Michael Pooley Flowers blog

Exciting news

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:00:25 +0100

To celebrate year 15 we will be releasing a more in depth monthly newsletter instead of our weekly short blogs. It will bear our new logo (not the one pictured) and be of interest to consumers and companies involved in the industry.
We’ll still post items on the RSS feed blog, to notify you of up and coming events and any topical news.

Please send an email here, to be added to the new MPF member newsletter

Your email will not be shared with any third parties and will be used strictly for the use of the MPF mailing list. If you are already a member of a previous list you still need to sign up for this newsletter.

It was HOT

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:28:50 +0100

The Tuscan course was a great success, heat, food, wine and even weight loss! Terry and Marcello were great hosts, we even had some wild boar trying their hooves at topiary.
We plan to hold the event again next year so please send an email here to register your interest. For those of you that just want to go to Italy and have a relaxing time then just check out award winning Casa Portagioia’s site.

What colour are you?

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:01:52 +0100

Colour is all around us and everyone sees it differently. Why not check out Michelle Bernhardt’s site to see what colour means to you.
Teaching and using colour is one thing but understanding it is another. black and white are not colour yet greys will be hot for fall/winter 2010, yet if you want pink, go for it!

Breast Cancer Awareness month

Sun, 8 Aug 2010 17:21:37 +0100

Cancer is one of the most indiscriminate and dreadful diseases, with which sadly 1 in 3 of us will have some form of involvement. So far this year 4.5 million people in the world have died from cancer. Cancer Research UK is considered one of the “big” charities and people often feel that they do not need the additional funds that the smaller charities do. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth: Cancer Research UK receive no Government funding for research and they rely solely on the generosity of the public. In 2008/2009 Cancer Research UK spent £355 million on research activity: not just Breast Cancer, but almost every type of cancer. Cancer Research UK fund more research than any other organisation in the UK.
The Cancer Research UK vision of beating cancer is an enormous challenge. These four purpose statements set out how they address that challenge:

1. By carrying out world-class research to improve our understanding of cancer and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer
2. To ensure that findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients
3. To help people to understand cancer, the progress Cancer Research UK are making and the choices each person can make
4. By working in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness month we will be installing pink arrangements for all client receptions for the whole of October.
Should you wish to make a donation via this site then please do so by by clicking here. Should you require a donation box
to be placed alongside your arrangement please contact us and we will put you in contact with Michelle Emery, who made this blog entry happen.

Yellow Gloriosa

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:44:08 +0100

Gloriosa has to be one of the most beautiful flowers available. The full name is “Gloriosa Rothschildiana” It is part of the Lily family, a climbing plant and native to South Africa. As a cut flower the red is more readily available and the yellow orange mostly to order. Gloriosa works best on its own or in contemporary arrangements.
The vase life is about 5 days and the tendrils can be a problem when you unpack the branched variety. They are also one of the few flowers that arrive in their own triangular air pack.

flashy flasher?

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:56:46 +0100

The more people use their ipads and iphones, the more the little blue lego squares with a question mark appear on a web page. Yes flash loads quick, makes clean transitions, does great sub menus, animations and picture slideshows. Adobe flash is a great piece of software.... BUT! ... If you view the top sites on the web you will find no flash (might be a flash button) or quicktime, they are all direct information, sharing, networking or news related sites.
If you want to be seen, take a leaf out of the big boys and gorgeous girls book and keep your web site simple, informative, sharing and newsworthy.

MPF websites are purposely viewable on all media formats. If you find your smartphone cannot view any of the media, sites or galleries without the relevant download, can you please send an email saying what software your phone is requesting and what smartphone you have.

485C - RGB 218 41 28 - DA291C

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:57:39 +0100

The heading above is probably foreign to most of you but everyone knows orange. When tulips are not in season orange is one of the least used flower colours in the northern hemisphere. It is also one of the hardest colours to use in harmony, as blue and green flowers are very bold choices of flower colour to use in one arrangement.
There is one flower that should come to mind immediately. Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise or BOPS) This is the only readily available “cut” flower that has all three colours naturally in its bloom. BOPS contain yellow, near white and near black too, go on take a closer look next time you see them. Tonally, orange is an easier colour to use as reds and browns can be introduced to create a harmonious rhythm.
People who buy orange flowers buy a mass of the same orange flower and normally work in architecture or design. They love clean lines, bold tropical green leaves or shapes like Sandesonia (Chinese Lanterns) or Zantedeschia (Calla) They colour block or group colour and if they are a bit bubbly or on a budget they go for orange Gerberas. Naranja rose, which means orange rose in Spanish, sum it up, South America, heat and sunshine. Orange! Love it or hate it, orange!

Hampton Court 2010

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:48:40 +0100

Hampton Court 2010 was definitely the hottest. Goodchilds of Covent Garden sponsored the flowers and Smithers Oasis sponsored the floral sundries. Jenny, Annie, Scot & Kern assisted with the 20 minute vintage inspired demonstrations, whilst Francesca was at hand with her camera to take shots of the works in progress. Michael demonstrated how to make 3 wedding bouquets. Two were made using an Oasis bridal bouquet holder and the third was a wired bouquet. All the bouquets were tear drop in shape with cascades of ribbon. If you haven’t been to Hampton Court you really should go. It’s the largest flower show in the world and full of inspiring ideas. Images of the items made will be put on a microsite in the coming weeks.

Proud to be!

Sun, 4 Jul 2010 08:04:59 +0100

I love Sydney, New York, London, Tuscany, Tokyo, Paris & Montreal in that order. Shallow as it is, in Sydney you get up you know it’s gonna be warm or boiling, Montreal, Tokyo and New York it’s -30 or +30 (sorry Canadians and Americans to put you in one pigeon hole) London and Paris rain, grey sky, Dutch, Kenyan, Italian, South American and home grown flowers. Tuscany seems to be a place that all these cities unite, stylish, chic and any style goes! Yet all these cities accept you, even your Franglais and Italiano-anglais.
At the end of the day I am proud to be British, and more so a Londoner (waves the flag, a gay one at that). The USA see’s independence day today and there’s flag days for many countries this month. We have Wimbledon, Murray and the world cup (I am embarrassed our team played so badly)
This weekend sees Gay Pride in the UK. Two of my bestest mates will be there (pictured above) and ironically my birthday is on international Gay Day, say no more. New York Pride was last week and Race for life and many charities have many meetings this month too, so well done you.
Good luck and best wishes to all you running, walking, marching, playing, celebrating and partying. MPF

Happy Birthday Blog (ME)

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 21:39:15 +0100

I’m really sorry this blog has been delayed. It’s been my birthday and I’ve been thinking what to do for this entry. People tell me, I give too much away, so my hesitance was deliberate.
An RSS blog gives you no indication of how many people subscribe, however, we can see how much of our bandwidth is used. It tells us who, where and what browser each of you uses to view the blog. The website has 18,000 - 20,000 hits a week (most on a Tuesday afternoon at 2pm (9am onwards USA time)) which is a lot for a flower web site. It’s interesting because 48% is from the USA , and only 30% from the UK, 10% from Japan, 4% is from Poland and 2% each from Canada, Russia and OZ.
I have 2 free tickets to Hampton Court Flower show 2010, for any public day next week up for grabs. The first person to answer this question and email the answer to the email link below will get the tickets sent to them! Deadline is 6pm Friday 2nd July (GMT). If you are overseas you can gift them to someone in the UK. No cash equivalent.

Service with a smile

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 02:08:55 +0100

Nothing was too much trouble in New York. Everyone was happy, or at least seemed happy to your face. You want something thats not on the list “ No problem” Yes, you add a 20% gratuity when you pay and God forbid, you don’t tip the barman, then honey, no more service at that bar.
Florally, every store had 4 types of flower. Callas, Orchids Peonies and Hydrangeas. White phalaenopsis have again hit saturation point “Every house must have one” I do love them but this seems to be a global thing.
Union Square had an amazing market that catered for every sense. It was like London’s borough market, except you got double the portion for the equivalent amount in dollars. Iced organic green mint tea is the way forward.

