The Ghost of Christmas Past..

This is what we were up to last christmas....

Four beautiful Winter Weddings, Our Stall at the Oracle Christmas Fayre, Six family members roped in to help out in exchange for a christmas day feast, 120 bouquets and arrangements made up for collection from our shops, 347 orders made up for  delivery.... using this van

In this Weather....

And... We did it... cause thats how we roll. 

We look forward to similar fun in the weeks to come, the snow not so much. 

In recent news, our preparations for this christmas are well underway, our events kick off next Sunday 5th December, come and see us at St Michaels Hospice, Basingstoke for mulled wine, holly wreaths, handmade gifts and the most beautiful service to remember loved ones passed it starts at 5pm.

In the meantime, Bows are being made,  Fir cones are being wired, Holly wreaths are being decorated, Fairy lights are being untangled, Trees are going up, Lovely townsfolk are bringing us foliage left right and centre and there is glitter all over the shop! 

Also, our girl Graduated...

We are very proud... Congratulations Kat, you little Level 4 Florist you.

More from us very soon, 

yours, Team Blonde x 

The Belle of Irelands Wedding at Wasing Park

The 'Belle of Ireland' was Laura her Charming Groom was Chris. This Wedding is one of my favourites this year (I shouldn't have favourites, I truly love them all, but this one stands out as a Classic!) We adorned the Boys with Avalanche roses, the white chocolate cake looks amazing and we submerged Mollecello also known as Bells of Ireland into Sundae glasses, which looked amazing both on our clear perspex pedestal stands and as table centrepieces. A martini glass for the top table, and that bridal bouquet of peonies, lisianthus, chincherinchees and pistachio carnations looked gorgeous with the Dress.

Wasing Park is a spectacular wedding venue complete with its own gorgeous little church... click on the link for more information.

enjoy your weekend x

Sunflowers in September

So the weather this week has been a little on the miserable side, however these practically perfect Sunflowers are simply gorgeous....

. 

Here we've used Sunflowers, Cherry Brandy Roses, Veronica and Dracena leaves in this candle arrangement with some rustic fabric and knotted rope... these made great table centres for a rustic Summer wedding... 

Avalanche roses, Rosemary and freesia hand tied bouquet for a bridesmaid, stems bound in raffia to complete the rustic look...

and finally,  To go with the wedding a thank you bouquet for the Brides mum, a small gesture of the huge thanks she deserved for setting the Bride and Groom up in the first place! x x

Here we have a bridal bouquet of Akito Roses and Crystal Blush Calla Lilies teamed with Eucylptus and hard ruscus. We also have Sweet Akito Buttonholes and a Bridal bouquet of Artemis roses with Black pearls a'la Captain Jack. Today is the first saturday this year we have not had a Wedding hence, why I have the time to blog...

see you soon, fantastic weekend to you all! x x x

Introducing team blonde and Slightly Ginge... part 3

The above is the delightful Amy Barton, one of our talented florists, She has been with us for nearly 4 years now. Her specialties are the ability to make anything... literally anything out of flowers, and the construction of the most beautiful shower bouquets for weddings. She is also the brains behind the "Amy Posy". Amy has recently got Hitched in real life and when shes not entertaining the customers in the shop she is a lead singer in her very own band. Amy's Ghost are a Delight to watch and i suggest you check them out!

http://www.amysghost.com/ fabulous!

Introducing...Team blonde (and slightly Ginge)

Next up... Kimberly, our merry trainee florist... Kim is a highly acclaimed and well travelled pastry chef... but after many years of late nights and early starts and the discovering of her green fingers in her Nan's garden... Kim took the brave steps into a career change and stumbled upon us! Kim has been with us for just over a year and has nearly finished her NVQ level 2, which she has studied at Berkshire college of Agriculture. She's a fantastic florist with a real flair for design. She also has a quick wit and a wicked sense of humour, which is handy for the all nighters we like to pull at peak times. Kim has an ability to create and construct huge arrangements with massive impact and her wiring is spot on. Kim spends most of her time at our Reading Shop, Georgies but often comes over to Tadley to help with large weddings and events. Kims favourite flowers are Roses, she has a huge soft spot for our fossil of a dutchman, Cees, who comes on a thursday (often with a nearly empty lorry, but Kim has to go and look anyway)! She loves a glass of good red wine, prefers a pub to a club and enjoys travelling x

Introducing...Team blonde (and slightly Ginge)

First up, Jackie McCouid, The boss, She has a loving brood of three delightful (uh hum) Children, The oldest, George 26, Kat 24 and Sam 18. Kat and Sam both work in the family business while George struts his stuff all day long for a commercial electrical company. You'll see Sam's smiling face if you recieve a local delivery from us and if you pop into the shop you'll probably meet me, Kat, the internal wedding and marketing extroadinaire... I do all the computer and accounts stuff... (more about me later). Jackie's lifelong dream was to own her own flower shop and after the kids were all at secondary school and her job as an administrator in the family coach business got a wee bit boring.. Aunty Bel, former owner of our other shop (Georgies Florists) offered Jackie a job! Jac jumped at the chance and off to reading, and Berkshire college she went. She studied an nvq level 2 in floristry... she gained experience in running a shop and taught the tricks of the trade under the watchful eye of Aunty Bel for a good few years and in 2004 her Dad, George, noticed Brambles florists advertised for sale and told her.. the rest as they say is history. Apart from in 2006 Aunty bel decided to retire from the floristry business that had been in our family for 30 years... she offered Jackie the chance to purchase it and in December 2006 one shop became two and the hard work really began! Jackie's favourite flowers are pompei lilies and peonies.. her favorite wine is merlot she has two laso apso dogs, called Alfie and Archie. Jackie's husband is Andy who you also might see if you pop into the shop... normally making a blinding cup of tea and handing out chocolate biscuits x

If you only have two pennies, spend one on bread and the other on a flower

A fresh delivery of roses and lilies bought into the shops yesterday for sale on monday...

Take a look at the huge calla lilies my Nan's plant has produced this season... i gave this plant to my Nan 3 years ago as it was in the shop... limping of live and past its best.. never known to put a healthy plant down my nan revived it and now look... Stunning mango calla lilies the biggest heads i've ever seen measuring approx 12cm.... If only the green fingered gene had been passed on!

Valentines Day

Valentines day is on its way... send us a slushly funny or naughty poem beginning with "roses are red" we'll pick the best three and deliver a dozen of the finest long stem red roses to their valentine on Sunday 14th February x good luck, Local delivery only x x