Rose & Rhubarb Flowers

20/12/2023

Wreathmas...

SHORT

Now term has finished, I've finally had time to make my own wreath (albeit it's taken me 5 days to finish 🤦😂). It's a leftovers wreath - I literally crammed as much in as I could so I didn't waste any leftovers. More is definitely more, and it now weighs about as much as small elephant 😂 Pink and Red wouldn't be a combination I'd normally choose, but I think it works...?!

LONG

I've been a bit absent from IG - it's not that the wreath workshops haven't been happening (5 of them have) or that I haven't been making wreaths (a smaller number than usual but still lovingly crafted have been shipped out all over the country).

Why the radio silence then?

Being completely honest, it's been a bit of a struggle the last 8 weeks with a rubbish virus/sinus infection (almost certainly was the C word), and I still haven't got any sense of taste or smell, and have constant headaches and toothache from the sinus pain. Meanwhile the day job ramped up with the usual pre-Christmas craziness (concerts, carol services, end of term reports and the like), and something had to give...so IG and cleaning the house it was 😂

12/11/2023

The sacks of moss have arrived, the Christmas trees (plural) are being delivered this week, the ribbon box has been tidied, and the crates of dried fruit, cones, feathers and other festive bits have been restocked...

Wreathmas - I'm ready for you!

If you haven't booked your slot yet, there are a few tickets left for next weekend's wreath workshop with me .coffee and some for 10th Dec. The rest of the dates are sold out.

Get your Christmas jumper on and come and make a banging wreath for your door! 💃🎄💃

01/11/2023

Wreathmas 2023...

It's now November, and for me, the start of "Wreathmas" 😁

I know most of us are creatures of habit, but the creative part of me gets bored easily so every year I try to come up with at least one new wreath design (or when I'm feeling particularly ambitious, 12...😂🤦)

This is the first of this year's...soft pinks and plums, with feathers and cones...do we like??!

On another note, it's amazing how quickly the light changes - I made this in early October, and you can see how warm and bright the evening light was then. Winter light takes on a much cooler light - if I photographed it now, no doubt it would look completely different...

17/09/2023

"Autumn days when the grass is jewelled
And the silk inside a chestnut shell..."

Who remembers this one from Primary School?!
Or the other favourite "Cauliflowers fluffy and cabbages green"...?! 🙋‍♀️

The weather has definitely started feeling a bit more autumnal, the horse chestnut leaves on our drive to school are now rust coloured and it won't be long until the road is littered with conkers.

All this means that I now feel slightly more prepared to think ahead to Christmas - only slightly though!

Thanks to a very eagle eyed person, I've now identified and fixed the link for my Xmas workshops 🤦😂 Tickets are selling surprisingly quickly - so do have a look sooner rather than later - link in bio 😊

Details of wreath kits will be added to the website very soon, and I will be replying to all emails later today...thank you for your patience!

31/08/2023

Wreaths...well you lot certainly love a good wreath! My inbox has gone mad today with wreath and workshop enquiries 🤪 I'm honestly completely bowled over by all your lovely emails 🥰

Those of you wanting to book in a bespoke wreath - I will endeavour to reply to you over the weekend. Spaces are very limited this year and already filling up fast 😳

I will try and reply to everyone individually, but just to say that I am not offering (for the first time since 2020) any online workshops this year. Unfortunately setting up the studio takes a lot of time, not to mention all the packaging of the wreath kits, and time is something I don't have a lot of at the moment!

I have had a fair number of enquiries about wreath kits through the post...is this something people would be interested in? This would be accompanied by a downloadable, illustrated PDF guide to making a wreath, as well as a pre-recorded step-by-step video.

Do let me know your thoughts in the comments!

16/04/2023

For Amy...

It was lovely to be back flowering for a wedding again on Friday...and what a gorgeous cornucopia of flowers I got to choose from...

All the ruffles, frills and flounces... Ranunculus, lilac, sweet peas, tulips, anemones and the intoxicating scent of narcissus 😍 I was like a kid in a sweet shop!