We love our clients

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:44:35 +0100

Love, is a strong word to use. The relationship we have with our corporate clients is clear, it is love. We have an amount per week to do what we want! We can do whatever we want, when we want. No, corporate floristry is not so simple. Many offices have a “dark down or black out” they may even have a timed carbon zero level.
Buildings have a C02 level or carbon level. Air con goes off, minimal lighting, only 2 of 12 lifts on standby and timed lighting. Like you might switch your TV off on the wall, to save the environment, enviomentally aware companies in E14, EC1-2-3-4 go into hibernation each evening and more so at weekends.
We install many contract vases in minimal light. We have to consider the temperature fluctuations. Many offices see their temperature scale range from 18 to 30 degrees in a 24 hour period once the air con goes off. Many offices have halogen lighting and many receptions have no natural light. There is quite a lot of things to consider. Yes, submerged Vanda Orchids are great for a 4 hour event but 7 days in a glass vase, no way! A different vase, flower and style of floristry every week with no repeats. Theres more to corporate floristry than you think.

Hampton Court Flower Show 2010

Sun, 6 Jun 2010 12:34:45 +0100

This will be the third time Michael has demonstrated at Hampton Court, the worlds largest flower show. The 30 minute demos will be on Tuesday 5th July and Wednesday 6th July (RHS members only days) at 1:30 and 3:30 in the floral inspiration marquee. David Domoney will be introducing each show and the demonstrations will have a vintage theme. Smithers Oasis have kindly sponsored every floral sundry and Goodchild of Covent Garden have provided all the flowers.

Chelsea flower show

Sun, 30 May 2010 10:23:36 +0100

The Chelsea flower show is one of the main “flower” calendar dates. I am sure that most of you know that The Daily Telegraph won again with Andy Sturgeons beautiful garden. I bet you all knew that Jamie Oliver was there cooking pizza. How many of you know who won or took part in the RHS Chelsea florist of the year? Sadly florists still don’t get the media coverage that the gardens do, then again it is a garden show.
Mandy at the RHS is really helping the floristry world get noticed, especially so with the Hampton court show. The next two RHS shows (Hampton Court and Tatton Park) will really showcase floristry, training and the skills that are needed to succeed or get noticed.
The list is here of the people that took part in this years Chelsea Florist of the year and the award given.

Fun with flowers

Sun, 23 May 2010 09:59:30 +0100

This wedding bouquet always makes me smile. It reminds me of Leigh Bowery* and fun memories. Anemones are such a beautiful flower. This sassy bouquet is stylish, simple and so much more exciting than red germinis. It looks great with a Candy Anthony wedding dress too. Candy’s dresses are 50’s & 60’s inspired and really stand out from the crowd.
Red bouquets are statement bouquets and we love red. This is why we are creating a beautiful red bouquet and table centre for Wedding flowers September/October issue.
Be bold be RED
* There is some adult content on this link

MPF training modules level 1 & 2

Sun, 16 May 2010 14:00:16 +0100

Inspired by the topics covered in the new City and Guilds qualification levels 3,4 & 5* these exciting new modules give you the opportunity to concentrate on a single item or topic. Whether you are a total novice, a student wishing to repeat an item to a better standard or a florist with over 5 years experience.
All modules are held at the Suffolk School in Bury St Edmunds and range from 2 - 7 hours. Modules can also be held anywhere in the country or Europe, please call for details. Please be realistic with your entry level, you will learn more by being honest with yourself. All modules are on a 1 - 1 basis.

International Mothers Day

Sun, 9 May 2010 07:41:51 +0100

Wouldn’t it be simple if it was celebrated on the same day however; Anguilla, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe always celebrate Mothers Day on the second sunday in May.
In South Korea and Albania, Mother's Day is known as Parent's Day and combines both Mother's Day and Father's Day. It is always celebrated on May 8th.
In El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, Mother's Day is celebrated on May 10th.
Mother's Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in May in Algeria, Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Sweden and Tunisia. If this coincides with Pentecost day in France, then Mother's Day is moved to the first Sunday of June instead.

In Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and All Arab countries in general, Mother's Day is celebrated on the vernal equinox and falls on March 21st.
In Norway, Mother's Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in February.
In Israel, Mother's Day is celebrated on the 30th day of Shevat and can fall anywhere from January 30th to March 1st.
In Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Laos, Montenegro and Ukraine, Mother's Day is celebrated on March 8th. Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Guyana, Italy, Macedonia, and Ukraine also observe Mother's Day on this date, but it is observed as International Women's Day, not specifically Mother's Day.
Mother's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in May in Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain.
Mother's Day is celebrated the following fixed dates in these individual counties:

March 3rd in Georgia
March 25th in Slovenia
April 7th in Armenia
May 15th in Paraguay
May 26th in Poland
May 27th in Bolivia
May 30th in Nicaragua
August 12th in Thailand
October 14th in Belarus
December 8th in Panama
December 16th in Iran
December 22nd in Indonesia

Mother's Day is celebrated on the following moveable dates in these individual countries:

2nd Sunday of June in Luxembourg
Last Sunday of June in Kenya
Second Monday in October in Malawi
Third Sunday in October in Argentina
Last Sunday of November in Russia

Arum Lilies

Sun, 2 May 2010 13:20:51 +0100

One of the first flowers to arrive in market after the Tulip is the white Arum lily. This is the first flower I ever purchased for myself. I bought 3 stems for £9 from Kenneth Turner’s store in Brook Street. I’d recently attended a Robert Mapplethorpe viewing, so I guess the influence had come from there. If you are not familiar with his work have a look here. Kenneth Turner on the other hand is now more known for scent, candles and giftware. They remain one of my favourite flowers and Ken’s store has to be one of the best flower shops I’ve ever been in.
Many people still regard this white lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica ) as a funeral flower. Keats used the white lily and roses to symbolise purification and died in 1821. Lets move with the times, I mean, you can get buried in a Louis Vuitton bag coffin now!

A taste of Tuscany / fully booked

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:44:50 +0100

We’ve done it again. The Tuscan sun course is fully booked for 2010. It only takes seven people to fill the course and winning best B&B in the world helped immensely.
Sunflowers will be on the agenda we might even throw in a pasta making session with Marcello.
If you or friends are interested in the 2011 course then please enquire here

French Tulips

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:59:10 +0100

French Tulips are one of our favourite flowers. They are much taller than your average tulip and can grow to over a metre in length. Its best to use them within a structure or with grass as they grow towards a light source and can look unsightly. In our opinion they look best massed on their own with no other flower to distract your eye. This variety is called Avignon and opens an orange flame colour we used them with a pussy willow frame.

The importance of all floral techniques

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:21:53 +0100

Basing is probably one of the most commonly used floral techniques in the UK. It’s used primarily for funeral tributes, and is best used with a flat flower head that has a large surface area.
Well executed funeral work always stands out and in a time time when flowers are mainly being purchased for occassion, such as funerals, weddings and births this technique is key. Thats’s why all 2010, 80 hour career course students are taught to ribbon and base. It doesn’t have to be poly prop ribbon and white AYR.

Impact

Sun, 4 Apr 2010 19:45:49 +0100

It’s really important that the work you create has the right impact at the correct level. Like last weeks blog 3,3,3 floristry is really a series of 3 dimensional triangles. You have to draw your eye through, down and across the design. From both, right, left, top, middle or bottom. In the photo above your eye will go to the white round vase or tall green flowers in the centre then bounce out depending how you see colour. Intention and planning is in this design. The black bowls have white hyacinth bulbs that flower and open during the week, hence making a white low triangle that crosses with the black bowls. Sounds complicated and takes a while to understand but is key to the MPF patterns. (1,2,3,5,34)

Corporate floristry

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:56:02 +0100

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition,

For key results in good floristry repetition is key. The same colour, flower or vase is needed. If something looks strange and looks rubbish as one, it will look good if you repeat it 3 times or as a group or three. Try it!
Lots of coffee table book florists use it all the time.Take a closer look!

+4 to -10 to +19 〬C

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:29:32 +0000

In the UK we have winter/spring temperatures of about 4 - 10 degrees and a couple of weeks of below zero when the country comes to a stand still. These are ideal temperatures for fresh flowers. There’s normally a neighbour in too if you are not in to receive your bouquet of flowers. Having just worked in Canada I realise now that your neighbour might be 4km’s away and you can’t leave the bouquet on the porch. Not only will it freeze, a moose or deer might take a fancy to it. Next time you buy flowers think about the difference in temperatures you expose them to, from florists fridge, to car to home. A good florist will always package your flowers to offer the most protection.

Spring flowers

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:29:25 +0000

I love the choice of flowers from January to May. Everything is clean and crisp. The smells and colours are fantastic too. We have the first Guelder rose from Holland, Genista and Anemones from Italy. French Tulips, my favourite. Every flower is about 35cm long so the bunches you receive are full and low. English Arums start, Paper whites and Sol d’or go on treat yourself, Indulge!

Happy Mothers Day

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 05:29:15 +0000

Next week see’s the UK celebrate Mothers day. You may ask “Why is Mothering Sunday on different dates each year?
Mothering Sunday is not a fixed day because it is always the middle Sunday in Lent (which lasts from Ash Wednesday to the day before Easter Sunday). This means that Mother's Day in the UK will fall on different dates each year and sometimes even fall in different months. The UK celebrates this on the fourth Sunday in lent since at least the 16th century. However much of the world celebrates Mother’s Day on the Second Sunday in May. Wait till May 8th and you will know why.

National Association of Flower Arrangers

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:29:03 +0000

Having had first hand experience in secondary wholesale flower selling, grocers store add on selling, market stall flowers, a retail store owner and studio/ on location florist there was only one box left to tick. So I joined NAFAS, having an insight into the world of “flower arranging” would help me see the flower world from another prospective.
The one thing I noticed straight away was, these people have gardens and I mean gardens. They grow specifically to cut, especially foliage. Let’s see where this journey takes me.

The BFA & Society of floristry merge

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:28:49 +0000

Yes they did it. The BFA merged with the society of floristry.
This means that the there is one association for the florist. If you own a florist and are interested in flowers being a member has some key benefits. The Flower and Plant association is also another great service to our industry. Keeping the associations of the flower world streamlined and working together will only help the industry through to the 2020’s.

Bagging up Valentines day

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:45:17 +0000

This year Michael Pooley Valentines clients received their roses in a fantastic mock croc bag. Measuring over 30cm high and 50cm wide filled with the best roses available. A real bag and real flowers “Gorgeous!”

Lee McQueen

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:34:31 +0000

It is with great sadness we post this mid week blog. Our thoughts go out to the McQueen family & team at this time.

Simply wedding flowers by Michael Pooley

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 10:22:16 +0000

Many couples propose on Valentines day and the last 12 months have been very interesting. Simple was a key word in 2009, with many couples saying “We want a simple wedding with simple flowers” The wedding florist. org has a very distinct look that can be decadent at times. Simply, is simply that. We use vases of the same flower, arranged beautifully and placed in glass or opaque containers like above. Pretty simple designs that are affordable and memorable. From whites to brights making your day special. Keep seasonal keep it simple.
Click here to go to the Simply wedding site

One Life Stand

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:48:51 +0000

As the wedding season approaches, this song really hit home, what being with a partner should be. Not only are hot chip going to be the sound of 2010 with “a one life stand” but weddings and flower displays are getting more and more individual, yet they still follow the rules. It’s just like the late 80’s when the designs got larger and the flower arranging got simpler. If hair gets big again we will be getting our wires out to make big hair flower wear with a twenteens twist.

Our host venue Casa Portagioia

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:33:12 +0000

On Thursday we received news that Casa Portagioia, our host venue for the Tuscan sun course not only won best in Europe 2010, it won best in the World 2010. This is a fantastic achievement and opened a gateway that wouldn’t really have been opened unless you knew about Michael Pooley Flowers or Casa Portagioia. We strongly recommend you reserve your place before it goes out to the masses. There will be a feature on Italian TV next week and press are staying (paying) there to write an article. Bandwidths on both our sites quadrupled with over 400 video views on the Casa Portagioia site in 2 days. Well done Terry & Marcello, your hard work paid off!

