Date: June 8 th 2023.

Welcome to my Journal. I hope you find it interesting and feel free to get in contact to ask anything you like.

THE FLOWER PALACE

So, what to ramble on about today….. “ Small businesses” yes , that’s it. Where would we be with out them? They are the heart and soul of any town or village. Behind each small business is a person like my self that has a plethora of passion and dedication to what they do and can bring to your table. However, as a small business its very tricky to get noticed. Many of us don’t have shop fronts for you to be enticed in by so we have to work twice as hard to get ourselves out there. I used to think I wanted one {shop}but really it was just a massive chandelier I pictured dangling in it. So instead I am‘work shop’ based with no shop but all the work. A space I can be just me in and I love it. I’ve named it my Flower ‘Palace’ , because its absolutely not one!! It’s new to me and still in the throws of getting sorted out with all my goods and chattles I hire out and making sure its set up to be a functional flower space. I’m lucky enough to be based at Minley Manor where I can forage on the trees and shrubs in the vast gorgeous grounds. I’m looking forward to seeing what will appear foliage wise each season as the months pass. When I’m organised I hope to extend an invite to anybody who would like to learn from me. I have years of knowledge that I keep stored in my brain that spills out when asked surprising me even. I hope it will be a place where you can come, relax, learn, drink coffee, eat cake and play with flowers. Whether you are a person new to floristry or just want to have a go at arranging flowers for fun, Ill be happy to welcome you to join me. Ill be back in touch about this when I’m organised.

Date: July 20th 2023.

BRIDAL FLOWER IDEAS { WHERE TO START}

I often get enquiries where the bride has a vision in her mind for her flowers but doesn’t know how to communicate them or gets over whelmed with all the different choices available to her. I can certainly feel her pain as even I feel the same. Too much to offer.

Here’s what I suggest to help narrow it down for a more focused choice.

My advice is to write down exactly what it is you DON’T want. That rules out more than you think.

Going down the British Flower route. Is there a season you prefer?

SPRING means a plethora of inexpensive seasonal springy bulbs like daffodils and tulips. Hyacinths are fragrant and feminine. Following on are Cherry blossoms and lilacs.

SUMMER brings Peonies , roses, dahlias, and zinnias etc, etc, etc, as well as a wealth of beautiful British grown flowers and foliage. The list goes on and on making Summer a popular time to wed. This makes for a ‘cottage garden’ style wedding. Just look around at local gardens for ideas and take pictures to communicate back to your florist.

AUTUMN continues to provide us with striking colours. Dahlias still prevail, salvias, asters and chrysanths as well as stunning foliages. I would say if you enjoy bold colours then this is your season.

WINTER is the time to embrace different branches, seed pods and dried flowers. Cones perhaps and flowering shrubs like Viburnum or Witch hazel. Conifer and festive foliage is plentiful at this time of year. If you want a floral wedding in December there are many varieties available from Holland,

After establishing your wedding date, look at Pinterest for ideas using the key words in the search bar will help narrow down the options.

Do you have a favourite colour? {Mine is raspberry so that’s my starting point}

Is there something you want to take inspiration from? { My favourite flower colours come from a cuddly toy I had as a child.}

Is there a flower or flowers you would like to include as a tribute to a loved one? { I would choose garden roses in honour of my Grandmother}

What is the over all theme of your wedding day? Is is informal? Is it an outdoor wedding? In a luxury hotel? { My wedding would be outside surrounded by trees or a walled garden that belongs to a manor house or a castle as I enjoy a ‘Secret Garden”environment.

Is fragrance important? { It is to me but not overpowering scents}

Once you have a starting point the rest will follow on. You don’t have to know what will go with your choice as that’s my job. I will give advice on colour, texture and

foliages helping bring your vision all together.

I hope this helps. It is a lot to think about and of course it has to be right. I’m always here for you to ask questions and I’m happy to do so. No such thing as a silly question!! Feel free to get in contact with any queries. I’ve been doing this for so long now I’m sure there will be things I think are obvious but of course they are only clear to someone who lives and breathes the floral world.

Speak soon,

Lesley x

September 2023

flower Budgets

It can be quite daunting for a couple to even try to guess how much their bridal flowers are going to cost. If i wasn’t a florist i would probably get a shock too. its no surprise the cost of living has gone up considerably in the last year or so and sadly this applies to pretty things as well. Flowers are not a necessary item for life but very necessary to complete the dream wedding day the couple have had in their mind for years.

