Stoke Rochford Hall wedding flowers

Stoke Rockford Hall was the setting for Emily and her groom's wedding.

The ceremony was in the gorgeous orangery, with its full length windows, it is such a light space and with views across the gardens it makes for a fantastic summer venue.

The ceremony table design was a long and low mix of coral and ivory gerbera with the lovely Miss Piggy and ivory roses, gyp and mixed foliage.

This was later transferred to the top table for the wedding breakfast.

C/o Mark Pugh 

The wedding breakfast was held in the library. 

On the guest tables Emily had chosen the small candelabras. Ivory candles were set amongst a mix of gerbera and roses in coral and ivory with gyp.

This really is a superb venue. There is so much going on around the room that these small displays work well and are not fighting with the room.

The chairs were to be transferred to the library from the ceremony whilst the photos were being taken.

If you are looking at Stoke Rockford Hall as your wedding venue or are getting wed at another grand venue along these line please get in touch to see how we could style your day.

These candelabras can be hired with or without flowers (candles provided) and can be delivered straight to your venue and collected the next morning or you can collect from The Studio and hire for 3 days and then return them. T&C's apply.

Sandra

Gerbera wedding flowers

When I first met Emily we talked through what she might like in her bouquet and we went through photos of what she described to me. However on looking through she kept picking out images with gerberas in, these were not in her brief, at all. On further discussion it transpired that other florists had warned her off gerbera as not suitable for weddings and in particular bouquets!! I hear this a lot...... I am here to tell you they work fine. Yes they are not the longest lasting flower out of water (neither are some of the other popular wedding flowers) but treated well (a florist should know) they will last the day out. 

They are probably my second biggest ask after roses and I feel they work perfectly well for all your wedding designs.

Emily's bouquet was therefore her favourite flower, gerbera. We did struggle to match the colour, coral can be difficult as there are not the same amount of varieties as say pink but we got there in the end and these were gorgeous blooms.

To support the heads they were given a collar of salal and the heads each had a diamante pin to add sparkle.

The three bridesmaids who wore full length coral dresses carried a mix of ivory and coral gerberas.

All bouquets together

The flower girls carried a single coral gerbera with ivory ribbon trails and with the stems completely wrapped for little hands.

The groomsmen each wore a germini buttonhole with a salal leaf

and the ladies wore a buttonhole of a germane, gyp and mixed foliage.

All our buttonholes are delivered on a board and may be labelled if required. This helps the venue staff when dishing them out to guests.

These photos were kindly given by Emily's photographer Mark Pugh. To see more of his work click here

If you love gerbera and would like them for your wedding flowers please get in touch today to book a consultation. We are always happy to use this gorgeous bloom either on it's own or with others.

The ceremony and reception flowers will be here tomorrow.

Sandra x

Potted Bulbs - Garden Plant of The Month February

Garden Plant of the Month for February: Potted bulbs

Heralds of spring in the home or garden!
Bulb crops give you a feeling of spring. They're flowers that emerge from their bulbs bursting with energy and colour. In February it’s often still too cold to see the bulbs that you planted in the garden in autumn emerge from the ground. But there’s a handy solution to this: potted bulb products, which are widely available in February thanks to the grower’s skill.  Potted bulbs bring an early spring to the garden and the living room. When the first warm spell arrives, you can see the flowers bursting out of the pot as cheerful, fragrant heralds of spring.
Potted bulbs can be planted in the soil or in containers for on the balcony or patio. They are also all available as cut flowers. Within the potted bulb range, we see familiar products from the main species, each with a large number of cultivars in many colours and sizes. These potted bulb products - hyacinths, narcissi and grape hyacinths (Muscari) - are the real stars of the range. The larger the bulb that the growers have planted in the pots, the better the quality that emerges with more and larger flowers on a stem.

Potted bulbs: Hyacinth, Narcissus, Muscari: early spring in the garden! 
The something special about narcissi, hyacinths and Muscari. They need a period of cold in order to flower. So if you want to enjoy them earlier than the normal flowering months (from March to May), the grower has to perform two tricks. First the (dry) bulbs need to spend a few weeks in low temperatures of between 5 and 10°C. Then the growers plant them in pots, and they are ‘forced’ in greenhouses at considerably higher temperatures as if spring has arrived. The plants then flower in February, tricked into thinking that it’s already spring. 

