Last week of the night class

The last week of my flower class was a mix of Christmas arrangement. It is to early to last for Christmas but the ladies wanted something they could do again nearer the time. The dark gray pot is a good colour to use as most colours mix well with it. I kept to three colours red green and black. The sticks were bleached and after making a small trellis bunched the rest with a wire and pushed the wire into the wet foam securely. We platted a palm leaf which was a bit of a challenge no body really managed it very well. Three curled aspidistra leaves went in one side, Christmas foliage in at the other. To the front Hibiscus two red Gerbra one large chrysanthemum, three red rose, one red anthuream, two celosia, a dry lotus and finished of with three black baubles. Once again the ladies in the class made good variations with their designs, gold sticks, pine cones painted seed heads and Christmas decorations. The class all agreed that they were sad the classes were over they had really enjoyed each week. One of the reasons they have to stop now is because we need to get the shop ready for the Christmas and Robert and I are going to Scotland for our winter hols. We were going to decorate the shop when I get back but dew to the pressure from the big stores and garden centers who have their decorations in for some weeks we have made a start and this week decorated the window and half of the shop. Some customers were buying thing as we were putting them in the window. Our shop turns into a Christmas shop with flowers on the side until December when we then make Christmas wreaths and decorations for peoples homes. I love this time but by Christmas eve I don't want to see a piece of holly or pine cone again. I'm looking forward to my time away with Robert it will be cold but hopefully sunny and the autumn leaves and the scenery will be great.

We have some of the trees to light up but they were off when I took the photos it looks lovely when its all lit up.

Week 4 halloween arrangement

As it is Halloween next week we made a Halloween arrangement for week 4. After taking the top of the pumpkin and scooping out the insides a dish with wet foam the size of the opening was taped on ready for the flowers. First we made a web like construction with black sticks pushing them into the outside of the pumpkin. dose not really show up on photo. I used a variety of flowers, monkshood, large green chrysanthemums red gerbra, sunflowers with the petals taken off, kangaroo paw,brassica, some seed heads and foliage finished off with a big black raffia bow. We had some fun with this arrangement. Some of the ladies brought spiders, cobwebs and witches. A few of the ladies were a bit apprehensive about this design but they all liked what they made. If I have taught them anything they all say they look at the foliage and flowers everywhere they go and with a different eye, they all have the flower arranging bug. We only have one week left as Robert and I are going to Scotland the week after and then the shop gets to full with Christmas gifts and there is no space. I hope they continue to do some arranging at home.

Class 3 autumn welcome ring

For week three of my class I designed a autumn harvest welcome ring. I took a wet foam wreath ring and pinned leaves around the inside and out,then took a length of the passion flower took of the leaves and wrapped this around the leaves. Filled the inside with tree kinds of rose, Chinese lanterns, heads from the Rebeca and a few small chrysanthemums. I finished it off with the long flower stem of the heucra weaving through the roses.

I made a second ring using Gerbera and carnations and placed a tall glass vase with water and a head from the chines lantern in the middle.

Some of the ladies in the class used stems of corn, pine cones, berries and one lady made hers in the pink shades. This would look good for a Christmas arrangement using winter foliage and flowers.
The class was finished a bit early so I showed the class a quick design using tropical flowers.

wedding fare

On the 5th of October we were invited to put a display on at a wedding fare at a local hotel. It was a lot of work but the people who visited seemed to like what i had done. Its always a worry what to do at these events there is always something you don't do that somebody wants to see. Below are just a few of the things i prepared.

A wrist corsages using Freesia

This was for a table, a glass bowl with a ring of twigs filled with water and the flowers cut short and put through the twigs to rest in the water finished off with two floating candles.

This lovely silver bag would be ideal for the bridesmaid.

This was a rose hand tied bouquet edged in a pearl coller.

This is also for a table decoration, although it is very tall when the guests sit at the table the flowers are above the heads and doesn't stop the view across the table.

A traditional tear drop design

week two of the flower class

The aim of week 2 was to use the natural seed heads and autumn flowers. There were only three large blooms, rich golden chrysanthemum's. I used a brown woven basket with wet foam in a dish. The three blooms went in first the rest of the plant material was things I found on the hedge row, thistle heads, poppy heads, barley, pine needles, conkers, the dry flower of the dock. From the garden hydrangea heads, dry crososmia, heads from the Rebecia. The design was interpreted in different ways by the class the main aim was the bottom to look like the floor of the wood or garden then moving up the design and bear stalks then bushing out at the top.

Week one of my new evening flower class

On the 2nd of October I started my new five week flower arranging course of night classes. There were a few new pupils and some regulars. Its a nice season with plenty of colour, seed heads, grasses and berries. For our first design I chose a brown glass round bowl with a small dish with foam taped to it. To one side there were phonioum leaves some were looped over this gave a clean line. to the other side was some golden privet and a red creeper. I placed some rolled Laurel and large red dyed oak leaves. 5 lovely coloured Gerbra's and 3 two toned roses. It was finished off with some contorted twigs.

Everybody did really well and enjoyed the design, some people added berries and used different colour Gerbra. Having the class in the shop people have a good variety of flowers to choose from

Harvest

Are harvest Sunday was a great day. We worked very hard but had plenty of help.We used to give the produce to the not so fortunate but now one person seems so desperate so now we send the produce to a charity called M25 for the homeless.

This is just some of the food sent from one of the ladies group. Tradition is as we sing the first hymn the congregation bring forward their gifts.

This was our display representing the harvest of the sea.

This one was thanking God for salt and coal from the earth.

For corn, flower and bread.

For the vegetables of the earth.

This milk and honey display is not the usual harvest arrangement but are minister preached on this the week before and we thought it fitting.

This was in the vestibule to great people as they arrived.

After the service we cleared the church and enjoyed a harvest lunch.