I always make my bridal bouquets so that they look beautiful from any angle (no stress then for the bride making sure she's holding it the right way round!). However, I don't want them looking like a perfect dome of flowers (let's leave those in the 90s 😂)...
..So the question is, which side - 1 or 2?!!

11/04/2023

It's turning into a flower-filled week...

One of the things I love most about growing my own flowers is being able to surprise family and friends with a bouquet or, as in this case, an urn full of flowers...

Picked from the plot and the garden yesterday morning; a couple of hours later, arranged and gracing the table for Easter Monday lunch with the family.

Thanks Mum for the delicious Roast Goose - hope you're enjoying the flowers! 😘💐

10/04/2023

Tulip love...

Well, my tulips are still a week or so off (a few just starting to colour up), so they won't be making their way into Amy's bridal bouquet this week 😕 Thankfully though, I can call on British suppliers to save the day! 😅

Having been out of the "wedding saddle" for a few months, I cannot wait to get back onto it this week... expect lots of pics of gorgeous spring flouncy blooms at the end of the week 😉

And to whet your appetite, here's one from last April - L & C had to show patience of saints with their postponed wedding - absolutely loved this knockout colour palette chosen by the bride 😍 And of course, featuring tulips from my flower field 😉

04/03/2023

M O T H E R S D A Y 2 0 2 3

This year, due to the demands of the new day job, I will not be doing Mothers Day bouquet orders (first time in 5 years!) Hopefully I'll be back next year!

Please do support your local florist - especially those who champion local or British grown blooms. Check out your local growers

For those in the East Cambridgeshire area, try or

For those in Suffolk, try

For those in Essex, try

All are champions of locally grown, seasonal flowers 😁
(Apologies if I have missed anyone out - feel free to msg me if I have! 😂)

04/03/2023

It's nearly here...

Spring is on its way - the blossom is starting to break, and I cannot wait!

17/02/2023

Still enjoying my little bowl of garden delights...

My bulbs are really late blooming this year - the crocuses have only just appeared, which is very late compared to normal. So I had to resort to some dried bits that I had stuck in a jam jar on my sideboard to fill out the bowl...dried dahlias, nigella seedheads, helichrysum, and the heads of the paperwhites that bloomed in the new year.

It's amazing what you can make with very little...why don't you give it a try?

16/02/2023

It's been ages...
..ages since I wandered round the garden with a pair of snips, looking for 'treasure', and then faffing about for a few minutes to make a bowl.

And did I enjoy it?! Heck, yes! Therapeutic even 😊

25/01/2023

Such a gorgeous space at Glemham Hall...loved creating this atmospheric floral dining tablescape

Dark-toned flowers and candlelight bouncing off the crystal-cut glassware are the perfect setting for Burn's Night tonight.

Florist Rose & Rhubarb Flowers

18/12/2022

Christmas tablescapes...

Usually made the day or so before the big day, this bit of creative "me-time" is one of my favourite Christmas traditions...

I started making our Christmas floral table centerpiece when I was 8 or 9, and have made one ever since then. Safe to say that they have evolved considerably in 30 years...! No more floral foam, no more artificial sparkly bits, no supermarket carnations or chrysanths... Nowadays I lean towards simple bud vases, elegant taper candles and seasonal flowers cut from the garden.

Here's one from a couple of years ago - the warm glow of candlelight transforms the simple bowl of the Hellebores and winter-flowering Clematis.

The best thing about using multiple small vessels and candlesticks, rather than one large centerpiece, is that you can remove elements when you run out of space for all the Christmas grub!!

Do you have flowers on the table at Christmas? Do you stick to traditional or do you prefer simple and seasonal?

11/12/2022

"It has just arrived and it is stunning! Absolutely thrilled 😁 Can’t wait to get it up on the front door- you have outdone yourself!!"

Receiving this totally made my day last week...

