn't resist picking it and making this boutonniere.

Rose Corsage

2009-01-21T11:47:00.000Z

We're working on corsages at college at the moment and have to make up our own corsage design for an assessed project in a few weeks. Here is my first attempt. Next week we'll be using silk flowers.

Boutonnieres

2009-01-14T10:11:00.000Z

It was back to college after the Christmas break last week. We're doing wedding work from now until Easter and started off with wiring techniques. Here are my first couple of attempts at a boutonniere. These are pretty traditional. Over the next few weeks I'm going to experiment with some less conventional flowers and foliages.

Dutch demonstration

2009-01-13T09:02:00.000Z

A couple of images from the demonstration by Dutch florists Bert Kuiper and Dini Holtrop that I attended yesterday.

Why I love..... amaryllis

2009-01-12T22:45:00.000Z

There is something rather deliciously rebellious about the idea of wearing yellow tights. This picture reminds me of the Jenny Joseph poem 'Warning' which begins with the line 'When I am an old woman I shall wear purple...'. Except that, whilst I may very well wear purple, I'm sure I won't be wearing yellow tights when I am an old lady because to get away with such a look you really do need to be blessed with youth, a fine turn of ankle and fabulous legs.

Earlier today I went to a demonstration by two young Dutch floral designers, Bert Kuiper and Dini Holtrop, which included loads of great ideas for using Amaryllis.

Like wearing yellow tights, incorporating Amaryllis into a floral arrangement is a surefire way to make a big statement. It will bring a welcome burst of exuberance into your home during the long dark winter months, and if you decide to don a pair of yellow tights as well you really will feel as if spring is just around the corner.

Wedding favour boxes

2009-01-08T12:59:00.001Z

If you are looking for wedding favour boxes Kris at Kris's colour stripes has kindly shared these. You can download them here.

While you're there check out her beautiful blog for tonnes of colour palette inspiration.

Wedding flowers

2009-01-07T18:20:00.001Z

This week after months of gathering ideas I finally got round to putting together an inspiration board for my wedding flowers. We are getting married in Spring, my favourite time of year. I plan to have Avalanche roses and hellebores (of course) as the main flowers for my bouquet. The colour scheme will be mostly green and white.

Image credits:
Dress: Marylise
Archway: h for hellebores
Cake: Marks and Spencer
Table arrangement: via weddings by Zoe Lingard
Shoes: Benjamin Adams

Favourite finds - winter white

2009-01-06T18:04:00.000Z

It's a beautiful crisp white winter's day here today so I thought I'd share some of my favourite white things, like these Not Rudolph coat hangers by Birkiland. Yes, I know Christmas has been and gone but I'd still happily hang these on my wall.

I have a huge collection of Scandinavian vases, but am in love with the simplicity and practicality of this 'Betty' vase by Helsinki based designer Lincoln Kayiwa.

How amazing would this dress be for a winter wedding?

Snow queen marabou vintage fabulousness via Peonies and Polaroids.

Connecting with your inner princess

2009-01-02T19:11:00.000Z

I was reading some of the wedding graduate posts over on A Practical Bride earlier today and what almost everyone without exception says is that all of the little wedding details that you spend months planning just go out of the window on the day, which is as it should be really. As someone who had never really given a thought to how (or even if) she might get married, and who had certainly never craved a fancy wedding, at first I was sure that I wanted our wedding to be as simple as possible. After all it's the being married that matters, not the wedding... right? I have absolutely no interest in favours or pew ends or finding exactly the right shade of chair cover, and don't even get me started on champagne glasses decorated with paper butterflies. The only things that really matter to me are marrying the man I love, having a nice dress to wear and being surrounded by a handful of special people.

But a few weeks after Mr H popped the question, after I had taken out a subscription to 'Bride' magazine and spent more hours than is really healthy glued to my laptop trawling wedding sites, he remarked "this wedding thing has really unleashed your inner princess hasn't it?". I reluctantly have to concede that he is absolutely right. Somehow I have begun to connect with my own inner princess, and I have no idea where she came from. Despite myself, and Mr H will mock me for this, I have to confess to finding this sweet little ring pillow by Easter Yu rather lovely.

