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Tuesday 9am - 3pm Wednesday 9am - 3pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 1pm

Velvet Brown - Flowers, Plants and Gifts

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Velvet Brown - Flowers, Plants and Gifts

Velvet Brown is a beautiful flower and gift shop based in the Buckinghamshire Village of Long Crend
(12)

A sophisticated yet quirky selection of ideas and gifts for your home, your family and you friends. If you want to send a gift directly to a friend we'll gift wrap it for free and send them a gift note on your behalf. We also have a beautiful florist sthop in Long Crendon ., Bucks and offer a full florist service.

26/10/2022

Tablescape Workshop

Are you always a little underwhelmed and disappointed by your Christmas dinner table decorations?

Would you like to wow your guests when they come to have dinner with you? We’re not talking about the food here but setting the scene for a fabulous meal means your half way there.

If you’re curious – why not come along to our Christmas Workshop on Tablescaping? As florists we have all the materials at our finger tips to create a beautifully designed table setting before the food even arrives at the table. We will create a demonstration table with lots of ideas to inspire you. Refreshments will be provided so you can sip and snack whilst we set the tables . After the demonstration you will have the opportunity to shop in our beautiful shop - including some of the items we’ve used to create our tablescape.

The demonstration will take place in the shop so places are limited. The cost of the demonstration is £15 and there will be the opportunity on the day to shop with us and you will receive a 10% discount on all purchases.

To Book please email us at [email protected] or telephone us on 01844 208261. Payment in full will be required to hold your place.

26/10/2022

Is it really less than 2 months to Christmas! If you need to get into the Christmas mood - coming along to one of our Wreath workshops is a sure fire way of dragging out those Festive vibes and making you feel properly Christmassy! A Glass of something nice when you get here and a nibble or 2 - why not! You'll get a full demo of how to make your wreath and then it's your turn to be creative. Absolutely all materials provided and there are plenty of gorgeous foliages, berries and seed heads and cones to choose from. You can go as opulent or not as you like.

The emphasis will be on sustainability so if glitter and bling are your thing this workshop isn't for you. But if you love natural, mostly English grown foliages, mosses, berries and seed heads and pods and twigs etc this will be right up your street. We will show you how best to use those lovely materials to create a wreath to be the envy of all your neighbours.

Our wreaths are plump, generous and full of interest.

Booking is essential as there are only limited places . The workshop takes place in our shop and we'll make it very pretty and festive for you to get you in the mood.

Please call us on 01844 208261 or email us on [email protected] to reserve your place.
A deposit of £30 will be required to hold your booking. The balance will be payable by 1st December.

Cost is £69 per person.

21/10/2022

We’ve been making lots of autumn wreaths this week , different sizes , different colours and different textures but all definitely shouting out autumn . A good practice run for your door before the Christmas wreath takes up residence.

We’ve also received a lot of new stock recently - anyone would think it might be Christmas in 2 months time. We’ve lovely coloured candles in rich earthy colours and coloured candle sticks too so you can mix and match . There’s also a nice selection of tealight holders building - very popular as a small gift .

And hands up - we’re guilty your honour - but there is slowly but very surely a bit of Christmas sparkle sneaking out . Whose not partial to a little glitter and cuteness at this time of year altho’ we do like to give autumn a fair crack at the whip before we get completely immersed in blue pine and moss !

We do our best to keep a nice choice of small bouquets outside the shop so you can “grab and go “ but if you’d like something a little larger we are very happy to create while you wait . Or you can ring ahead and we’ll have something bespoke waiting for you.

30/09/2022

Ros has created a beautiful autumn display outside the shop today . Pumpkins , twigs, plants , marrows (!) - off my allotment , plants , conkers and leaves all feature . Now before anyone starts jumping up and down claiming it’s too early for Halloween can I state this is an AUTUMN display . Pumpkins are not just for Halloween!! It’s my little gripe that a few too many folk assume pumpkins are only for Halloween - forgetting about delicious soups , roasts and stews that are so great at this time of year with pumpkin . We grow quite a few pumpkins each year ( tho this year has not been so good for the yield ) and I enjoy nothing more than making a delicious nutty and creamy roasted pumpkin soup or quickly roasting a wedge off and adding some feta cheese, garlic oil and sprinkling of thyme for a midweek supper. In fact - I’ve usually run out of pumpkins before 31st October .

So now I’ve got that out of my system I’ll also add that we’re now stocking a few dried bunches of flowers and grasses and we’ve stocked up on our candles this week too . The evenings are definitely worthy of lighting a candle just now - it might be even add a little heat to your room ! 😆

And yes - you have seen that correctly. There are just a few Christmas decorations sneaking their way out into the shop ! It seemed a bit silly to store them away in a cupboard for us to find them in the new year !