This year, due to returning to full-time teaching, I deliberately took on a very limited amount of wreath orders - and I must say that it has been a welcome change from the usual "factory production line" feeling of this time of year!

I'm just coming to the end of Wreathmas 2022 - the last few wreath orders will be dispatched in the next few days, and then it will be on to the big Christmas tidy-up (it's been too cold to wreath in the very ventilated studio, so the kitchen is now a bombsite 🤦🤣), and then to make our wreath from the leftovers...

What will ours look like?? Absolutely no idea 😂

02/12/2022

Now I love a good wreath, but even I'm getting a little wreath-weary on IG at the moment...so here's something beautiful and festive, but not a wreath ☺️

28/11/2022

And here's a few stills of this year's wreath ☺️

Sadly, my studio door isn't a patch on Dean and Borja's beautifully smooth, lovingly restored Tack Room door, but I do like the way the blue brings out those silvery eucalyptus pods.

It's definitely not a blingy wreath. Understated, subtle...and hopefully classy.
With everything going on this year, and the difficulties many are facing, somehow this seemed appropriate. Wintery, but with warming reds... traditional, timeless but with a modern twist.

And apologies if you have not been able to get onto one of my workshops this year - or indeed make it into my order book. You never know, we might even be able to run a next year... 😉

20/11/2022

On the Twelfth Day of Wreathmas...

Twelve Bells-a-Ringing 🔔

Phew! Made it to the end before Christmas 😆 Poll coming later - look out for it on stories...which is your favourite??!

Here's an abundant - reds and greens with a hint of gold by the bells.

I've had many people ask me how I get my wreaths to look like this...there's no great secret - you just use A LOT of plant material...and then add a bit more! 🤣

I love detail and texture - so I typically use about 15 different types of plant material in each wreath, layering them up to create a cornucopia of foliagey delights 😁 This means that they take time to make, but it also means that as they dry out, they still look plump and luscious 😉

I don't often add decoration after - a gorgeous ribbon, naturally, and perhaps the odd sprig of cones - I find that they don't need a heap of bejewellments to bling them up. Subtle, most definitely. Classy - I'd like to think so! 🤣

19/11/2022

On the Eleventh Day of Wreathmas...

Eleven Pipers' Piping 🎶

And so the wreath madness starts... Bublé and Mariah on in the background (don't judge 😆), a constant supply of mugs of coffee and biscuits, grim looking finger nails, cracked and sore hands, pine needles in all sorts of places, the scent of spruce, and tufts of moss sticking to your socks...

The first Christmas wreath of the year has been made, and will be shipped to it's new owners on Monday 💃 This wreathing lady is back!

13/11/2022

Lest we forget...

Thinking also of all those in Ukraine, Myanmar, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and all other countries at war right now.

06/11/2022

Ten Days of Wreathmas...

Ten Lords-A-Leaping...or in this case, just two 😂

One of my favourite colour combinations - rust, orange and steel blue. Perfect for taking you from Autumn to Winter...and beyond!

I was thrilled to see this wreath hanging up indoors in Dean & Borja's estate (of fame) - I'm reliably informed that the boys don't like throwing my wreaths away, so hang them up indoors to dry...way to a florist's heart! 😂

05/11/2022

Nine Ladies Dancing...

💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃

As with all my wreaths, I try to choose plant material that will last, or dry well... After all, when you've spent a lot of time making it (or spent a considerable amount of money on it) you want to enjoy it for as long as possible!

I made this wreath a year ago, and it is still hanging up - albeit indoors. The colours have faded a little, but other than that, it looks pretty much the same as in the photos.

Blush pink mini proteas, spray roses (imported), dried sanguisorba and Alchemilla Mollis (British) on a bed of Northumberland moss ☺️

04/11/2022

On the Eighth Day of Wreathmas...

For those of you who like a good old-fashioned still 😉

Possibly my least popular wreath from last year (no one ordered one 😂), I got to enjoy this beauty hanging on my door until March.
I loved how the helichrysums turned into mini "fried eggs"...it definitely was the wreath that kept on giving!

