What florists actually do

The very nature of the beast they call wedding flowers is a last minute affair, late nights, very early mornings.
We drink all the coffee, and all the Diet Coke, and eat all the sugar.
and when it's all over
the adrenalin/ caffeine/ heart palpitations are still going
so we dance around our work rooms
interpretative dance
until we come down.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue

and walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch

If you can work out what the hell to wear that means you are nor too hot nor too cold in this season changeover.

Bloody love Kipling. I added that last bit, sorry Mr Baines.

It is late summer it is also early autumn, i have chosen autumn today, filled the shop with gourds and worn a polo neck. Doubtless by lunch it will be 24 degrees and people will be wanting peonies.

Congratulations to The Mother Hen and The Captain. It is their 10th wedding anniversary today, we have been house sitting

"Help yourself to anything you see in the freezer" they said

They said freezer
I heard garden.

Keeping it wild - Miss P's Flower school

Monday the 4th of November

at the shop

7 St. Paul's street, Stamford, PE9 2BE

9.30 - 4.30

Keeping it wild

My love of mixing lots of foliage with the very best of flowers is well documented, as is my love for using herbs and edibles. Creating asymmetrical designs with a wild and rugged and perhaps a quirky feel, although the word quirky has been grossly overused and I'm struggling with an alternative.

This flower school is about me imparting all that knowledge to you, how to use foliage and edibles to their best effect without it looking like you got signed up for the harvest festival on the church rota.

The day will begin with you making a handtied bouquet, and a head-dress, followed by lunch by a roaring fire in The Tobie Norris with wine.

Then the afternoon will be table centres and tricks of the trade.

During the day you have free reign of all the flowers and foliage in the shop, so everybody will create something different, allowing you to as Madonna once said "Express Yourself"

There will be a chance for gossip, stroking of The Hound, and discussion on whether or not i should have dyed my hair dark, i did, so the answer to this is yes. Heads up.

The price for the day is £250, which includes all materials, tools, vessels, food and beverages.

You don't need to have any previous floral experience or knowledge, just enthusiasm and warm clothing.

Buy your spot now in the online shop, or for further information email 

and if you can't make this one, there will be a Floral Coalition one on December 1st in Glasgow.
Imaginatively titled The Floral Coalition flower school Christmas.

All our readers really want are nice pictures

This morning i did a telephone interview

"What has inspired you today?"
"Nick Sloane"
"Sorry, what did you say?"
"Nick Sloane, Chief salvage master, overseeing the Costa Concordia, can you imagine being given the task of working out how to right it? He's like Red Adair, I'm in awe"

Silence

"Right, probably our readers just want to know a colour or something, shall i just put sequins or feathers, feathers are very big at the moment, could you be inspired by feathers instead?"

Show me a garden that's bursting into life

The Eden Project, home of large plastic domes, and very good chocolate cake. Chocolate cake made of beans.

My top tips for visiting.

1.Wear flat shoes obvs. The Eden Project is all about the environment, harvesting rainwater for the loos and what have you, but this doesn't mean you have to wear Birkenstocks/ velcro sandals, 3/4 cargo trousers and a fleece. Just something you can walk in, and layers, walking from the car park was freezing cold winds, and the Rainforest biome is hot.
2.You can save money on your ticket by booking online, but you need to do this 24 hours before, not the morning of...
3.Don't bother with the app, unless you are a very appy sort of person, the free paper map is great, and it is all well sign posted.
4.You can turn your ticket into an annual pass just by swiping it and registering your email address.
5.There is free wifi in the buildings, but not in the grounds, so you can Instagram all the things.
6.Those of a florist rather than a gardener nature, please note you aren't allowed to cut all the things and put them in a vase, it's punishable by execution or something, don't give in to the temptation. Put your hands in your pockets, bite down on a stick, whatever works for you.
7.The hard structures are as fascinating as the plants, I wasn't expecting that.
8.The cafe in the core has a really lovely terrace, and that chocolate cake and earl grey tea. Which beans?? Which beans do you put in chocolate cake?
9.There are beautiful picnic areas everywhere if you are a packed lunch sort of person.
10. The rainforest biome is very humid, and if like me you are weak of chest, take your inhaler.
11. After visiting you will want to move to Australia/ South Africa and be like all the floral instagramers with their  leucodendron argenteum
12. All the gardeners have those fancy Felco secateurs in their tool belts. You will covet them.
13. It really is an amazing place, I can't wait to go again at another time of year.
14. The shop is full of plants, and jams, and really good foccacia
15. We went this week, in the vast space, there was only one annoying child, going when the schools are back is the way forward.
15. Snow Patrol

also you can now take your dog in, not into any of the buildings, but the grounds. Wonderful.