The Floral Coalition flower school

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

En route to the station to collect Lotte, i got stuck behind "tractor fun day" aside from wondering if my life could be anymore of a cliche? I pondered how Lotte and I actually "met" because people were bound to ask, and would she like the shop? and what if she thought the vases I'd put everything in were awful? and seriously how many tractors? and what is fun about this?

There are few people more insecure than florists.

I needn't have worried, the shop looked beautiful, the flowers we had spent hours on the phone discussing were just perfect, and the sun was shining making Stamford look even prettier. We moved furniture, made up goodie bags, cut foliage from The Stamford Hen's garden, messed about in fields, drank gin, admired The Hound, and did that things that all florists do when you get more than one together - "have you used such and such lately?" "Did you see that post on such and such?""I once had a bride...."

and then it was time, and all the people came from far and wide, some drove half way across the country, some flew half way across the world, just for the day.

We started with a demonstration of an urn arrangement, 2 florists 2 arrangements. The differences in how we worked and what we used fascinated me, and the class. I have discovered a love for using apricots, i want to use them in all the things now.

Then everybody made one, let loose on the exact same flowers, same vessel. Completely different arrangements. Amazing. Later we made corsages, and then had a lunch at the pub, and there were hand tied bouquets and then we made a huge table-scape.

and throughout all of this we chatted, swapped stories, learnt about the flowers used in South Korea, and discussed the merits of a 7 in one paint stripper, and were all photographed by Cara, who rather amazingly offered up her services as official photographer.

An enormous thank you to everybody that came for being a part of it all.

There will be more, we have plans, great big plans, if you want the heads up on the next one. Sign up ici.

News just in, official pictures here.

and how did Lotte and I actually meet? We aren't really sure, just through being florists with blogs. The internets are full of nonsense, but at times bloody amazing.