We're looking to expand! with your help and votes we can make this dream a reality ... take a look at our entry into Barclays 'One Small Step' competition and vote for our village florist franchise concept by posting a comment and pressing the like button.
We would love to be able to open another Green Parlour in another village like Pangbourne, so we have entered a competition with Barclays to get some funding...
Click on the link Barclays 'One Small Step' and hit search .. type Green Parlour into the keyword section and take a look at our entry and VOTE VOTE VOTE!
Cakes baked, champagne chilled, trestle tables dusted ... check ... check ... check ...
Sit down with a gin and tonic and prepare for your fancy spruce-up-any-outfit and fit-for-a-Princess street party buttonhole DIY tutorial
What you need:
We're going to show you how to make real buttonholes, forget all of that fiddly wiring nonsense, these are the way buttonholes should be.
First things first, pick out your favourite greenery from your garden - I've chosen mint and rosemary for their heady scent. Place your garden finds flat upon a table and lay your chosen flowers on top. I love large buttonholes so the more flowers and greenery the merrier. Remember when the buttonholes are pinned on your rather Royal Wedding outfit they will be flat at the back so its a good idea to lay your flowers and greenery at different levels.
Tie your buttonhole arrangement at the top using some thin string. Take care not to tie it too tightly, just enough so everything stays where it is.
Cut the left over string using your sharp scissors and cut the end of your almost there buttonhole.
Pick out some rather fancy ribbons to match or clash with your buttonhole and wrap them around to cover your string and tie in a bow. Find a fancy pin and place into a little cup of water until your ready for your public.
My favourite spring bulb has to be fritillaria, their beautiful checkered heads are scattered throughout this spring inspired wedding bouquet which also contains white Avalanche roses, zesty green guelder rose, clematis, black centered anemones and scented eucalyptus.
We love the fresh zing that the guelder rose brings to the brides bouquet, especially when combined with the deep rich tones of the fritillaria, clematis and another favourite of ours - anemones. Bind wedding bouquets in bold ribbons - I love the polka-dot ribbon on this bouquet.
We are actually in love with this bridal bouquet we created this week! As much as we love roses, its so lovely to play with hedgerow texture, allowing us to create this gorgeous relaxed country bridal bouquet - designed to feel as if it has been gathered from the meadow on the way to the church. Filled to the brim with ammi majus and daucus carota, flowering clematis, scented eucalyptus and secured with an antique lace trim, this bouquet is perfect for a country inspired bride.
Miniature lace detailing on the Groom's buttonhole of flowering clematis, viburnum berries and eucalyptus ... perfect!
Large mismatched jam jars finished with antique lace detailing to match the bridal bouquet adorn the centre of the tables.
Its so exciting to get pretty new things in our little shop. Today we were treated with some beautiful new flowers and this gorgeous smokey glass vase.
Both are delicious.
I'm always proclaiming love for these white Majolica spray roses, they are, in my opinion just perfect.
With Valentine's Day around the corner we have our hearts set on any of these bouquets ... we're not fussy!
TTFN
Today is the 1st February and hopefully that means spring is around the corner. The shop is filled with Ranunculus, scented Hyacinths and Anemones - I literally love them all and have treated myself to an old biscuit tin filled with all sorts of lovely flowers and viburnum.
Don't even get me started on how much I adore Helleborus.
I have also being dreaming of an Auricula theatre, possibly inspired by my Emma Bridgewater mug...
Our bellies are full of Nigella Lawson's chocolate and orange loaf and all is well with the world.
Today I was spurred into action by the wonderful Wedding Sparrow who tweeted she was going to nose at the blog for some inspiration before a meeting with her wedding florist in a few weeks time. Hugely flattering but I also realised everything was looking a little out of date so my interim offering, before I upload lots of gorgeous wedding photo's, is another homage to the white rose. Not only do I love its simplicity, its romantic ivy collar and the satin bow (I'm big on bows right now) but I also love my model mannequin with wooden arms.
She is called Dolly if you were wondering ...
I am such a white rose girl and they are the perfect for a classical, elegant wedding. I think my favourite thing of all has to be spray roses, I am a complete sucker for them especially when you get these gorgeous green buds poking out between the Akito roses. We filled this wedding bouquet with yummy scented freesias and had one happy bride! hurray!
The Green Parlour girls got pretty excited when I told them about our VIP guest appearance from Kat at Rock n Roll Bride! Not only was she coming to say a massive hello but we invited her in to experience a day in the life of, well us, with some DIY tutorials to share with all of her beautiful readers to boot. Just the ticket to brighten up a dark Wednesday in January me thinks.
Take a look at our day with the pink haired beauty here and watch this space for an announcement on some new flower school bridal courses we will be running ... the perfect way to come and play with gorgeous blooms with your bridesmaids, mums and friends.
Big love to Kat at www.rocknrollbride.com not only for writing such an awesome wedding blog but she's a pretty hot trainee florist too.
Christmas parties in January - with crackers of course
White roses
Dogs
Diets
Blankets to curl up in
Feathers, ribbons and buttons
Home-spun vintage
Allotment time - seeds galore!
Stag head collection
Farrow and Ball 'green'
