The Flower Shop

Working with Flowers, Plants and Imagination

 

April 2016

Crikey, how time has flown.  I'm genuinely shocked to see that the last time we put up a blog
was in December!  So much has been happening here at Flower Shop towers, lots to fill you in on.
Grab a cuppa, I may ramble on a bit.

Daffodils, my late Nanny's favorite, in a Vintage Sylvac Vessel.

Valentines day has come and gone for another year, which was on a Sunday
and so made it a 13 day shift.  Lots of romantics here in Watford, 3 100 Red Rose Bouquets were sold
and countless dozens. Many bags of rose petals were also sold, for purposes unkown and frankly best kept unkown.

Excuse the mad look, the adrenalin is pumping over 'peak periods' - an Interflora term which I despise.

 

Mothers Day was hot on its heels this year, just 2 and bit weeks apart, 
and it was a particulary busy one.  Working late into the night, visiting Covent Garden flower Market at the crack
of dawn was the order of the day.  I am very happy they are behind me I must say.

Our shop front over Mothers Day.

And then it was on to Easter,  my favorite.
The sign of new beginnings, Spring around the corner and a couple of days at home with
the family.  Our Sister shop The Flower Shop in Bushey had a huge, wonderful wedding job on which we were asked
to help with over the Easter Weekend.  It involved a Marquee the size of a football pitch, dozens of buckets of gyp,
100's of lemons, trays and trays of Mind your own Business' and Herbs and scores of beautiful Pink and White Avalanche Roses
and Delphiniums.  It truly was a sight to behold.

Picture courtesy of The Flower Shop Bushey.

Not that keen on chocolate eggs but I do quite like a Campanula or Bellis Perennis planted in one.

Campanula 'Canterbury Bells' and Bellis Perennis 'English Daisy'.

 It has been bulb season. Snow drops, Narciss, Hyacinths, Anemones, Crocus, Tulips, and fritillaria -
a beautiful, rather exotic looking flower.  Certain species have flowers that emit disagreeable odors.
The scent of Fritillaria imperialis has been called "rather nasty",
while that of F. agrestis, known commonly as stink bells, is reminiscent of dogs droppings.

---

Fritillaria imperialis

Fritillaria agrestis 'Stink Bells'

Now is a wonderful time of year for florists. The crossing over of the seasons, late spring to early summer.
Tete a Tetes get to mingle with Salvia's and Foxgloves, Hyacinths are mixing with Peonies and Hydrangeas
and Foxtail lilies.
While only fleeting, it's a wonderful time - possibly my favorite - though I have noticed I say that about all the seasons.
A perk of my job is the changing seasons.
Just as I start to tire of Tulips along come the Peonies in all their different colours
and shapes and scents. When the viburnum and lilac no longer excites me Hydrangeas start to appear
in all their wonderful colours, showing off with their huge heads and very long vase life.
Pink hydrangeas have many different meanings, but generally mean, "You are the beat of my heart,".

Our shop window display this week.  Tete a Tetes hang in a Japanese rope garden style above Salvias and Mind your own Business.

Wedding season is approaching and we have been fortunate enough to have a wedding every weekend since the middle of March.
One of my favorites was for Charlotte and Ben.  The flowers were right up my street. Scented garden roses, italian eucalyptus and Peonies. 
A loose blousey posy was asked for and the table centres were requested to be in jars, which were to be placed down the aisle of
St Lukes Church for the service and then moved on to the most amazing wedding venue after.

Charlottes beautiful Bouquet

Mutli Purpose Table Centres

The reception was held at North Hill Farm, Chorleywood, in a Tipi. Yes a Tipi. It was amazing!

North Hill Farm

I promise not to leave the next post too long, stay classy Watford.


Sam

04. 12. 2015

Wowzers. We are on cloud nine today (allthough a little tired) having hosted the most AMAZING wreath making workshop. It was just epic (I use that word ALOT don't I???!) The whol team pulled together and put in some serious hours getting ready. Got to admit that we were a little nervous opening the doors for people to join us behind the scenes but it really was such a great experience. I have to say it was one of those times that makes your face hurt, not because you have been gurning but because you have been grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Each guest had a basket filled with a variety of seasonal foliages and dotted around the workroom was kilner jars crammed full of star anise, pheasant feathers, cotton heads, birch twigs and  Sam's  favourite things "rusty stubbs". They got straight to it using Spagnum moss to base the wreath. Then Sam showed everyone how to fashion the foliage into mini bunches and then wire it onto the wreath. The berried ivy and the eucalyptus were a big hit.