29/10/2022

For those of you who like a good old-fashioned picture on the grid...

Seven Swans-a-Swimming (sadly no emojis of swans 😔) for the Seventh Day of Wreathmas...

Nothing beats the classic white and green combo, and although I love colour, this wreath in particular has a special place in my heart.

I made this wreath in October 2020, whilst filming my wreath tutorial to accompany all those lockdown wreath kits and online workshops.
Hundreds, if not thousands (I haven't counted), of wreaths later, the world is slowly moving on from the Zoom-fest.
Although I'm very glad to be back doing wreath workshops in person this year, it does feel strange looking back to 2020...it feels almost like a lifetime ago!

Five more wreaths to go - next weekend, I'll do a poll to see which one is the favourite!






📷 by the superbly talented

28/10/2022

On the Sixth Day of Wreathmas...

Six Geese-a-laying 🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚

Apologies for the radio silence - I escaped to France for a few days, and now I'm finally seeing the bottom of the laundry basket again, I've got the time to catch up on IG 😁

So, here's the 6th wreath - lots of eucalyptus, bluey-grey hydrangeas and thistles...the geese I made out of self-hardening modelling clay...which I wouldn't recommend 🤣 Flippin' fiddly, and by January, they had all gone soft 🙄

19/10/2022

On the Fifth Day of Wreathmas...

Five Gold Rings made from dried Crocosmia leaves - all natural, naturally 😉

Much as I love a bit of bling, having learnt about the appalling effects of glitter, spray paint and dyed plant materials, I made the conscious decision to only use natural plant materials in my wreaths (I highly recommend following if you want to know more)

I'm far from being perfect with my wreath designs - for example, at the moment I still use wire for attaching things like dried oranges and lotus seedheads (which alas, are not British). But I'm on a journey - with a commitment to becoming more sustainable, and that's got to be better than nothing.

Scroll across to see the gorgeous gold velvet ribbon, made by that finished this wreath off perfectly 😍

18/10/2022

On the Fourth Day of Wreathmas...

My "gothic" wreath ☺️

I'm definitely not a pastels person, and as much as I love making beautiful white bouquets in early summer, come late autumn/winter, all I want to do is bring out the rich jewel colours.

Totally embracing the dark colours here!

How about you? Are you a pastels-person or are you drawn to the dark side?!

17/10/2022

On the Third Day of Wreathmas...

🇫🇷🐔🐔🐔

This one is actually still hanging up in my studio... although a little dusty (and the odd cobweb), it looks beautiful and has kept its colour.
I'm partial to a rich velvet ribbon at this time of year, but I just love the silk ribbons on this wreath and the way they waft in the wind.

Full of French lavender (actually, it's British, but sssh...don't tell anyone!), purple limonium and statice, thistles and Provence-inspired herbs such as rosemary and thyme. It might be jam-packed with foliage, but it is still dainty and light.

Tomorrow...Four Calling Birds... 🤔

16/10/2022

On the Second Day of Wreathmas...

Very muted and understated - in soft dove greys and silvers (two turtle doves 🕊️🕊️obvs 😉)

Did you know that on average, I use more than 12 different varieties of foliage and plant material in my Christmas wreaths? The traditional spruce is just one of these, together with other foliage such as senecio, thyme, myrtle and eucalyptus. The scent, as you can imagine, is a bit special too!

14/10/2022

Hurrah! It's half-term! 💃💃 (For us at least)

Along with catching up with sleep, I'm looking forward to making an Autumn wreath or two, and thinking ahead to (if you know, you know 😉)

This time last year, I rather foolishly set myself the challenge of "12 Days of Wreathmas"...coming up with twelve different wreaths, each depicting one of the twelve days of Christmas.
Alas, I don't think I'll have the time to come up with *twelve* new designs this year, but I thought I'd re-run last year's over the next two weeks and then do a vote for the favourite at the end 😁

So here's Wreath No 1:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree