Learning to dance and a rather large number of tulips

Today I've managed to take a little bit of time out.  We take breaks at funny times us florists.

Most would consider a break to be sitting down with a cup of hot chocolate whilst doing the crossword, time out to walk the dog or wandering round the Trafford Centre.  But as I've run out of hot chocolate, can never achieve much on the Times crossword, don't have a dog and I view clothes shopping as a chore that must be got through in order to reap the benefits (much like weeding your patio I suppose) I took a couple of hours off to go and learn a new foxtrot and revise the quickstep and the waltz.  I do this in readiness for my exams.

Exams - yes exams.  Mad - yes mad.  But we all like a little challenge I suppose?

We all love it when Len says 'Severrrrn' don't we?  Fingers crossed.

On the way back it occured to me that I'd not blogged the wedding of the tulips.  This was a treat indeed.  Siobhan was a fab bride.  So much fun.  She wore red converse under the posh frock.  Very, very cool.  She's a teacher of English and used to send me letters.  On her quote I used elaborate language.  She gave me top marks.

I miss her.

Here's the day of tulips taken by me, a photographer that never will be.

Enjoy!

Laura x

After the pillow fiasco, this little florist went to market.

Today started off in a very strange way.  I awoke very cross with the hubbie.

Me to hubbie: "Phillip (he only get's called that when he is in a great deal of trouble), you must take the pillows back to the Travelodge in Liverpool, they'll called the police."

Hubbie to me: "What are you on about?  We haven't been to a Travelodge since 2007 and we've never been to Liverpool together."

He had a point.

I decided to get up and go to the flower market.  I bought peonies and some alchemilla mollis among other things.  He's off the hook.

The pictures below have nothing to do with the above.  They are to do with Ollie and Nicki - AKA Mr and Mrs Cottam.  They got married and had a party at The Monastery in Manchester.  Their video is a corker. So were the blooms.  Link to their proper photo's on Tom's Blog is here.

At their final meeting before they wed, I had tea, Nicki had an orange juice, Ollie had a pint.  That's my kind of meeting.

Any one else feeling a bit chilly?  I do wish the rain would subside.

Laura x

What came first - the chicken or the egg?

The weekend was filled with blooms.  Some of them scented, some of them not.  All were beautiful.  I had 1.5 days off over Easter. I spent it with the hubbie on Sunday afternoon and a sunny Monday. My Dad came to stay on Friday and Saturday as there was an arch involved and he's an engineer.  We ate alot and cranked open the barbeque.

The weather kept up with the flowers.  The sun shone at the right time and it wasn't too hot.  Thank goodness really, I have it on good authority that a hot day in one of those posh suits is a melter.

There were (among other things) David Austin roses (gasp), about nine other types of rose (ooooh), phlox (smile), waxflower (jump of joy), larkspur (clap hands like a seal), stocks (long sniff), hydrangea (swoon), peonies (faint) and a box of scotch eggs to keep us going (yum).

We've split the blog entry up.  We had to. The profound question above will be answered in part three.

Heady hydrangea.  I think I'll rename it.  It's official name is something like 'Rambo' or 'Hulk'.  I don't like to recall it, it's quite innappropriate.

Larkspur to Candleford.  I'm currently reading a similarly named book.  It was recommended to me by my Grandmother.  She's lent me her copy.  It has a polka dot front cover.

 David Austen rose.  If it could speak I'm sure it's first words would be 'No, I am not a peony.'

 Mimi Eden.  I like the name.  Makes me think of 'Allo 'Allo.

 Stocks in close up.  Smelt amazing in the Church.  More about that on the next entry.  A chicken may feature.  It may not.  Any guesses on the egg yet?

Avalanche in close up. To the rear, a lot of blooms.  I've got pics of them all but I need to stitch the images together as I couldn't get them in one shot.

Pretty In Pink (and teal - but teal flowers don't exist, so pink it is) for a sunny spring wedding

Over the weekend it was pretty chilly.  Well, it was sunny on Friday and then it got chilly.  After we delivered the weekends weddings we wandered down to the West Didsbury Markets.  We ate our way round it.  Cheese.  A biscuit.  A hot sausage.  We bought a bright green member of the brassica family.  We're going to have it tomorrow with a gammon steak.

Here is a blog entry on one of our weddings.  We'll save the other ones for another day. Huge congratulations to Lindsay and Jonathon. We were going to take some other pictures of tulips, we didn't - explanation below.*

It's quite a long entry as Ailsa in the cake shop has now shown me a magical button on my camera that makes close up looks better.  I'm a florist, not a photographer - this button really was a revelation and I was most excited to share the knowledge with the Mr.  He already knew about it.  Never mind.

Anyway, here's some photos of the most scented wedding of the year so far.  Stocks, sweet peas - my new favourite for the moment, freesia, ranunculus,nerinne, gloriosa, panicum and eucalyptus.

Enjoy!

Laura x

Panicum in close up.  It looks like fireworks here.  I do love fireworks.  Not in bridal work though.  Fireworks on a wedding day could either be beautiful, or taken another way, could be a bit Jerry Springer.

Nerinne.  Fab flower. Much under rated.  I adore it.  I think I may thread some of it onto wires and wear it in my hair tomorrow.

The scented ones are top centre, top left, bottom left.  The ones that people confuse with peonies are bottom right.

Today in the close up section.  Oh I do love that button on the camera.  Ranunculus.  So very pretty. So pretty indeed.

Fancy shot.  Close up of nerinne with freesia to the background.  Clever.

A freesia.  They were not keen on the cold.  They, like me needed a hot water bottle in the studio. 

 The stunning bridal bouquet with trailing gloriosa.  I need to think about my backdrops.  I may well have found the button, but my picture simply doesn't do this justice.  The brides draw dropped when she saw it.  "I love it, I love it, I love it!" followed shortly afterwards. 

 Gloriosa and nerinne buttonhole.  The grasses look smashing here. 

A bridesmaids bouquet of scented delight.  All wrapped up with pretty teal ribbon.  So pretty.  The teal would look rather lovely in the living room.  That may take alot of persuasion.

*The other photos were going to be of tulips - but I gave them to Darcey.  I am well informed that they are doing very well on her bedroom windowsill.   On another note, Sophie - aged 2 and a bit from Manchester (I checked with the bride when I saw her on Saturday at The Midland Hotel)  and you'll be pleased to hear that the yellow rose you took a fancy to is yours, she said that you can have it.  Please feel free to collect from the studio when you're done at nursery for the day.