We hope you’ll drop by to embrace the season soon

Love from The Velvet Brownies .

14/09/2022

It’s not all just bouquets and potted plants you know . We’ve been getting creative with dried flowers and succulents and they’re proving to be very popular . I cut my teeth in floristry on dried flowers back in the late 80’s 😳 and I rued the day they would come round again because everything does come round again . However I’m pleased to report that gone are the vast dust gathering basket displays of dried flowers for a fireplace and gone are the big stepped arrangements with layers of dried roses , larkspur and poppy heads lined up like soldiers , each layer a little shorter than the last - phew! Todays approach to dried flowers is more simple and lovely grasses and seed heads rule with just splashes of colour for interest . I’m finding that I’m actually enjoying working with dried flowers again and I never thought I’d say that 😂. We’ve various items made up for you to browse in the shop plus we’ve bunches of dried flowers for sale if you’d like to get creative yourself.

We’ve also been making up sweet enamel spoons with little succulents - they make a very original gift or an inexpensive treat for yourself .

I wonder what we’ll be making next !

09/09/2022

A remarkable lady and a remarkable reign . A life lived well and full of dignity , duty and discretion . Thank you Ma’am may you RIP now .

03/09/2022

There’s a distinctly autumnal vibe to the flower bank now . I’m still a bit in denial that autumn is now banging on the door but then I do love those gorgeous autumn days with softer light and a change to the colour palette of the flower bank . We’ve stunning English dahlias , deep pinky chrysanthemum blooms , English September flower and a pop of bright orange Carthmus in the bank suggesting summer is fading into the distance now . We’ve a good stock of candles - , and on the dresser . I have even placed some Christmas orders this week !! I’m allowed to use that word now we’re into September apparently! I’m even rather excited about our new decal on the door telling all we’re a florist just in case they hadn’t worked it out !
We’re very pleased too that our stablemates are back up and running with the lovely smell of baking bread wafting across the concourse ! ….. tho the desire for a morning croissant is proving too hard to resist 😋🥴
Open tues/weds 9-3
Thurs/Fri 9-5
Sat 9-1.

28/05/2022

We have to confess we’re pretty chuffed with our Jubilee Crown - now on display outside our shop at Long Crendon Manor Stables . It’s all looking very patriotic up at our stables with plenty of Red white and blue bunting strewn along the concourse . We hope plenty will come up and enjoy our efforts ! If you’re looking to get into the Jubilee mood next week the Manor Farm Shop are putting on an extended pizza night on the Thursday making pizzas from 3-9pm. You can eat on the lawn and enjoy a glass of wine or a beer with it or take it home too. All made on sourdough bases made at their own bakery by the lovely Robbie.

We will be open until Thursday lunchtime next week for any jubilee celebration flowers . We will have plenty of red white and blue flowers in stock too . We’re keeping our fingers crossed for fair weather next weekend !

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26/05/2022

A fabulous selection of English grown flowers available in the shop these coming weeks . Perfect peonies , super Sweet William , amazing Alstro and perfumed Pinks! ( did you know that old Doris Pinks have the most gorgeous scent ?) Supporting English growers whenever we can . Open 9-5 Thursday and Friday and 9-1 Saturday . ….. ooh and we’ve some delicious English delphiniums and sweet smelling stocks too!!

11/03/2022

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and we’ve a steady flow of orders coming in already but hot on the heels of Mothers Day is my favourite event of the year - EASTER !

The previous two Easter’s we’ve had to trade behind closed doors - in fact easter 2020 was spent trying to work out how to trade at all ! So I’m very excited to think we’ll be open as normal this Easter . Oh I do hope I’m not tempting fate here and something unknown doesn’t come along to close us unexpectedly 😳

Give me Easter any day over Christmas. Less stressful , less pressure and bunnies , chicks, feathers , eggs and chocolate take centre stage - especially the chocolate ! It’s another excuse to put up decorations and not a bit of red in sight ! I love it because it’s the knowing that there’s lots of lovely things to look forward to in the months ahead . Spring flowers, picnics , dining alfresco , balmy evenings , pub gardens , bluebells and the smell of freshly cut grass.

It’s not Easter without an Easter tree and we’ve some gorgeous pretty eggs to hang on trees in stock. We’ve pretty nests with feathers and eggs to decorate rustic spring plantings and cute China bunnies to add to your home decorating . We’ll be making Easter wreaths in the run up to Easter and p***y willow will be used in everything !

We’ve stocked up on pretty Easter decorations so do drop by if like me you are ready to celebrate Easter.