After the "greening up" process the personalisation began. Sam had gone to great lengths to source some different decorative pieces, which was reflected in the personalities that shone through in each wreath. Two thirds of the original Team Roberts were on hand to impart their knowledge and kick ass taste!

We are really looking forward to next weeks installment and have our thinking caps on about other workshop ideas. Anyway must dash as the shop is beginning to get busier! I'll leave you with this parting thought- 20, yes 20 shopping days until the Fat Man swings into action. The Christmas hotline is 01923 220676 or contact Santa's elf on sam@watfordflowers.com. Have a good weekend, Sadie.

 

01. 12 . 2015

Yo, yo to the yo. Should really read "Ho, Ho to the Ho" now we are in ACTUAL December.
Apologies we are a couple of days late, technical issues,
too many salted caramel martinis at the weekend etc...
So last week, was busy.
The most overused phrase apart from "I'm sooooooo cold" was
"we smashed the Granny out of today"!
Ten guesses from whose mouth that little gem was uttered!
The most exciting thing for me last week was the migration of the handcrafted reindeers to the shop floor.
Anyone who knows Susie will know that her taste is always "on point" or 'on fleek' as the kids say,
and these bad boys epitomise how cool that lady is.

The shop also had a good old re-jig to make way for the Christmas stock.
It's like a sweetie shop in here with baskets full of dried fruits, cinnamon sticks (a variety of sizes),
glittery apples, waxed roses, star anise etc...
Anyone who is joining us for the wreath workshop is in for a TREAT!
FYI if you already have a wreath and want to re-fresh it with some new acoutrements then we sell all the bits and pieces necessary, just call in or give us a tinkle to see whats what.

Anyone else with a cooper obessesion then we have COPPER PINECONES. Shut the fridge.

We aren't completely top to toe Christmas though,
these springtime beauties look lovely nestled amongst the berries and pine sprigs.
The show has also been re-merched and is looking particularly good!

So have you done your shopping yet?
Just to let you know we have a selection of wreaths, garlands, table centres, cinnamon wrapped candles, 
festive planted arrangements all ready to rumble.
If you have seen something spesh and want a bespoke item then hit Sam up (not literally) on the usual channels.

Hope you all have a lovely week.
We are really looking forward to seeing some of you on Thursday evening for the wreath workshop,
which has sold out now, the prosecco is chilling in the fridge as we speak.

Take care, S.

 

21 . 11 . 2015

Howdy do. Hope you're all having a nice week? It's been quite a quiet week here at the Flower Shop although the feverish work being done behind the scenes in preparation for the Fat Man's visit (as Sam likes to say) shows no signs of abating. We have also been gearing up for the Christmas Fair at St. Hilda's School on Saturday 21st November.

If you're at a loose end tomorrow then you should put in an appearance at St. Hilda's. Hayley and Paige will be running the show and will be selling an abundance of festive goodies. Caroline has spent the morning today piecing together a gorgeous 9ft garland bursting with Nobilus spruce, berried ivy, keiffer, bottle brush and eucalyptus. She finished it all off with a tasteful scattering of pine cones and cinnamon sticks clusters, et voila! We can fashion a garland, swag, wreath, table centre for you to your specifcations. Just drop us a line or give us a tinkle so we can talk turkey. See what I did there?... The double act at St. Hilda's will also have the order book ready and waiting.

As well as garlands we will have a selection of terrariums, teacup succulents, festive centrepieces, winter arrangements, cinnamon wrapped candles to name but a few. Sarah has been tres busy making such items alongside Sam. They are quite the productive duo. Hayley created some really lovely vase based arrangements that include clematis, Miss Piggy roses, spruce and some rather stunning red Naomi roses. Paige was tasked with planting up some orchids last Saturday in glass vases with moss and twigs. They are a beautiful, delicate purple colour and would look the business as part of a winter vignette.