I would be so much better is luxury items didn’t have to go up in price but sadly they do.

with this in mind, i have recently upped my minimum spend for a full wedding to ￡3000.00. Yikes , i hear you say but this is the budget necessary for me to be able to provide you with the wedding flowers you have been admiring.

i understand that not everyone is having a full wedding, so i have introduced a mini price list as a guide so a VB wedding can be available to all who admire my flowers.

the prices are of course tailored depending on flower choice and how much they are at the market at that point of purchase,. (yes, i’m afraid its a market i buy from where prices fluctuate depending on availability and season, just add insult to injury) this is why i’ve put prices “from”..

let it be known i always do my best to provide the best I can for any budget and will be honest if its not going to be possible. ( This is an unpleasant conversation for me too.)

Communication and conversations are always the way forward to being on the same page so i always extend an invite to chat about things rather than make a decision based on limited information. One never knows what might unfold during the correspondence.

So, fill out that form and lets start the process.

LEsley x

(full wedding) bridal flowers, ceremony flowers, buttonholes, reception flowers & statement flowers.

January 31st. 2024

Fashion, Trends, en vogue, whats in!

Whatever you want to call it there is always some thing going in and something that was ‘so last year’. usually when it comes to wedding flowers its referring to the latest colour palette to have for your flowers. First of all, i’m never sure who it is that’s deciding the colour trend for the new year or why there even needs to be one in the first place. Who is this person?

Well, the good news is, its certainly not me.

If you are like most brides, you will have been thinking about your wedding day for quite some time and have a fair idea of what colours you fancy and what you absolutely wouldn’t have if it were the last choice on earth.

Whats does it mean if you really loved a bridal bouquet you saw a couple of years ago with that gorgeous deep bordeaux rose or the lilac tulips or if you love carnations because they remind you of your grandmother. does this mean your ideas are passe? Are you untrendy?, old Fashioned?, or are you just true to yourself ?

i’d love to meet the bride or groom who all of a sudden sets aside their much dreamed about flowers because this year someone {who?} has announced that the new colour trend this year is peach.

At Velvet Broon Flowers, i ensure that your wedding flowers reflect you, your partner and represent your lifes and loves. Feel free to bring forward your dreams and desires how ever whimsical you may feel they are. you have to have a day that is all about celebrating you as a couple coming together with all your passions.

So i say yes to colour but no to colour trends. [unless they happens to coincide with your wedding day, then that’s a bonus]

Does this resonate with you?

Get in touch to discuss your wedding flowers. the contact form is a couple of pages back.

Speak soon,

Lesley

x

february 10th

the principles of Flowers

did you know…….

SCHOOL….. From ‘schole’ we get the latin word ‘schola’, the german word ‘schule’ and our english word school……..

I’m just going to launch into my ramblings today as i should really be doing my gardening qualification i commited to during lock down and have yet to finish. having said that studying gardens helps with my inspiration for my flowers so its all related right….?

Im thinking of teaching. when i start talking about flowers i realise how much information i have stored at the back of my brain that effortlessly comes forward when a question is asked.

I’ve been through many a trend, many a style and have mildy embraced the ones i like and avoided the ones i don’t. for the record i like carnations…. they are frilly and nostalgic & come in so many colours. they are also inexpensive (although 3 times the price from when i first started out as a a florist)

I am at my happiest when i’m helping someone, whether it be someone who wants to learn floristry for fun or as a new business venture. Ill not lie, i also like the company. its great to chat flowers!!

I work with sustainable methods (moss & chicken wire) for mechanics in bigger installations. i just don’t feel good about using floral foam as its non biodegradable. how can i be a lover of the countryside and not be kind to it. it just doesn’t sit well.

once upon a time all a florist needed was a scissors and a natural flare. Nowadays, we need ladders, pulleys, a tool box, and a whole load of initiative. Being able to think on your feet is a must. The bigger the installation, the bigger the conundrum if its not going to plan. Of course we still need the scissors and the flare.

Its a pretty job when the flowers arrive and they are all processed and set out and when everything is set up and you are about to leave the venue knowing the bride is thrilled. in between the pretty is hard work, early mornings and a lot of bucket washing and sweeping up. the joy of the pretty will always out weigh the hard work and the satisfying tiredness.

If you think you might want to learn a new skill or brush up on your methods, get in contact. i’m happy to discuss individual requirements or better still organise a class where a few folks can attend. its also key to meet like minded people who you can maybe call on when you get going with your own flowers.

Get in contact if you fancy and we can discuss your needs and my fees!!