Hydrangea, tulip and rose wedding at The Judge's Lodgings

Georgina came to me through Gill at The Judge's Lodgings whom I have a really good relationship with. (I have always had my stand in there for The Bailgate Wedding Fayre)

Georgina was having a small and intimate wedding but knew the look and flowers she wanted to use for her bouquets.

The colour scheme was mainly blue with coral and pink as accents.

The bridal bouquet was full of royal blue hydrangeas with pink tulips and cappuccino rose with a small amount of pistachio foliage.

The stems were bound with satin ribbon.

Her one bridesmaid wore a gown of light blue and carried a matching hand bag which we decorated with hydrangea, tulips, pistachio and ivy leaves.

The groomsmen each wore a buttonhole of a pink tulip and hydrangea floret with foliage.

The whole wedding was held at The Judges's Lodgings and we provided the ceremony table display to compliment the bridal flowers.

A few professional images of the day sent to me by Georgina.

Credit to: Photographer In Lincoln

If you like any of these displays or or getting married at The Judge's Lodgings do get in touch and ask for a no obligation consultation to discuss your flower style.

Sandra x

Washingborough Hall wedding flowers

Sarah and her lovely groom held their wedding breakfast and party at the gorgeous Washingborough Hall Hotel. This is a truly lovely venue and it is always a pleasure to be asked to style this space.

We continued with the natural style and lavender and gyp theme for the tables.

The top table had 2 lovely wooden crates with roses, freesia, stocks, lavender, gyp and a variety of fresh herbs such as sage, myrtle and rosemary. 

These cute hurricane jars with gyp and lavender with dotted along the top table too.

All the guest tables (8) each had a crate design similar to the top table.

The combination of the herbs, lavender, freesia and stocks filled the room with a glorious summer scent.

The Winston Room at Washingborough Hall is a lovely light space to hold your wedding reception.

The crate designs were made so as the guests could take the flowers away but with budget in mind the crates were hired.

The groomsmen carried the pedestals and pew ends back from the church to add yet more flowers to the proceedings.

The cake flowers were left for the lovely cake lady to attach.

If you are holding any part of your wedding at Washingborough Hall and would like to discuss styling your flowers please get in touch with your wedding date for availability.

To see another wedding I have styled at this venue please click here

If these displays are your dream flowers do get in touch to see how they will work in your venue.

Sandra x

Erica - Garden Plant of the Month January

Garden Plant of the Month for January: Erica

Fabulous winter bloomer
Anyone who goes walking on the moors will recognise Erica straightaway. A beautiful, almost endless carpet of colourful ground-covering plants with flowers that give colour in the cold months. And who wouldn’t like that in their garden or on their patio or balcony in January?
When it has finished flowering, Erica is also an attractive addition to the garden all year round with just a bit of care. Evergreen, ground-covering and easy!

Erica: winter heather brings colour to dark days
The genus Erica is a member of the Ericaceae family, which includes other garden plants including Calluna, Pieris, Rhododendron, Azalea and Gaultheria. They’re beautiful plants to combine together, since they require roughly the same growing conditions and care. Erica is a very extensive genus of plants with hundreds of species, most of which originate from southern Africa. 

The species that are sold in January are hardy and widely available from garden centres, florists and DIY stores. The most important two species, Erica carnea and Erica darleyensis, are real winter heathers and flower from December to March/April. Erica carnea is more compact, and Erica darleyensis has a looser growing habit. They look attractive in group plantings in borders or pots. There are many cultivars of both species. The colours are pink, lilac or white.
In addition to the colour of the flowers, the foliage can also be different colours: green, yellow, orange and bronze are all eye-catching.

Erica and Calluna (ling or summer heather) are sometimes confused. They are easily distinguished: Erica’s leaves are always needles, whilst Calluna has scale-shaped leaves.  

Caring for Erica
Winter heather plants prefer an acid soil. You can use special heather mixture to create acid soil, or add garden turf or partly composted conifer needles to the soil. Erica carnea will also tolerate less acid soil, so it can cope with chalky soil.
It’s important that the soil is damp and well-draining. The plants do well in full sun, but also in partial shade. Erica combines well with other acid-loving plants like conifers and plants from the Ericaceae family. You can remove brown wilted flowers by running your hand through the plant. This ensures that the plants continue to look good.

Pruning tips for Erica
On the moors, sheep play an important role in keeping the plants under control. They nibble off the tops of the plants - a kind of pruning.
It’s therefore also a good idea to keep Erica ‘down’ in the garden as well. If winter heather plants are not pruned regularly, they will only produce flowers on long woody stems. This will give them a less attractive shape, and after a while their nice compact ground-covering characteristics will be lost. Pruning back to the old wood is also less likely to produce new shoots. Pruning these plants is therefore an ongoing task that should be done every year.
Prune the heather plants when they have finished flowering in March. For winter-flowering Erica plants, pruning in April or May is best. It easiest to prune with secateurs, so that the plant is neatly trimmed. If it’s a very large expanse of Erica, garden shears are also an option. Pruning ensures the plants continue to grow well, produce plenty of flowers next winter and remain young and healthy. 