01/03/2022

There’s always one who has to show off isn’t there ?! Don’t you just love anemones and this week we will have various varieties and colours available . Just some of the gorgeous spring flowers that we have in the flower bank this week .

Don’t forget it’s only just over 3 weeks ‘til Mothering Sunday now . Order over the phone , online or in person . Have it delivered or drop in to collect. 💐💐💐

13/01/2022

At last I feel we are getting back to normal. It’s the first time we’ve had bulbs since Christmas due to Brexit paperwork - (that’s a bit of a long story) and the flower bank is full, with little bits of spring creeping in. We’ve even got English tulips and Scilly Isles narcissi.

I’ve restocked the as we’d sold them so well up to Christmas and we’ve got a new delivery of pots in too.

So, as I say, it’s all feeling pretty normal - yay!

04/01/2022

We’ll be back open on Thursday 6th January with a beautiful fresh bank of flowers . There’ll be little hints of spring amongst them too with tulips and anemones heading our way right now . So if you’ve cleared away all the Christmas decs ( it’s a bit of a love hate relationship with them for me once the big day is over ) and want to add a bit of a fresh zing to your home we might have the solution for you . We hope to see you soon .

25/11/2021

It’s that time of year when many florists ourselves included are knee deep in wreaths wreaths wreaths . Big ones , small ones , plain ones ,heavily decorated ones , mixed foliage ones , twiggy ones , heart shaped ones , colourful ones , muted ones , unique ones , sparkly ones , ribbonless ones and all natural ones - whichever one you go for they are all a Labour of love - each one being handmade with a bit of our personal creativity in each one ! We are fortunate to have a plethora of materials at our fingertips and we rarely make 2 that are identical . I rename the shop these next few weeks to “Wreaths R Us”! as the making of them take up most of our time . We now have a good stock of wreaths for sale at the shop or you can order online or call us to discuss what you would like .

18/11/2021

We have a couple of spaces left on each of our Christmas Door wreath workshops - if you’d like to come along please get in touch or book through our website . Link in bio.

07/11/2021

We’ve 2 workshops in the diary this year to make a stunning Christmas door wreath for your own front door. This year the focus will be on the beautiful foliages , berries and textures of the wreath using English grown materials and subtle decoration . We’ve beautiful velvet ribbons to add that little bit of luxury to your design too. Plump , lush and generous and a wreath to stand out from the norm . Workshops have very limited numbers and will take place at our shop in Long Crendon. Refreshments and all materials and equipment supplied . Booking essential . Cost is £69.00.

20/10/2021

A new design added to the website today . I’m finally coming out of my denial phase and accepting that I do need to embrace Christmas! The whole of December is such a long hard slog I prefer to push it to the back of my mind for as long as I can get away with !
This new design is all about the actual wreath - making sure it’s the main wreath that is the star and not any of the usual decorations . Lovely foliages , plenty of textures and gorgeous glossy berries . All finished off with a simple but stylish velvet ribbon . It floats my boat a lot - I hope it floats yours too . You’ll find it on our Christmas page on our website .
In the meantime I’m rather looking forward to colder , blustery autumn days. I’ve not enjoyed these past couple of weirdly warm days so bring it on !

13/10/2021

Our rather delicious flower bank today . Embracing autumn fully now and remembering just how lovely it is too . We’ve had some stunning autumnal days this month already . I love the light we get in autumn .

I’ll always stock English flowers wherever I can and today all our lissianthus and antirrhinum are English are bloomin gorgeous they are too . I Wish there was more to be had but then it is October . We don’t have the same industry or infrastructure when it comes to home grown flowers, as other countries . Maybe that will change in the years to come - there’s certainly the appetite for them . We’ve some amazing small growers around us who do amazing things with the flowers that they grow themselves such as and but as a retail florist dealing with very specific orders etc there will need to be the bigger more commercial growers aswell.

So today we’ve also got beautiful Dutch Hydrangeas and chrysanthemum blooms . Both bang on season. There is Dutch Carthmus too - I’ve resisted buying it for a while because I thought I didn’t like it - what was wrong with me - it’s lovely ! I think I remember the days of when we used it dried too well! Scratchy , crumby and dull ! As a fresh flower it’s perfect for this season. Foliages are getting better each week - they’re really a winter crop (tho we have to have it throughout the year) but it’s just so much better in the cooler months . This week the Photinia and acacia are particularly lush .

Then we’ve perfect little pumpkins - not just for Halloween I might add but gorgeous for a simple autumn display - why wait for just that one day ?

