I don't need a parachute

Baby, if I've got you
Baby, if I've got you
I don't need a parachute
You're gonna catch me
You're gonna catch if I fall

Be honest, do you think this buttonhole is too big?

I won't fall out of love
I'll fall into you

Did you watch Monty last night? What did you think? That they were quite naive? That those flowers looked lovely growing in the field, but probably wouldn't last 2 seconds when cut because they were too far gone? That the lady in the hairdressers who hadn't seen sweet williams for sale since her childhood needs to get out more? That it was all carefully edited and engineered to make them look hapless? That people who work with flowers probably are a bit hapless? That it might have been better with a different presenter? That a lot of people with an acre of garden will now start growing flowers?
Me too.

I hope you know, I hope you know, I hope you know my heavens with you, you, you.

What are your plans for this weekend? Nous allons au theatre.

Just know that you're not in this thing alone, there's always a place in me that you can call home.

This post was heavily influenced by the collected works of Cheryl Cole.

That's all
xoxo

Calling all seamstresses

Please can anybody make me one of these? With frills and bows?

I promise to only wear it with skirts and high heels

whilst fixing a cocktail

or making supper for my honey.

I don't have the pattern. Is that a problem?

I am not keen on gingham.

and could it have a super big bow on the back?

I think a big bow would keep it edgy.

A bride walks into a shop

Bride: Do you do wedding flowers?

Miss P.: Yes we do.

Bride: Can you make me a bouquet?

Miss P.: Yes of course when are you getting married?

Bride: Today at 2pm

Miss P.: Right, I'd better get on with it then.

Good things

Using the sellotape grid technique to fill a pressed glass bowl with flowers.

Cheating at gardening, did you forget to put spring bulbs in the ground too? Buy them in the green your neighbours will never know. Slip in a couple pots of English grown cheerfulness, Ice follies, or tete a tete.

Diversifying into doggie daycare, Gem came to see us this morning. She turfed The Boy Wonder out of his bed, ate his breakfast, and gained more admiring glances from customers than The Hound himself. I can't wait for her to come again next week, she is a delight.

Being asked to be Godmother to Lottie Lou.

Deciding on a Mothers Day window theme.

Not such good things

Breaking the telephone.

Buying a new phone.

Having to move 3 dressers to plug in new phone.

Getting confused with 28 wires and replugging in the old phone.

Panicking that new phone doesn't work.

Realising it isn't plugged in and moving 3 dressers again.

Hearing ring tone of new phone,it sounds frightfully chav.

Don't ever

come between The Hound and a jar of peanut butter.

Introducing........Emily Quinton's new studio

Not unlike Dick Whittington, Emily has moved to London. Where the streets are paved with gold, and fresh flowers hang from every door.

I don't know if Emily has a cat, but I feel quite sure she will make her fortune.

Check out her new website Emily Quinton London.

Wreath and flowers by moi.

Up to their old tricks again

Mr Ferrari doing fabulous things with salmon and rhubarb a la cuisine.

The Hound looking handsome au jardin.

Did you wake up to snow? Did you eat a lot of Creme brulee? Did you have a lovely Sunday afternoon?

I did.

I could eat Mr F's Creme brulee for a living.

You would not believe your eyes

If ten million fireflies

Lit up the word as I fell asleep.

Do you love Owl City as much as I do? A couple of weeks ago very late at night I stood in a garden and the sky really looked like 10 million fireflies, it was quite the most beautiful sight.

I found this test tube rack in a vintage (which we all know means charity) shop. At first I thought it was a fancy "modern" vase, but further inspection revealed it to have been used for scientific purposes.

One sniff and I was transported back to the Lower 6th, I did all 3 sciences at A-Level. A heady reminder of titration's, sulphuric acid, glass beakers, white lab coats and safety goggles.

I spent a lot of time in the labs

burning biros in the flame of a bunsen burner.

Could somebody please come into the shop tomorrow and perform an intervention?

I need to be separated from a packet of gingernuts.

The point of this post? You can put flowers in pretty much anything.

If I were getting married today.....

I would want a Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.

The biggest dress with the longest train and a fountain for my cake.

Did you watch it? We were fascinated at the insight into a culture that we knew little about. What touched me the most was the naivety of the girls dresses. In particular the sketches they sent to the dressmaker, they seemed like something a 5 year old girl would draw.

Without wishing to get all Richard Curtis *about it, it amazes me how anybody so young can commit themselves to somebody for the rest of their lives?

* I have had complaints that I keep using YouTube as a reference and some people who work in big offices can't access it. These people should probably be doing some important work in the finance sector and not reading this, but that's by the by.

In case you hadn't already worked it out, it's the scene from 4 weddings where he says:

"I would just like to say this. I am, as ever, in bewildered awe of anyone who makes this kind of commitment that Angus and Laura have made today. I know I couldn't do it and I think it's wonderful they can."

How to chase away the winter blues

1. Hang a ring of flowers on your door

2. Fill your home with posies of flowers and herbage

3. Read this book The Virgin Gardener, it will lift your spirits and have you reaching for seed catalogues and your wellies

4. Wear a colourful scarf, The Hound looks so happy wearing it does he not?

5. Kiss a stranger

6. Have a Pina Colada

All other suggestions on a postcard if you will.

Merci Beaucoup

xoxo

Life is a Richard Curtis movie.

At the weekend a certain gentleman stood in the shop and said

"Look at us, look at the shop, we are like characters in a Richard Curtis movie"

I was mortified, there it was, my life summed up.