More information about Erica and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.

Garden Plant of the Month 
Erica is in the spotlight in January as the Garden Plant of the Month. ‘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 are available this month to buy as a gift or to treat yourself. Or if you are having a winter wedding, add them to your designs for a seasonal style.

Please get in touch for more information

Sandra x

Washingborough Church wedding flowers

St John's Church at Washingborough was the setting for Sarah's wedding ceremony. 

I have had the pleasure of decorating this church many times over the years and it is always lovely to see it being used regularly for all types of services.

We kept with the theme of lavender and gyp and used both to make these cute pew ends.

The posies were bound together and hung with twine in keeping with the natural style of the flowers.

We created two traditional style pedestals using flowers in ivory and lavender and these included roses, eustoma, statice, gyp and mixed foliage.

They were created on our black wrought iron stands so they could be transported to the venue after the service.

Looking pretty for the ceremony

You needn't decorate all the pews, these were alternated down the aisle.

If you are getting married in this church or any other church in our region please get in touch to discuss how you would like to style your ceremony flowers.

To see another of the weddings I have styled in this church click here

Most churches will allow florists in if you ask but some prefer not to. It is always best to speak to the Vicar or Church Warden first so you know where you stand. If you want to have any large or unusual designs ie archways again ask for permission first.

We are always happy to speak to the church direct in relation to any decorations you may require to satisfy their needs to preserve the building and its contents.

Sandra x

Lavender and Gypsophila wedding flowers

As many of you are back at work today I thought I would post the start of this gorgeous wedding from May last year.

Sarah wanted a natural look to her day and had a theme of lavender running through already when we talked through her plans. She wondered if it was at all possible to have a bouquet of just lavender? 

I used dry French lavender (it was just a little too early in the season for fresh) and fresh butterfly lavender for the best of both worlds. The scent was beautiful!

The bouquet was bound with twine.

The flower girls carried a small bouquet of gyp and lavender tied with twine.

While the three bridesmaids each carried a bouquet of gyp.

All the main wedding party wore a simple natural gyp buttonhole tied together with twine.

Sarah came to me through her mum whom I have designed flowers for for several years after creating the flowers for her own wedding when I first started out on my own. See that wedding here and venue here

This is Part 1, wedding party flowers with Church and venue flowers coming soon.

If you see anything here that would suit you and your day please get in touch to discuss all your options.

Sandra x

Post Christmas blues

So Christmas is now over and things are slowly getting back to normal. Many will be throwing or putting away the Christmas tree and decorations over this week, but what to do with that sad space now? 

Over this year I will be supporting the Flower Council of Holland and their various campaigns including House plant of the Month. 
Use that space where the tree stood to enhance your mood all year. Feel good plants and ones that are good for your environment will be showcased and are available to buy from us at The Studio. We will be giving out care instructions each month along with some background information about each plant.

Many people might not know this, but even around the Christmas tree, some etiquette exists.  Traditionally in the UK, real trees are usually cleared between 9 - 13 January (but it's worth checking with the local council). But what do you do with the empty space left behind by your Christmas tree? The solution is very simple: fill the void with a nice big  houseplant.  A houseplant is the perfect replacement for your Christmas tree, and a sure way to start the New Year off on a green note! 

January is Ficus Benjamina, look out later this week for details.

As well as Houseplant of the month there is Garden Plant of the month and Cut Flower of the month. So whether you are a gardener or just have indoor space there will be something for you. Keep in touch with the blog for more details coming soon.

If you are planning a wedding some of the designs coming up would make excellent table centerpieces or lovely compact versions could make favours/place settings. If you are getting wed in 2017 get in touch with your wedding month and see what that month has on offer.

Sandra x

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you!!

2017 is finally here! Many of you will be excited to be finally getting wed this year and maybe for others the excitement is new as you were proposed to over the holiday! Congratulations!!

Sandra's Flower Studio is here to support you with lots of advice and inspiration for your wedding flowers and styling. We can provide all types of flowers to suit your chosen colour scheme and have many varieties of containers, vases and props to help you style your wedding to suit your personality.

Keep an eye on this blog for weddings we have previously had the pleasure of styling and on the many social media we are on for what we are currently working on. Sneak peaks always after the day so we don't ruin the surprise of  your guests attending your day. Don't let other suppliers post photos before all your guests have seen your many months of planning first hand.

If you want to be first to be updated with new offerings then sign up to my newsletter (see top right). There is an amazing deal for a new offering in this months, don't miss out!

Workshops will be expanded this year and we already have dates for a Mother's day hand tie workshop March 25th and to be super organised a Christmas wreath workshop on 9th December. To book either click here . Other dates will be added through the year. Or if you would like a personalized one at a venue of your choice please get in touch and we can go through options and prices.

As ever gift designs are available to buy for local delivery around the Lincoln, Scunthorpe, Brigg and Newark area. Either ring/email for details or you can shop online here at any time of day.

We are busy revamping the website and hope it will be ready soon as well as preparing new designs for 2017. I hope you will come and join us for what we are hoping is going to be a bumper new year.

Take care

Sandra x