The pot hyacinth is a beautifully scented plant in pink, white, blue, purple, salmon or pale yellow. The individual flowers on the stems are called claws. The pot Narcissus also comes in a wide number of varieties, ranging from beautifully scented spray narcissi to flowers with everything from very small to gigantic trumpets, as well as double flowered varieties. The most important colours are yellow and white. We also see a lot of bicoloured varieties, on which the flower contains salmon pink and orange. The Muscari or grape hyacinth is a small, grape-shaped flower, usually blue. However, there are also white or purple ‘grapes’ and there are also crested grape hyacinths. Muscari is one of the most fabulous potted bulb products, and has a light musk scent, as is reflected in the name Muscari. 

Caring for potted bulbs: Hyacinth, Narcissus, Muscari
The three different potted bulb plants - Hyacinth, Narcissus and Muscari - all require the same care to ensure they give you pleasure for a long time. The plants are undemanding in the garden - they can be placed in both the shade and the sun. Potted bulb products do particularly well even at temperatures around freezing. Indoors the plant requires a spot which is as cool as possible to ensure the longest flowering.Make sure that the soil never dries out. You should therefore water the plant regularly, but don’t get the bulbs too wet since this can cause them to rot. There’s no real need to feed, since most nutrients are already present in the bulb. And obviously the plants are only for decoration and not for consumption. 

Storage tips for potted bulbs: Hyacinth, Narcissus, Muscari
When the flowers on the bulbs have finished blooming, you can store the bulbs in order to plant them in the garden again for the next growing season. This is easier with narcissi and grape hyacinths, since hyacinths are more prone to disease. Allow the foliage on the narcissi and grape hyacinths to die back fully in the pot. Then remove the bulbs from the pot and store them until October in a dry, dark place, such as a shed or cellar. Because these are spring flowering bulbs, they should be planted in the autumn. They will then experience a period of cold in winter, and will flower again in the spring from March. 

More information about potted bulbs - Hyacinth, Narcissus, Muscari - and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.

Garden Plant of the Month 
The Garden Plant of the Month spotlight is on potted bulbs: Hyacinth, Narcissus, Muscari in February. ‘Garden Plant of the Month’ is an initiative by Thejoyofplants.co.uk. Growers and horticultural specialists from the floriculture sector select a garden plant every month at the request of Thejoyofplants.co.uk in order to inspire and enthuse. Because a garden isn’t a garden without plants.

These and other bulbs are available as potted designs or as cut flowers. There is more to February than red roses!!
Are you getting wed? Add in a variety of bulbs to your designs for a seasonal look. Give small or single bulbs as favors to your guests or have potted bulbs as your table centerpieces and plant in your garden for years of enjoyment long after the day has gone.

To ask about availability please get in touch for daily varieties.

Sandra x 

Hemswell Court Wedding reception

Vikki and her groom held their wedding at Hemswell Court Hotel. This is one of my nearest venues and it is such a lovely place it is always a pleasure setting up here. 

The long and low design of the same flowers as the bridal bouquet (to see that click here), lily, orchids, alstroemeria, veronica and mixed foliage is placed on the ceremony table.

and later on moved across to the top table for the wedding breakfast.

(Always reuse flowers for each part of the day if you can, this will help your budget!)

Hemswell top table is a large oval table and as such can take a design of some depth.

(All lily stamens are removed from all flowers as they open. No pollen will stain)

The guest tables each had a 60cm martini vase as the central design and small jam jars of flowers at the base.

The jars held a variety of flowers including stocks, berries, veronica, stallion chrysants, alstroemeria and ferns.

The martini vases were a combination of lily, alstroemeria, berries, stocks and stallion chrysants.

Tea lights were added amongst the flowers too

The large design sits in it's own dishes so you can keep the flowers after the day and we can collect our hired vases back. This is done as early as possible the next day to minimise any problems. I have to say though there are very rarely any at this venue as they look after everything so well.

The Primrose room ready and waiting for the happy couple.

(Chairs are brought in from the ceremony room after the service)

If you are getting married at this stunning venue and are looking for a local florist then please get in touch. We can meet up here at The Studio or if you are having a venue meeting I can meet you there to suit everyone.

Look on this blog on the right, venue - Hemswell court to see other weddings we have set up at this beautiful venue.

(There is another corker coming up soon, keep an eye out)

If you like any of these design and have chosen another venue also get in touch and ask what we can create in your colours/theme.

We also hire out all vases etc for you to DIY. Ask us for prices and sizes.

Sandra x

Coral, peach and white wedding flowers

When I first met Vikki she knew what she didn't want in her flowers, roses. They had become so popular that she felt she wanted something else for their special day. We talked through likes and dislikes and came up with orchids and lilies. Now I had not put these together before but anything is worth looking at. Vicki liked a shower bouquet I had created previously but wanted it to reflect her colours, coral, peach and white. This is the combination that came out of that discussion:

White phalaenopsis orchids with peach asiatic lily, berries, eustoma, and stocks and a darker alstroemeria and white veronica. Fern, ivy and cuscus were added for the foliage.