The feeling in the shop has completey transformed this week. Sam has made over the nook by the fridge into a one stop Christmas shop full of dried fruit slices, amazing seasonal foliage, aromatic cinnamon clusters, pine cones and wooden decorative sticks. We have seen the winds of change blow through the Interflora orders too. I made my first hand tie today (closely supervised by Caroline, thank God) it was a Winter Frost and I got to spray the eucalyptus with my current colour crush- "copper". I think I'm obessed, with rose gold too. I'm going to ask Father Christmas for a rose gold KitchenAid. Boom. Talk has most definitely turned to the festive season, shopping has started, on Thursday morning Sarah even put on a Christmas playlist. She went a step further today and bought Riley a wooly pully (jumper). Blue is quite his colour.

If your thoughts are also turning towards the Fat Man's arrival and you want to get organised then give us a call and we will be super happy to help! Don't forget that you can join us on December 3rd and 10th to make your very own feastive wreath. We guarantee to ply you with prosecco, nibbles and banging tunes and then send you out into the night with a smug look on your face (maybe mildly pissed (non-drivers only)) and a handcrafted wreath proudly tucked under your arm. Take that the Joneses at number 4!

Word on Market Street is that snow on the way tomorrow so do bundle up! If you haven't started your Christmas shopping then why not kick it off Flower Shop stylee at St. Hilda's tomorrow between 14.00-17.00pm!

Have a lovely week and good luck to all you pudding makers out there on Stir Up Sunday. Don't forget my Nana Minnie's rule of thumb; pour one (a measure of brandy into the mix) and glug one. Hicccc. Best wishes, Sadie.

 

It's beginning to look at lot like....

We've nearly said it!! Unfortunately for all you Bah Humbugs out there we (Paige, Hayley, Caroline and I) love Christmas.
Paige in fact has already put her Christmas bedding on!
The shop is just on the verge of transitioning. We will be in full Interflora flow from Monday,
the stockroom floor is becoming more glittery by the minute. Arghhhhhh.
*Interflora Christmas and Actual Christmas are not be confused*

This week a lot has been happening behind the scenes to help us get ahead of the game.
Hayley has been on a one-woman cellophane mission, Sarah has been bundling up all the Interflora paraphernalia
so it's ready to be attached to the bouquets and arrangements at top speed.
Sam has been super busy, drill in hand.
The window if you haven't seen it in person is just... EPIC.
Honestly the difference having those scaffolding boards have made.
He has also extended and re-jigged the shelving so it now proudly houses the bespoke American cacti marquee light
as well as some beautifully potted cacti and terrariums bursting with succulents and air plants.
Market Street has never looked so good.

 

Good work Roberts!

See what he had to work with!

By far the most exciting thing this week apart from Caroline's hand tied keeling over and nearly blowing up the new card machine was the purchase of some flocked birch twigs courtesy of Porter's Foliage.
Sam had seen them last week at the flower market and earmarked them for the winter window.
He parked the van in the middle of the road and hot footed it over to the other side of the market when we got there and then nearly passed out when they weren't in the same place and he thought they had all sold out.
Luckily they had been tucked around the corner and soon he had a bundle tucked underneath each arm.
Take a look at his handiwork. If this isn't the most tasteful winter window display in Watford I'll eat my cracker hat.

The weather can't be helped unfortunately!

Also spotted at the market; these two chancers! Not to point fingers but... #whathappenedtomyhydrangea

Remember we said that we had a bash at making some concrete geodesic planters?
Well here they are... Having made them I'm over it all now but I guess it's not bad for a first attempt.
We have them for sale in the shop if you're interested???

Also we have some spaces left on our Christmas Wreath making workshops,
they are selling like hot mince pies so give us a tinkle if you want in!

Hope you all have cozy week, definitely time to wrap up!
If you feel like your spirits need a bit of a lift then come and take a peek at the window,
guaranteed to put a smile on any Scrooge's face!
Best wishes, Sadie.                    

