Girl Flower Blog

BFA Christmas Event @ New Covent Garden October 2009

At the crack of dawn yesterday Christmas officially started at the New Covent Garden Flower Market, the traders had their Christmas previews on new products for the festive season, the BFA held their RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year Competition for the Over 25’s and Under 25’s and had demonstrations from various floral designers for inspirations for Christmas Designs.

Mary-Jane and I like real troopers set off to attend the event at 5.30am yesterday morning, to enter some pieces for the competition, to mingle with some of the UK’s most famous Floral Designers including one of my flower school teachers Judith Blacklock (You may have seen her on Channel 4’s Kirsty’s Homemade Homes) and to see the demonstrations. Judith has asked me to come up with two designs for her Step by Step feature in her Flower Arranger Magazine so keep your eyes peeled.

The competition brief was to create a funeral piece for a keen gardener using mainly fresh flowers & foliage. Girl Flower Entered 5 pieces two in the Junior Section & Three in the Over 25’s. The competition was at a very high standard unfortunately we didn’t win but there's always next year! We achieved high scores in both categories. The designs we entered can be viewed below & in our gallery.

MJ's Entry

Lorraine's Entry

Carly's Entry

Phoebe's Entry

Clare's Entry

It is a good idea to attend the market at least every few months; it gives us florists a way of seeing new flower & foliage varieties. Yesterday I found a new variety of Leucadendron, it is silver in colour and has a furry feel to the bracks, a little like lambs ear. I couldn’t resist the temptation of buying a few stems and bringing them back to the shop to share them with the team. They would be great to use in Christmas Designs either as they are or by manipulating them by removing the leaves and pinning them onto a design. They would add a new dimension to designs as well as a texture you would want to stroke.

The market was a real hive of activity yesterday morning, with the Christmas lights glowing and festive tunes playing it did create a fantastic atmosphere. There were many displays for table settings and shop window ideas, just as the Birmingham trip is truly inspired some great designs to hit the Girl Flower shop in the coming weeks.

BFA Fleur Expo October 2009

Over the weekend Lorraine and I attended a Fleur Expo in Birmingham, hosted by the British Floral Association. It was the first of its kind that the BFA had organised. They had a range of trade stands, demonstrations from various floral designers and competitions for Young Budding Floral Designers.

The Briefs for the competition had five sections: Handbag, Free Expression, Table Arrangement, Hand Tied Bouquet, Overall Display.
Competition Results as follows: Handbag – Joe Massie
Free Expression – Erica Tippett
Table Arrangement – Lauren Curry
Hand Tied bouquet – Joe Massie
Overall Display – Erica Tippett
The Final Results: Winner and holder of the Maurice Evans Cup – Joe Massie
2nd – Erica Tippett
3rd - Amy Curtis-Whitfield
All entries were very inspiring and elements from each of the designs can be easily used in a commercial way. Well done to all who took part!

Please see some of the competitors entrys.

I always like to open my mind to new ideas and inspirations to influence my own creations and there was plenty to gain from this weekend. We also attended a master class workshop by Carles Fontanillias, a talented and experienced Spanish floral designer. He showed us new ways to use minimal flowers and clever design for wedding work and general designs to keep in line with today’s financial climate, using Sundries, Wire and Minimalist Flowers to create modern Shower & Over Arm Bouquets

Please find below some of our Carles inspired designs:

Clare's Design

Carly's Design

Lorraine's Design

Carly's Design

On the Sunday we visited a Wholesaler of Sundries and bought our new Christmas Range, Designs for our online shop are being created as we speak and will be launched next week. Be sure to be one of the first to snap up and order our festive designs for your family and for your Christmas Feast! Back by Popular Demand – Christmas Day Deliveries are on offer again but as before there are limited slots available.

Just to Summarise, the weekend was an eventful one to say the least and as the saying goes it can’t all be work and no play. Even though it was a working weekend away, Lorraine and I laughed so much our faces were hurting by the end of it! From checking into and checking straight out again of the hotel on the back end of an industrial estate that was a cross between Faulty Towers & The Shining to being asked if we were with the band? Spandau Ballet was playing at the NEC on Saturday night and some guy thought we were with the boys as their backing singers! Very flattered! On Saturday night we asked the Taxi driver to take us to La Tasca, we ended up outside Tesco Express, so we are now calling Tesco’s, Le Tesco! It must have been my southern accent?!

Needless to say the weekend will definitely go down in Girl Flower History as one of the best!

Orchid Care

Over the years I have sold many Phalaenopsis Orchids in the shop, the most common after sale question is what to do with Orchid once flowering has finished. I thought I would share some tips and experience with you.

Orchids should flower for at least 3 months sometimes even longer, you’ll notice along the stem there are small bracts known as nodes. Once the Orchid has finished flowering cut the stem just above one of the nodes and continue to water and feed your Orchid as normal at least once to twice a week. Apparently Orchids re-flower every 9-12 months however from experience I have noticed every Orchid is different. I have a white moth Orchid at home, which I cut back when the flowers had died and after about 3-4 months later I noticed new growth, but not in the form of fresh buds. I noticed new aerial roots and new foliage, after researching on the net I discovered my Orchid had produced a new plant, a Keiki. I waited for new plant to establish and I removed the new plant and re-potted in Orchid compost, available at most garden outlets, and some shingle in the base of the pot for drainage. Within about 2 months after replanting both the new and original plant have new flowers and buds!

Happy Propagating!