Frilly parrot tulips, delicately scented narcissi and blossom confetti on my desk have quite simply been a saving grace in recent weeks. This winter seems endless, and the mere mention of more snow this Easter weekend nearly polished me off. Luckily it abated here in the South East but I felt for fellow flower growers who awoke to flurries covering their flower fields once more on Sunday. Its funny really, as I used to be the biggest advocate of the joys of winter; candlelight dancing on dark evenings, great heaving pots of stew bubbling away on the hob, and the crackling of a log fire whilst watching snow fall outside. I still love these things, of course, and come the autumn there will undoubtably be a blog post reeling off my love for them once more. However, since turning my hand to floristry and more recently starting to grow my own flowers, I now crave the joy the sight of a blossoming garden hold. Those early morning cups of tea wandering the garden, back warmed by the sun and bare foot, surveying what has popped up overnight cannot come soon enough. I still have a whole tin of seeds to sow for the allotment, a job I have been leaving for a sunny warm day, but with more rain on the horizon I am just going to have to brave up and get out there.
Anyway, I digress (as usual). The last two months have been a whirlwind of Valentine's, Mothering Sunday, a happy spring wedding, dressing beautiful homes for special gatherings, Easter flowers, birthday flowers and everything in between. It have been buried under a flurry of flowers and the studio has been fit to burst with heavily scented spring blooms. For Sue and David's wedding, the sight of sweetpea, ranunculus and muscari sitting pretty on the workbench early one morning was so uplifting that even the torrential rain outside couldn’t dampen spirits.
Sue and her maids carried posies of white lilac, Café Latte rose, muscari, ranunculus, sweetpea and clematis, peppered with stems of fluttering eucalyptus. The gents wore buttonholes of muscari, clematis and spray rose, whilst the wedding breakfast was dressed with clusters of vases spilling over with seasonal bounty in the above colour palette. Fresh rose petals were scattered by the sweetest flower girl for the ceremony, and guests tucked into delicious cake covered in seasonal blooms in the evening. It felt very good to be back; the perfect way to begin the season.
When my hands haven’t been full of flowers, I have been busy writing flower plans for Verity & Thyme brides for the end of this year and into next. It has been a welcome respite from this endless winter to be pulling out sketchbooks and notes and to see my desk full of photos of blossom, cosmos, an abundance of garden roses and bluebells. Ideas have ranged from bountiful asymmetric floral arches in vineyards to hundreds of individual bud vases adorning a large oval table for 30 special family and friends. Colour palettes range from barely there shades of oyster to daring plum and magentas, and I’m already looking forward to filling the studio to the rafters with blooms as the seasons change.
This weekend I am excited to dress the beautiful Danesfield House for a private birthday celebration, where springtime will reign regardless of the weather outside. Plenty of tulips (the birthday girl’s favourite) and butterfly ranunculus have been ordered for the celebrations already and I am patiently watching the cherry blossom tree in the garden too, ready to pounce with secateurs if she decides to bloom. We also have a family birthday on Friday too, and my thoughts have turned to my latest cake & bloom collaboration to mark the occasion. I am sure to share it with you if the cake hangs around long enough to photograph.
Charlotte xx