Maybe you want to be in a Richard Curtis movie? Pop in, you can walk past the flowers and sing "Ain't no sunshine" *

Or maybe you want to do the whole
"I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her" thing.

The Hound has been walking past all day, in an attempt to look as happy as Mr Grant. All this grey rain is getting to him. I made the suggestion of perhaps adding little colour to his wardrobe. He says his problems are a little more deep seated, and the blues can't be chased away by adding a jaunty scarf or some colourful beads......he is such a drama queen.

Camera cuts to Miss P contemplating what toppings to have on a Tobie Norris pizza.

* I remember when they filmed this. Waking up with a hangover, in search of coffee and The Telegraph, it was quite a sight.

Let me be your Supernova

Mr Hudson provided the soundtrack for pancakes this year.

Blueberries were heated with sugar scented with lavender flowers, and a little orange zest. Marscapone was sweetened with icing sugar and orange zest. Mint was chopped and scattered like a green snow flurry.
The end result was jubilee pancakes on speed.

I know what you are thinking. Miss P was your idea of juxtaposing the English tradition of pancakes with the fresher tastes of the Mediterranean, a representation of your life?

No.
All the ingredients were in the reduced section at Waitrose.

The Hound had peanut butter and golden syrup, he retired early feeling a little unwell at having eaten 6 pancakes.

Please can it be Spring now?

The sun is out and taunting us, as it is actually still jolly cold. A colour scheme of yellow and grey seems appropriate. Daffodils are so very cheery.

Still we have pancakes to enjoy this evening, it being Shrove Tuesday and all. Last year we went fancy, what will it be this year? We are open to suggestion, and I must remember to buy eggs.

The Hound watched RB last night, that chocolate cup was seriously good, he has spent much of the day tempering and doing fanciness with cornflakes. He is hoping for suzette.

Also we have 2 sets of other florists in the shop today, it always amuses me. You can easily spot them, they turn everything upside down to see who your suppliers are, and go out of their way to get flower names wrong. Just be honest, then we can have a good chinwag.

San Valentino

Roses, rosemary, hellebore, pheasant feathers, blossom, and a gazillion ranunculus.

Cakes by Pudding and Pie

Can you imagine a better Valentines present than Gem?, a collie whippetty cross. Sadly it wasn't my present, but she did call in to say hello.

Sounds gross tastes delicious, Sourdough baton, 3 weeks past it's best before date Saint Agur, and thyme honey.

It has taken me 12 hours to get this post to you, the laptop is dying, I have cried, screamed, and talked nicely to it. It has finally obliged but only in a font size of 6.

Thank you to everybody who has emailed in response to the Joules article, so pleased you liked it. I will reply to you all, just as soon as I find a magnifying glass.

I didn't know I was looking for love

until I found you baby.

It's that time of year again........
Whatever you do, do it with conviction. This is not the time for bumbling Hugh Grant impressions. Sweep her in your arms, and kiss her until her knees give way.

Use song lyrics as an inspiration, I have always found them to be useful for post titles. Just avoid anything by James Blunt.

For those wishing to send flowers, we will be open tomorrow 9-5, and Sunday 9-12 for those that forgot.

May your weekend be filled with romantic strolls, sensual food, flushed cheeks and flowers from us.

xxx

The Joules thing

Ta da!

Here it is, the new Joules Cat-A-Zine, I know you can't read it, unless you have some sophisticated software that can magnify it.

You'll just have to get your own copy, you can request one here, or call them on 0845 6066871, tell them Miss P sent you. It has lots in it, an article by me, recipes from Jimmy, information on joining the WI, some clothes, and a very dashing looking man, in a shed.
I might just call them up to ask for his number.

The Hound is overjoyed that he is finally in print, he has headed to The Electric, to talk to 'Media' people. Watch this space.

In other news, The Captain has taken The Mother Hen to Le Manoir today, can you imagine a better way to spend an afternoon? No neither can I. Stripping roses, doesn't hold quite the same appeal.

I did get a Valentine today, all very anonymous.......obviously it's shed man.

Miss P and the ham hock

Buying a ham hock at the Farmers Market seemed like a good idea, for a couple of British Pounds I would have enough meat and stock to feed The Hound and I for a week. Boil it up with donkey carrots and leek, thyme, peppercorns, and a couple of hours later ham the falls off the bone. Allow to cool in the stock, remove, then add pearl barley boil for an hour, add curly kale and you have a nutritious broth. The whole process only takes 27 hours.
Obviously it doesn't but it did seem to take all day, and by the end of it I was very much over being all Hugh Fearnley Whatshisstall.

I picked out the ham, and ate it with salted ricotta, highly out of season vine ripened cherry tomatoes and a big hunk of sour dough.
My heart will always belong to Italy.

Have you got your new Joules Cat-A-Zine? Have you looked at pages 44 and 45? The double page article on yours truly? No? Then rush out to your nearest shop and get one, or sign up to their mailing list now.

I am a contributor along with THE Jimmy Doherty. The one from the television, you know ,the one with the pig's, Jamie Oliver's Best friend.

More on that later.....

Cherry Brandy is the new Amnesia

I predicted it last year, and it has come true.

Mixing those vintage colours with something brighter is the way forward.

Sadly my predictions for the lottery have yet to come to anything.

Apologises for the lean on the pictures, I am having trouble uploading anything.

I can assure you that the cake was perfectly straight.