Cheering people up with bouquets of beautiful flowers is something we seem to be doing a lot of this week but we're not complaining! This cold snap makes the mildness of last weekend seem like a bit of a tease and its seems I'm not the only one in Pangbourne who is feeling a little under the weather!
A part of my job that I really enjoy is hearing about the person that we'll be delivering to. Whether its an 'I love you' bouquet, a 'welcome to the world' bouquet, a bouquet being sent to someone who has just lost a loved one or my favorite - the 'just because' bouquet. Sometimes they say 'I know these are her favourite', or 'Those colour tones would be perfect in her kitchen' but this week its been 'Oh, anything lovely... something to cheer her up!' and that in itself makes me smile. That way I get to indulge and its a win-win; I get cheered up by making something to cheer someone else up!
My ideal 'just because bouquet' would definately have some zesty greens in it-perhaps some lovely Guelder Rose {Viburnum Opulus} and an array of spring flowers, bright ones at that! It must seem that we go on and on about spring flowers but they really are special. They are natures way of letting us know that new things are coming and it might be cold and frosty on the outside, underground the bulbs are working hard and soon those brave and optimistic Daffodils will come up and put a smile on everyone's face!
Of course flowers are not the only way to show someone that you care, it can be little things. A hand written note popped through the door, a lovely plant. Last week whilst donning my coat to brave the cold and go home for the day I found some chocolate treats that one of the lovely girls here had snaffled into my pocket without me noticing! I was touched and it was lovely!
Anemone.
The windflower.
Possibly the love of my life in the flower world.
I could gush for hours about how much I love anemones. I promise I’ll keep it short. For me, they signal the true sign of spring and a hopeful end to cold winter weather. How can one not fall completely head over heals in love with their dainty heads and delicate unfurling petals.
Coming from the Greek word for “windflower” the anemone is rumoured to have sprung from Aphrodite’s tears as she mourned the death of Adonis.
They are said to bring luck and protect against evil. Throughout mythology anemones are linked to fairies, which are said to sleep under the petals, after the flower closed at sunset. The modern interpretation is linked to anticipation.
Anticipation that warmer weather is coming.
I love them arranged in single stem vases. I have an ever-expanding selection of gold and silver numbers that are slowly cluttering up our mantelpiece. These vases are my favourite. Beautifully simple, elegant and they use up all the off cuts, snapped stems and I know summer is a little way off but what better way to display sweet peas.
A new delivery of aged zinc containers has arrived in store.
I just had to jump in and arrange this table centre for an impromptu dinner party. A table isn’t complete without flowers right?
People expect my house to resemble a greenhouse, filled to the brim with fresh flowers – I don’t want to break the spell but instead my kitchen windowsill is littered with old, dried roses. I know they are dead but I love the beauty of them, they look like an oil painting.
Always so cheery- spring flowers rarely fail to make me smile. With Valentines days seeming like a distant memory- who needs Roses when you've Ranunculus and Tulips!
There's nothing I love more than Ranunculus! (other half, parents and siblings aside)
Note to self- I must try and grow these beauties! I heard said the other day that the Ranunculus is one of the few flowers that gets better by the day until it falls apart! I love love love them! Their layers and layers of papery thin vibrant petals and quite reminiscent of Peonies which are yet a distant summer dream!
I sent my boyfriend flowers once - a Kilner jar full of bright yellow Ranunculus (to match his car) and I remember careful attaching a cardboard tag with some gardening string and in black marker pen scrawling 'incredibly thirsty! top me up with water every day but don't put me in the pond!'. The latter a nod to his not so ideal approach to disguarding dead flowers! Also known as a Persian Buttercup- I was sweetly amused to discover that the gift had prompted much research on the subject.
I love the quirks that the individual flowers present- as mentioned above, Ranunculus can happily drink their way through a vase of water. Tulips - to use the scientific terminology have a 'positive photo-tropism' in simple terms they grow towards the light and in fact they continue to grow despite being a cut stem. I love to watch them creep up through a bouquet after several days, as if they are vying for attention!
And such beautiful colours too! We had Tulips in at the weekend which I can only describe as Apricots on stems - not the dried variety that you might find lurking in a Morrocan Tagine but fresh, plump, and inexpressibly beautiful! Its funny actually that as I refer to the invoice to share with you the variety that the actual name is 'Mango Charm'. They got the charm bit right- but someone should check out the fruit aisle in their nearest Waitrose because they're definitely Apricots - not Mango's!
Stealing ten minutes with a coffee - a much needed aid to post-Valentine's Day recovery, and I thought I'd share a little snap shot to remind us what lies ahead... yes I mean Summer! I know, we've Spring to come in between but I'm an optimist!
In the midst of the busy-ness that engulfs Green Parlour on v-day as we refer to it 'in the trade' we had some pretty Pinks dotted throughout the shop lodged in these lovely zinc containers. I love them and just looking at them makes me happy!
Updating the chalk boards is on our 'to do' list today! Valentine's is so last season, it's Mother's Day next don't you know! Peeping it's head around the corner - Mothering Sunday falls on the 10th March this year- three weeks away tomorrow! Ahh... where does the time go!
As a treat for all my hard work this week, tomorrow I will assign the day to be spent in garden. There's nothing quite like the first day you spend in the garden. It looked positively pretty in the snow until it melted! And I feel quite inspired with all our new 'Burgeon and Ball' goodies we had delivered in to the shop, I might even buy myself some new Gardening Gloves for the occasion. ...Something about a new broom sweeping clean - does that translate into new gloves - greener fingers?? I do hope so!
We are about to launch a new series of How To tutorials on YouTube. To wet your appetite we have uploaded some of our wedding portfolio to YouTube.
Watch this space!