The single bridesmaid carried a posy with a small mix of the brides flowers, all bound together with complimentary satin ribbon.

One of the mum's carried a lovely clutch bag with a beautiful corsage attached of orchid, eustoma, veronica and berries.

The groom wore a tied boutonnier of eustoma, alstroemeria, veronica and berries

The other mum wore a lapel corsage of an orchid, eustoma, veronica and berries

The rest of the bridal party wore a buttonhole of veronica, berries and foliage.

Part 2 is tomorrow of the wedding breakfast at Hemswell Court.

If you are looking for wedding flowers and would like something other than the 'normal' flower combinations do get in touch. We are happy to go with your ideas and will try anything together and see if it works. We always remember it is your day and not ours. We will guide you and if something doesn't work we will tell you but we are always open to new ideas and combinations.

This wedding was a real pleasure to work on throughout.

Get in touch today if you would like to talk through your wedding flower plans.

Sandra x

Alstroemeria - Flower of the month February

The Alstroemeria is in the Flower Agenda in February

In February we celebrate love. Love of your partner, but also love your friends and family. With its symbolism, alstroemeria is the perfect candidate for marking friendships. Consumers can read all about this versatile beauty at Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk. 

The alstroemeria’s origin
The exotic alstroemeria is also called the Inca Lily. This is a reference to its natural habitat: the cool mountain ranges of the Andes in Chile, Brazil and Peru. The flower was discovered there in the 18th century by the Swedish scientist Clas Alströmer. It was he who gave the flower its current name.

The alstroemeria’s colours and shapes
The alstroemeria hides somewhat shyly in its buds in the shop. But gosh, what a surprise when those buds open in your home. Then you will see six to eight flowers on the stem, with a flaming interior of white, yellow, red, orange, purple or pink which you can really enjoy. Particularly since these flowers have a very long vase life.

Caring for alstroemerias
If you want to enjoy your alstroemerias for a long time, follow these tips:
•    Trim the stems diagonally and remove the bottom leaves so they don’t dangle in the water.
•    Arrange the alstroemerias in a clean vase with fresh water and some cut flower food.
•    Avoid placing the vase in full sun, near a fruit bowl or near the central heating.
•    Remove wilted flowers and regularly top the vase up with tap water.

Symbolism of the alstroemeria
The alstroemeria symbolises enduring friendship. It’s therefore the perfect gift to confirm a beautiful friendship. All six of the alstroemeria’s petals are very important: they stand for understanding, humour, patience, empathy, commitment and respect. You can decide for yourself which petal represents which quality. 

More about the Alstroemeria
Consumers can also find more information at Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk about how to celebrate friendships with a bouquet full of alstroemerias, there’s a remarkable alstroemeria petal DIY project in prospect, and we show three ways of displaying alstroemeria in a vase. 

If you are looking for flowers for your wedding these make excellent additions to any display and come in such an array of colours there will be something for any colour scheme.

Create fun posies for your bridesmaids

Or add a splash of colour to your tables with single stem displays and pretty vases

Or group together for a vivid style.

Whether for your wedding, for your home or for a gift, alstroemeria is a long lasting hardy flower and we use them a lot in our displays

They are available all year so whatever the season we will have them in stock. 

Ask us how we can incorporate them into your designs today.

All images courtesy of Flower Council of Holland.

Sandra x

Branston Hall

The final part of Claire's wedding was the wedding breakfast in The Churchill suite at Branston Hall.

To see church flowers click here and for bouquets here

We talked through some options and they settled on our wooden crates. They were filled with the same flowers as the church displays.

Blush and ivory roses, gyp, carnations, eustoma and stallion chrysants and mixed foliage.

We loved the table numbers!!

Just the right size we feel for a low design, allowing plenty of space for those extra drink glasses once everyone is sat down. 

Inside the foam was wrapped in ivory sisal so as the display could be taken out and kept/given away and we collected the crates the next morning.

The Churchill Suite is a gorgeous space and looks lovely dressed in this scheme.

If you are getting married or holding your wedding breakfast here please get in touch to see how we could style your day. We have many set ups in our portfolio for this popular venue and can show you the difference a style can bring to the space.

Or if you like these crates we can hire them to you for you to DIY or fill them with your choice of flowers and deliver to any local venue.

Any hired items are collected by us the very next day, saving you the job of returning them.

We aim to make the whole process as seamless and easy as possible so you can get on with enjoying your wedding day and the first full day as a married couple.

If you would like to discuss this further please get in touch

Sandra x