I am amazed at how this blog has attracted any response! I must say I am still struggling to upload photos and go through the mechanics of writing the blog. The premise was to inform everyone who logs into the website that we can help turn your ‘floral’ dreams into reality and perhaps use it as a showcase of our daily work.

I enjoy writing about the commissions and the human element of a business transaction as that is what makes it all worthwhile. In an age where ordering can be done through the net; the smile, the general greeting and the support of the patron is often not adequately repaid. Whereas in a shop, the recognition, the hellos and thank-yous are all that make the liaison that much more pleasant and gratifying. The moment the client picks up the bunch of artfully arranged flowers, is the one which the artisan feels the sense of achievement. I am still very much a ‘every bouquet tells a story’ type of floral artist and often would ask where the flowers are going to and the occasion it is marking.

I guess buying flowers is a very spiritual experience and it is perhaps one of the remaining pleasures we should all try to secure. The idea of picking the flowers on a walk before presenting the little posy to a friend or loved one is an ideal we still subscribe to in books and films. The closest we can get to is going to the sensitive florist who can then reinterpret your feelings and transform them into a thing of beauty…

So by all means, email the important information but do ring and speak to someone should you need to send some flowers. Let’s preserve the human element and luxuriate in one of the senses which can still be tranported via technology – the voice.

Abi and Giles from Media Wisdom called yesterday to order a bouquet of condolence for their friends whose mother passed away recently.  Abi was too ‘weepy’ to call and therefore went onto the web to order the flowers via a message window.  I keep marvelling at the way information technology can help us manage so much of our day-to-day life experiences.  The website is a real bonus when done well.  However, the next big thing is the video window which gives viewers a chance to see the person behind the business and I must say it is one of the best things everyone should subscribe to.  Not only is it personal but it offers you an opportunity to update your site frequently without having to tamper with the main design. 

Abi and Giles are professionals who are proud of what they do and are often on the look out for new and different ways of creating something unique specific to their clients.  Check them out on www.mediawisdom.co.uk. 

Anyway, the bouquet we sent was greatly appreciated and Abi emailed to say she felt she has done a good and the right thing for her friend.  I feel great too because I have created a bouquet which speaks!

July marks the end of the school year and now that the schools have all broken up, a certain calm and quietness descends upon the roads, streets and the shops.

Everyone on the York and Queens Roads have noticed the silence – the whole place feels like a little holiday village one experiences when on an Italian or French holiday in August between the hours of noon and five o’clock. 

The White Orchid closes its doors for three weeks over the Summer so that everyone working at the shop can go on holiday and come back in September, refreshed and inspired from their travels abroad.  Many of us are still on staycation, exploring places like Cornwall or Scotland, while I have chosen the South of France (Nice) because it gives me a chance to soak in the creative energy.

I like the South of France as it allows me to explore the coastal towns like Monaco, Monte Carlo, Antibes and this year, Cannes and St.Tropez!  Here, you can visit the open air markets and buy the freshest fruit and vegetables and live like the French – baguettes, cheeses, peaches, tomatoes and olives…ummm.    I am looking forward to taking more photos and maybe do a few sketches and paintings as no doubt I will be inspired by the light and the general ‘joie de vivre’!

Someone rang up this morning to organise some flowers to be delivered to his ‘new relationship’ and had me thinking of the first time I received flowers.  He had known her for a month and thinks the world of her – ‘you are everything I want…’ I teased him about sounding too ‘final’ but he thinks saying something else would be lame.  How romantic?  It’s great to know that there are people who still put a lot of thought into the words they send with flowers.  This is inspirational.

The week went by very quickly but not without lots of little hitches.

We had a wedding which was a bit last minute.  The bride came in on Monday and told us she will be getting married on Friday and would require eight tablecentres, a bridal bouquet, three bridesmaids’ posies, a wrist corsage for her mum and six buttonholes for the groom and the bridal party.

Although we like to have as much notice as possible, we also like a challenge.  Sourcing the flowers of a particular colour is not that difficult these days as there is so much choice out there.  However, sourcing a particular flower is never quite as easy as it may not be the right season.  So brides are often advised to go seasonal and let the florist have full rein.  It is better to state a colour and the effect you are after and be surprised by what good floral designers can deliver. 

Anyway, it all went well and I hope to post some pictures of the wedding soon.

We also had to provide flowers for a dinner party and the client requested fourteen centrepieces and a huge vase arrangement for the food table.  The event co-ordinator gave the go-ahead with a very hefty budget and we proceeded to order the flowers.  However, the following morning, she rang to say that her client did not want to spend that much and we had to tailor it to a budget which was way way way below the original!  We generally ask for a deposit or full payment when given projects at such short notice but owing to the fact that we have worked with the company before, we took the word of the co-ordinator. A new lesson everyday?

On a different note, we are now planning our autumn projects which include a charity-do at a very grand venue (to be announced later…) and it would be one where we can exercise all our creative energy.  There will be lots of celebrities and a popular magazine will be covering the event.  We are all very excited about it. 

The shop will be closed for about three weeks over the summer holidays and will be repainted with colours that reflect the new corporate identity.  So watch this space as we post news and photos of ongoing planning and projects. 

nicole