Drop in if you’re passing - I think you’ll enjoy the spectacle of a beautiful flower bank 😊

07/09/2021

Such a lovely rustic affair for last weekends wedding . We loved the colour combination of what was essentially whites and greens warmed up a little with beigey tones of Amnesia roses with bitter balls, blush of pink astrantia and bunny tails and grasses . Lots of lovely texture and interest . Little twiggy hoops for tiny bridesmaids , lots of hessian going on and hay bales for relaxing on and milk churns filled with flowers . Lovely to buy for and to put together and perfect for its location at Meadow Brook Farm in Moreton . A lovely family to work with to boot 😊

14/08/2021

This weeks wedding had the extra challenge of unusual transportation.

The flower palette was bright and very bold using happy smily sunflowers, bright red dahlias , hot pink germinis and rich yellow roses. It’s not everyday of the week we get to put those colours together . The next challenge was getting it to the venue with the nearest parking a good 10 minutes walk away . Out came my trusty and rather ancient trolley. We did made to measure arrangements so we could box them and therefore stack things on top of one another . Then we taped one arrangement to the top of the box too for added security .

After a quick practice run around the stables at the shop I set off to negotiate bridges , lock gates , tow paths , slopes and gravel paths ! I’m pleased to report I successfully delivered all flowers safe and well and most importantly intact !

14/08/2021

This weeks bright and colourful wedding came with the extra challenge of unusual transportation. The colour palette was bright and very bold and lovely to buy for . What’s not to like about choosing big smiley sunflowers , bright red dahlias , hot pink germini and rich yellow roses - it’s not everyday of the week we get to put those together . The main challenge tho was a venue a good 10 minutes walk from the nearest road! Out came my trusty and rather ancient trolly. We did made to measure arrangements so they would fit in a sturdy box so it meant that I could stack things . The arrangement atop the box was taped on for extra safety . We did a practice run around the stables at the shop before I left ! I’m pleased to report I successfully negotiated bridges , weirs , lock gates and gravel paths ….. albeit very slowly ….. and everything arrived in good shape !

23/07/2021

Making very pretty wrist corsages for a wedding tomorrow. I Really enjoy making these tho I wouldn’t call myself a detail person but they’re fiddly and a bit intricate to make but love the fact I can make them completely from scratch . But I have just got flower glue in my hair !! 😂 Not sure how I’m going to get that out without putting myself through extreme pain later😳😂

07/04/2021

Shortly before Easter we actually made a small wedding bouquet . Small and neat - a bit like the wedding ! Just 2 guests with the bride and groom but they did choose that fabulously warm Wednesday for their not so big day! Spray roses, white ranunculus and thlaspi with a little soft ruscus for support . The bride was thrilled ! First choice had been lily of the valley but cost aside I’m not brave enough to promise that - particularly at these uncertain times !

However I have just ordered some to plant in a shady area of the garden - give it a few years and maybe I’ll do a LOTV bouquet again one day . I’ve only ever done one once - all wired too and I swore never again !! 😂..... it was a very very long time ago - when LOTV wasn’t quite such a silly price but still very nerve wracking and a sleepless night!!

We’re closed this week for a bit of a breather and to get the shop ready for re opening next week . Eek! It’s going to feel pretty weird opening up again - I think I’ve become institutionalised in lockdown 😂. I’d been hoping to do lots of gardening this week - we’ve a massive list of jobs to get on with but so far it’s just too Bloomin cold - grrrr. Hoping it warms up a little in the next couple days .

29/03/2021

Easter is upon us and it’s going to be a busy busy week! We’re finishing at lunchtime on Good Friday to take a few days break into next week to recharge the batteries and get the shop all shipshape for reopening on Tuesday 13th April . It’s going to all feel a bit strange after such a long spell of trading behind closed doors ! In the meantime it’s all about Spring flowers , feathers , eggs , twigs and yellowness!! The one time of year that yellow fills the number one slot of most popular colour - funny how that happens . Any other time of year and Mrs Yellow really isn’t popular .

So bring on the chocolate - I confess I do like chocolate just a bit too much ! Cant wait to get out into the garden to get on with my huge long list of jobs out there and I’ll be putting up some Easter decorations around the house even tho nobody can come in and see them ! But we will enjoy them and they’ll make us smile when we come down in the mornings.

I have huge plans for the garden next weekend - just so much to do . From finishing pointing our wall to starting to build a potting shed ! We won’t have time to be sociable this spring even if we are allowed !!

Have a good week everyone and enjoy that sunshine whilst it’s around .

23/02/2021

A nifty and easy trick to elevate a bunch of tulips to a new level !

Address

Long Crendon Manor Stables
Aylesbury
LONGCRENDONHP189FF

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 3pm
Wednesday	9am - 3pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 1pm

Website

http://www.velvetbrown.co.uk/

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