Happy new year

2008-12-31T14:46:00.000Z

Wishing everyone a new year that's bubbling over with happiness.

Photo credit: techmeister

Wedding invitations

2008-12-28T13:17:00.000Z

Although I haven't yet mentioned it here, as well as learning floristry I'm also planning my wedding at the moment, so occasionally one or two wedding ideas may find their way onto this blog alongside images from my floristry portfolio.

As there are now less than 100 days to go until our wedding it occurred to us over Christmas that we really ought to get a move on and think about sending out some invitations, so I've been gathering inspiration today.

Both of the designs above are free to download at Wedding Invitation Ideas.

I also love these by La Lissa Designs at etsy

but my favourites are these by Storeyshop.

They are so simple but so pretty and, like a box of delicious Belgian chocolates, designed to be opened with anticipation and pleasure.

Christmas work experience

2008-12-23T22:20:00.000Z

I've been doing some work experience this week in the run up to Christmas. Having never worked in a florist's before I would have been quite happy to just clean buckets, sweep up and make coffee all day long. I wasn't really expecting to be thrown in at the deep end and let loose to make up hand ties with such lovely flowers, so I owe a big 'thank you' to Antonia and Daniel for their patience and encouragement and for providing me with such a great learning opportunity.

On Friday when the delivery arrived I was really excited because I got to go on the big Dutch flower lorry. It pulled up on the kerb outside the shop and beckoned me in with its multicoloured patchwork of row upon row of floral gorgeousness, including the most amazing lilies I have ever seen..... I swear they must have been four feet tall!

Here are a few of the bits and pieces I got to make.

Christmas wreath

2008-12-11T12:58:00.000Z

Here's my finished Christmas wreath, made using the mossed ring I posted a picture of last week. This one is now hanging on my front door.

Alternative wreaths

2008-12-05T17:52:00.001Z

I've been researching ideas for alternative materials to use for my Christmas wreath project today. These beautiful paper creations are by Haru and are available from etsy

Woodland style moss ring

2008-12-04T20:11:00.000Z

With Christmas just around the corner it was time to start making decorations at college this week, and I loved getting my hands dirty making this moss ring which will be the base for a Christmas wreath. In next week's class I'll be adding spruce and eucalyptus to this (and maybe a shiny bauble or two), but for now I thought it would be fun to play around with some ivy and winter jasmine from my garden. The result has a woodland feel to it...... I kind of like it.

Why I love hydrangeas

2008-11-27T17:50:00.000Z

I love hydrangeas.... in fact I love quite a lot of flowers and plants that begin with the letter H - hellebores, hostas and hyacinths are all favourites of mine.

image by mamoko7070

I love hydrangeas for their retro charm. It's those big blowsy nonchalent pom poms.... they just do it for me. Who could resist a flower that must surely have inspired this classic 1950s bathing fashion?

image via travel trunk

Open wreath

2008-11-26T22:15:00.001Z

This week's college project. I love this colour scheme.

Based wreath

2008-11-12T19:51:00.000Z

....still on the funeral module. Here's a series of photographs from the based wreath I made this week. I really enjoyed doing this piece.

Card and wedding favour box

2008-10-30T19:49:00.000Z

For the design and craft element of our first assessed project we had to demonstrate a variety of techniques for folding, pleating and tearing paper or card.

My first assessment

2008-10-28T21:06:00.001Z

We were given our first formally assessed project at college earlier this week. The brief was to create a hand-tied bouquet for a specific occasion. Mine was designed as a 'thank you' bouquet suitable for a mother of the bride. I chose fresh, zingy green spider Chrysanthemums, Lilies and Avalanche Roses. The Hypericum berries add a red accent which gives the simple green and white colour scheme a bit of a lift. I also included Bear Grass and Ruscus and finished with a collar of Leatherleaf and Aspidistra leaves.

Grand Designs Live Birmingham

2008-10-15T22:13:00.000+01:00

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to do some flowers for the 'My Grrreen Shed' feature at Grand Designs Live Birmingham last week. This heart pillow was made for the 'Love Shack' shed.

If only....

2008-10-01T22:02:00.000+01:00

If only my living room table was always as minimal as this....