With only a few days left in February Emma from A Quiet Style and I managed to find time to do February’s floral tutorial. This month I showed Emma how to create the tricky but essential floristry technique of a hand tied bouquet.

In essence a hand tied bouquet is a bouquet made in the hand with this stems all spiralling in the same direction, doesn’t it sound easy! Although it’s one of the most common ways to buy or give flowers it takes time and skill to master.

In May I’m holding a hand tied bouquet workshop in the beautiful surrounding of Upper lodge, Sussex. You will create a wonderful seasonal hand-tied bouquet that you’ll be able to take home and enjoy at the end of the day.

On the workshop I’ll start the day by guiding you through how to choose, condition and prepare your flowers and foliage, before taking you through the hand tied spiralling technique. You will also be shown how to aqua and gift pack your beautiful bouquets.

There will be lots of gorgeous flowers and yummy food so why not come and play.

For more information or to book a place please drop me a line, it would be lovely to have you there!

In the dark cold winter months I started to plan out what I wanted to grow on the cutting plot for the new season ahead. I spent hours looking at websites, books, seed catalogues and I tried to shortlist what I wanted to grow again and what new and exciting variety of flowers I had discovered and wanted to try.

I have bought most of my seeds from two well-known specialists in cut flowers seeds, Sarah Raven  and Higgledy Gardens. Some of these plants and flowers I know well and I often use in my wedding work but others are new to me and it is so exciting to think how I’ll be able to use them.

I’m not growing roses or dahlias as I can buy such amazing varieties through sustainable sources. I want to grow the wispy whimsical, light and airy flowers that you just can’t buy but they can transform any flower arrangement into something magical.

Nigella, Sweet Peas and Cosmos

Orlaya, Gaura Lindheimeri, Canon Went

Daucus carota, Cosmos, Weld Reseda luteola

Yesterday for the first time this year some of those seeds I bought got popped in to some dark rich damp soil to hopefully pop their heads out in a few weeks time and when the frost are all over will get planted out and grow into strong plants in the cutting plot.

Well Christmas has come and gone and now I’m looking forward to the spring, I just want it to be here already! I never enjoy the long dark nights and cold early mornings of January; well not until I start seeing the snowdrops bravely showing their heads and that always gives me hope that the warmth of spring won’t be too far away.

Last week I met up with Emma from A Quiet Style on one of those cold January mornings to work with her on another floral tutorial, I do hope you go and have a look at it and try it out! Of course it was inspired by the seasons, bulbs are always the hardiest of the flowers and most welcome in our homes to bring sweet heady scents and to fool us into thinking that spring is here already.

I was also inspired to do and try something different and I adore the work of Ken Marten  of Hermetica London.

The use of the different textures from the sparkling glass, earthiness of the soil, moss, skulls, the delicate orchids or fern and the uses of different containers make his terrariums just gorgeous.

One of my other inspirations was this image from Residence magazine. It seems like magic to be able to watch a tree grow, see the roots swell and mature…. makes my heart flutter!

Get me to the greengrocers I need an avocado so I can try this too! From A Well Travelled Woman 

I really hope you like what Emma and I created and you can see how I interpreted my inspiration to make something easily achievable within the home.