                                     

The Shop in Pictures

My incredible side kick and future perfect gift maker extrodinare Sadie is away from her desk at present,
personal reasons, and so this week it's up to moi to have a bash at this bloggin lark.
We try and post daily on the social media sites, especially the two above, but this blog is
a more from the heart, weekly round up of shop goings on.

If you take photos of our flowers or plants please use #watfordflowers
 

Lettering and artwork by Sadie Johnson

I've decided to keep it simple and introduce myself and the shop, with words and some photos.
Regarding photos, I thought it might be an arty and cost effective route to use vintage manual lenses.
How hard can it be, I thought. We'll be the next David Baileys in no time, I thought. 
 

That's me. I took over the shop in 2012. Great Grandad Fred was a Florist, Nanny Sheila was a Florist
and my Mum and Dad are Florists. I'm a forth generation Florist, sticking to what i've learnt from my elders.
We deal in fresh seasonal flowers, always fresh, and we care about who we serve and what we do.

That's Riley, he loves to eat a gerbera stem and if you stroke him you musn't stop.

That's our new stage for the shop window. Sadie and I smashed the ball out the park on this project.

Sarah is a recent and highly valued new team member and is already under the spell of our abundance of succulents.
Her Hand Tieds hardly touched the floor today before selling out.

Caroline is our head florist. She has some serious skills and knows her stuff from a Hogarth Curve through to a £10 bunch.
She is in charge of organizing and creating our ever growing number of Monday contracts.

That's Hayley, she's been with The Flower Shop nearly as long as I have. She has serious flower skills,
and loves a horror film or two. More about her next week.

Hope you have enjoyed this weeks post, with the return of Sadie next week,
its sure to be better. Thanks for your time!
Stay classy Watford!

x
 

A new blog, a new begining and a pumpkin.

Welcome to the Flower Shop’s new blog. We hope to use this in a variety of ways, sharing
what we have been up to, what we have in the shop, forthcoming events as well as some handy
tips and a little bit of wisdom! So check in with us weekly for all the news and scoops.
 

So let’s kick this off - unless you have been marooned at sea or stuck in a cave you would have noticed
that autumn has most definitely started raining down upon us, literally. Plus the spooky season is in full
swing so your thoughts are probably directed towards how on earth you are going to be able to carve a
realistic representation of Lord Voldemort’s face into a wildly lopsided pumpkin and will the 24.5kg of Haribo
that you have just forked out for be enough to satisfy the hoards of trick or treaters???

Sadly while we won’t be trick or treating (apart from Paige and Hayley), the shop is the epitome of autumnal spirit.
There have been some excellent bouquet work being fashioned thanks to every florists favourite phrase “florists choice”, especially when Sam has hit up the flower market at silly o’clock and stocked the van with some serious seasonal treats.

Autumnal flowers are the business and the show has hosted some prime examples including
out of this world mottled English hydrangea heads, kangaroo paw, stunning protea, red oak leaves and some epic seasonal eucalyptus to name but a few. The windows have joined the party and displayed some structural
Chinese lantern stems (seriously Watford can’t get enough of these bad boys),
crab apple branches and this week has seen the addition of a crew of pumpkins and a scattering of gourds.
 

Sam has also been busy restocking the stores of cacti, succulents and houseplants.
This invariably ends up in a flurry of inventive terrariums, beautifully presented pots and of course an Oxo tin or two.

 

We were also asked by @TheWhiskyWolf to plant up his glass skull planter.

Skullduggery for The Whisky Wolf. Check out his instagram page, great if you have a beard
or know a hairy someone who does… https://instagram.com/thewhiskywolf/

 

Due to the changing seasons and the return of some much loved blooms, all three girls and Sam have been
busy crafting some out of the park bouquets in particular. If you follow us on Instagram you would have
seen them modelled by our very own Frenchman “Francois”. He was adopted by Sam and the Family
Roberts on one of their Sunday jaunts.

Fathers Day 2015 - Sun, 21st of June.

Fathers day this year is Sunday the 21st of June and The Flower Shop might just have the perfect present.

Got a quirky Dad on your hands? Then pick up one of our Trio of Dinosaur Air Plant holders. A cool and unique gift bound to bring a smile from even the grumpiest of old men.

A fun way to decorate any desktop, table, or bureau- our New Trio of Dinosaur Planters are a re-purposed toy.