Society of floristry and BFA

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:10:33 +0000

Michael Pooley flowers is quite excited by this proposition. Having recently joined NAFAS and a member of the BFA. One body for the flower trade is a great idea. The flower world has seen great change over the last few years. Flower arrangers, sellers and florists have all seen their areas merge, with each taking snippets of each others areas. The BFA recognise the training Michael Pooley offers is industry aware and Deborah at SOF has inspired and encouraged Michael to teach technique to students. Whatever happens, it shows the industry is taking hold of the direction it intends to travel and the BFA seems the way forward.

SNOW SNOW SNOW

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:53:55 +0000

The snow really hit home that it was still a time to use winter branches and keep things seasonal. We’ve had such mild winters I’d forgotten to remain seasonal after the Christmas holiday. I’d always seen January as a time for Guelder Rose, Callas, clean, bright flowers such as Tulips and Ranuculas. I always wanted my clients vases and homes to start the New Year with a fresh look. The weather really made me think to use lovely branches of foliage from their gardens and from Porters in Covent Garden. Does this mean 2010 will be back to basics and keeping things natural? lets wait and see.

It’s here! The Tuscan sun dates are released

Sun, 3 Jan 2010 18:58:17 +0000

A fantastic flower inspired course held over 6 days & 5 nights held at the 2010‘s Trip advisors best in the world and best in Europe Tuscan retreat Casa Portagioia. The Tuscan Sun Flower Course includes creative and inspired floral design, by internationally renowned florist Michael Pooley. Luxury accommodation, breakfast, and two 5-course dinners. Additionally a guided tour of Pienza and Montepulciano with opportunities for wine tasting, Pecorino cheese and balsamic vinegar tasting along with a super lunch in Pienza. Additionally, we have organised a special shopping trip to Prada & Italy’s other great fashion house outlets. Finally, a day trip to explore Florence including a visit to Michelangelo’s David and the world famous Uffizi gallery - or alternatively, simply do nothing and relax by the heated pool enjoying the unbelievable scenery that surrounds

A really special and fun vacation to Tuscany.
click here for more

Good Florist Guide

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:40:54 +0000

What better way to start the New Year than to be contacted and told you are one of the top 300 florists in the UK. Suffolk has 3 florists listed and Michael Pooley is one of them.
Michael would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all his clients, students and brides and wishes everyone a safe, fun and aware 2010.

A white Christmas wedding at Yaxley Hall

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:56:10 +0000

Last Thursday we had the pleasure of decorating Yaxley Hall, one of our favourite venues. It was so beautiful and the snow made it even more special. We installed a huge mistletoe ball above the front door and used a foliage from Peru that looks like feathers, ideal when game was on the menu. As many of our weddings are unique we tend to “dress a table” rather than make something that transports from A to B. We will upload the images from the wedding once we have received them front the photographer.

Merry Christmas

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:49:27 +0000

Twelfth night is here. So deck the halls and be merry. Paul Smith has the most fantastic baubles to decorate your tree. A totally UK inspired tree will be the envy of your friends. Wishing you all a fantastic holiday season. 2010 should be a little less bumpy than 2009. Sit back enjoy the family, the extra day for Boxing off and food.

Super Kawai

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 17:49:41 +0000

There are very few things so naturally beautiful. As we approach Christmas and seasonal holidays, why not look at things naturally? Forget artificial and plastic, go gather some cones, lichen, flat pebbles and twigs. If you are feeling creative manipulate your branches to create a sub frame to support your flowers, preferably in a clear vase kawai cute Use some red tea roses, some submerged and create a Hogarth S beautiful line, scatter petals around the arrangement. SUPER KAWAI super cute

Insurance

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:46:27 +0000

We all need insurance and we are proud to be associated with Floriguard. They have a great policy that covers freelance florists. It even covers your kit bag, lap top and camera whilst out out on a job, as well as your flowers. It’s good to know that a company has listened to the needs of the freelance florist and have tailor made insurance to cover all sizes or freelance work. Why not give them a call for a quote. you don’t’ have to be BFA affiliated though members do receive a discount.

RHS Hampton Court 2010.

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:40:12 +0000

This weekend we were requested to exhibit at the show in 2010. After a few phone calls we have a team of 15 and in negotiations with several sponsors. I will try my hardest to gain the best of the best to help us showcase our work. If you or your company are interested or would like to help in some way. Please let me know. To book tickets click the link on the right of the picture.

email here

The Lady Magazine

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:25:19 +0000

It’s all change at the Lady. We were called this week by the Lady, as they are running a “it’s never to late to” weekly feature. Rachel Johnson (Boris Johnson’s sister) was appointed in July and she is making some exciting changes to Britain’s oldest weekly women’s magazine. They are giving away advertising space to companies they feel offer the best services and the Michael Pooley flower school was one of them. Look out for our feature in December 1st issue.

The image above was a piece made by his latest student. in that piece alone there are 4 techniques executed (pillowing, grouping, layering and caging)

The wedding florist.org brochure

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 23:22:10 +0000

The wedding florist .org new brochure is in downloadable PDF format . As clients already know we always send PDF invoices and where possible we keep the amount of paper we use to an absolute minimum. We’ve also put a block on you printing the brochure to make you more aware of the paper you use. To view it click the link below.
The weddingflorist.org Brochure 2010.pdf.

Wedding TV

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:33:44 +0000

Whilst at the Covent Garden celebration of Christmas event we were approached by Wedding TV and asked what our style would be for a winter wedding. We used live spanish moss, Ming, silver birch bark, black pepper berry in black and Sliver, Majorca roses, Hydrangeas, Rosemary, Tinus berry, Lichen and a beautiful tiger stripe leaf. You can finish it off with a hurricane lamp and church candle, you can also dress it up using crystals, jewellery or leave it natural as we have above. This arrangement is great for the home too as you refresh the flowers weekly.

New Year New you

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:40:19 +0000

It’s that time of year again, your’e fed up with your current job and have yearned to work with flowers for years. You may have made a great table centre last Christmas and can’t wait to do this years. You may have had children and want to fit a career around their schooling instead of paying for child care. There’s numerous reasons why floristry could be the job for you. Not only is it a very rewarding career, every occasion associated with flowers is a celebration of sorts but it’s something you can do and adapt to suit you.
To help you on your way we are offering a 17.5 % discount on all courses booked in 2010. (vat goes back to 17.5 as of January)
Have a look at the training site here and see if theres a course for you. All course are 1 - 1 and can be taught in your own home.

Lincolnshire Sunflowers

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:22:20 +0100

We are very aware that flowers travel the distance. Why not break the mould and use UK grown flowers. The sunflowers above are from Lincolnshire, they’re fun, cheaper than the Dutch and a little more natural looking. UK grown flowers do not go through the rigorous grading system that Dutch flowers go through. This means you have to accept more irregular sizes of flower head, stem length and keep to season. Go on fly the flag for your next event.

A flower that lasted 10 weeks

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:55:26 +0100

Back in August we installed some green Arum lilies mixed with some beautiful rose hips for one of our clients. They only needed the arrangement for a couple of days and we agreed to leave the vase in situ as it seemed a waste to throw the flowers out.
Ten weeks on we couldn’t believe that they were still going strong. Green Goddess are a fantastic lily and known for their longevity, however I am sure you agree that 10 weeks is an unbelievable shelf life for a flower.

Advanced lessons in floristry

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 20:07:35 +0100

Michael is being asked more and more to help train people who have studied floristry at levels 1, 2 & 3. His natural approach helps students create a design making the natural product it’s key feature. If you want to expand and put some of the skills you have been taught to a more creative use then check out the school. Courses can be tailor made to suit you from 24 hours to 80 hours.

Dubai Mela

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:08:40 +0100

We have been asked this week to create some designs for Dubai’s largest gathering. It’s all in the planning stages at the moment and we will let you know how we get on and what we will be doing for this exciting event.
Should you wish to attend and find out more then click here for the site or the link below for the sales pack.
sales Brochure 4th,5th & 6th March.pdf