Dinosaurs - Triceratops, a T-Rex, and a Duckbill.

Tillandsia - Ionantha Guatemal Air Plant

Bridal Posy - Hand Tied

This has been one of the most popular designs over the last few years due to its classical circular design, and is definitly one of our favorite to make, here at The Flower Shop in Watford.  The flowers can be of just one type of flower or several mixed types. With or without foliage. Arranged in an open loose style or in a solid massed compact style.  Easy to carry.   This design can be made with a formal handle or hand tied being the most popular at the moment.   The stems can be left visible finished with a bow or totally encased in ribbon.  Round flowers suit this design the best such as Roses, Bouvardia, thistle, hydrangea gerbera, peonies etc.  This bouquet is suitable for most styles of gowns.

Tillandsia in Store

Bang on trend, these air plants are fantastic! The Tillandsia is an epiphyte, this is a plant that derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and its surroundings it is a very exclusive product, they are available in several sorts and sizes, and occur mainly in Central and South America. At the nursery in Central America the Tillandsia's are multiplied by means of cuttins of seed.  The final stage of cultivation is done in the nursery in the Netherlands.

The Tillandsia's are at least 3 years old, some may be up to 20 years old. They grow in the nature often in trees next to orchids. No pesticides are used for cultivation because they have almost no natural enemies.

In spring and Summer they can also be placed outside but not in full sun.

Maintenance is very easy, spray them regularly (once a week) with water and/or specialist spray.

New Page Launched

As of 29th of May a new page was uploaded onto our website, the 'Gift Set' page. A page dedicated to gift sets. 

http://www.watfordflowers.co.uk/shop/Gift_Sets.aspx

Wedding Season 2015 kicks off

Wedding season is well under way. We have made some really stunning wedding bouquets for Brides and Bridesmaids.

Beautiful buttonholes and classy Corsages a plenty too!

100 Roses

Romantic reds

Victorian Terracotta, wire and cement

Vintage finds and Succulents

Terrariums

Modern versions of the 19th century Wardian cases which were used to protect foreign plants imported to Europe from
overseas, the great majority of which had previously died from exposure during long sea journeys, frustrating the many
scientific and amateur botanists of the time.

Popular in the late '70's and early '80's these indoor gardens are very trendy at the moment.

Wedding Flowers, The Grange, Northwood, 31/05/14

 

Jamie and Janita's Wedding 15/02/14

Valentines Day is one of the busiest days of the Florists calender. We are inundated with romantic men
buying red roses for their significant others.  It is common practice not to take wedding work on during this busy
period, due to high flower prices and just not having the time or man power to do it, and to politely decline.
However, Jamie and Janita were  such a lovely couple and I couldn't stop myself from saying 'Yes, I can do that'.

Rustic Bridal Bouquet 20/05/2014

Ingredients to make this lushly scented Rustic Bridal Posy:

• Sweet Avalanche Roses,
• Pacific Blue Roses,
• Vandella Roses,
• Sweet smelling stocks,
• Viburnum,
• Rosemary
• Eryngium
• Parvi Eucalyptus

Dried Wheat Tied Bunch Back Drops are an optional extra

Mr and Mrs Bassil Wedding Ceremony 16th May 2014

The Venue is Tewin Bury Farm Hotel, Hertford Rd, Welwyn, Herts AL6 0JB.
A beautiful venue, made even more beautiful with a wonderful colour tone picked by the gorgeous Bride.

A close up shot of the Wedding Heart. Can you spot the succulents amongst the flowers?

Mr and Mrs Bassil at the Wedding Breakfast.

Mr Bassil, his best Man and Ushers

Mr and Mrs Bassil, shortly after the ceremony. Love the dress and isnt the bouquet lovely too :)

It was a fantastic day, I was honored to be asked to do the flowers and attend the ceremony of two very  special friends.

Our New Ecommerce Website is Now Live and Online!

16/05/2014

Our new website has launched today, we hope you like it. Checkout and order flowers online anytime, of course you can still come in and say hi if you're local or you can pick up the phone to speak to us. Thank you for visiting our online home, we look forward to hearing from you.
Best Wishes, Sam and the team.