One Flew Over Patchwork Present

An interview with us was featured on the Patchwork Present blog yesterday.  FUN.

For those of you who have yet to hear about Patchwork Present, check them out immediately.

Their take on the present list is revolutionary. Or at least it feels revolutionary. As founder Liv's nana said, "It's not a new idea. It's a whip-round"

You create your own patchwork of all the stuff you want.  
ALL OF THE STUFF THAT YOU WANT.  

And then all your lovely, generous mates go on to the site, pick what they want to get you off the list and contribute that amount of money into the online fund.

Obviously, this works incredibly well for the 'Wedding List', because not everyone wants all their wedding presents to come from John Lewis. 

Some people want some fancy John Lewis bedding, but also a meal and tons of wine in a spenny restaurant they couldn't justify going to normally, a long weekend in Istanbul and then maybe some Cos vouchers...

(That may be too much insight into what ours would look like...)

And there are readymade patchworks on their site to remind you of all the cool stuff you didn't know you want (need) and now must add to your own list.

Patchwork Present are a wonderful company. We first met them at A Most Curious Wedding Fair last year, and have been sharing biscuits and wine ever since. We'll reunite at the fair next weekend, make sure you say hi to us both if you visit.

We are also super excited to be installing our own 'floral patchwork' window display at their Brockley HQ next week, so keep an eye out!

Proper Weddings: Tessa & Andy

We first met Tessa and her bridesmaids at A Most Curious Wedding Fair in May last year,

(we will be exhibiting at the fair in March this year too, so keep an eye out for details!) and again at our Floral Delights workshop at Stories on Broadway.

Tessa and Andy's October Wedding was to be our first at Asylum in Peckham and oh, how we fell in love with the venue. 

 

Tessa, with her beautiful eye for design, favoured blooms of deep red, blue Thistles and burgundy velvet ribbon.  Oh, how we fell in love with the brief! 

For the red elements of the bridal flowers, we used deliciously smelling Chocolate Cosmos, red - budded Wax Flower, fire-hued Skimmia and earl grey scented Freesias.

The Thistles and red Wax were carried through to Tessa's hair piece, along with the freesia in the buttonholes.

Big green buses carried the guests to Tanner & Co in Bermondsey where the reception was held, and where jars of blooms tied with burgundy ribbon sat waiting on tree trunk planks for the party to get under way.

All moments captured so incredibly by Steven Carter Hewson.

Houseplant of the Month: February

Houseplants: like the perfect man... long lasting, great looking and low maintenance.  

What is not to love?  

Which is why the Flower Council of Holland have launched their Houseplant of the Month Campaign throughout 2015.  Each month they have chosen their favourite Houseplant and given a ton of information on the history and uses of the plant, how to choose a nice healthy one, and how to take proper good care of it.

We thought we'd do you all a favour and follow their lead, condensing the info in our own monthly feature.  

In the second part of our series...

February: the Primula

 

The Primula is a very sweet indoor and outdoor plant that comes in a variety of colours - red, blue, white, orange, burgundy, pink and even some mixes of those.

The Primula needs the daylight but also likes to be cool, so keep her away from the radiator. And the oven.  

She will need watering often as the root ball needs to be kept moist, but you will know if she is thirsty; look out for a limp plant, or if the flowers and leaves appear wilted, get that girl a drink.  Primula recover quickly once watered so don't immediately panic that you've gone and killed it.

Want to cheer up your mam or nan, or get your in laws to like you?  Plant your Primula in an right nice pot or crate and take it round on Sunday.  

You could even add in a couple of potted bulbs, such as narcissi or hyacinth, to make a little gift garden.  

They'll love it all the more knowing you made it yourself.  
(Your parents have been telling you this your entire life. But it's totally true.)

One Flew Over Recently...

Over the last couple of weeks, we have been preparing to pop up on Valentine's Day at Stories on Broadway, and the Rubens late night date night at the Royal Academy of Arts;

meeting a host of future brides, full of ideas and excitement, who are starting to plan their big day;

delivering bouquets to some very loved people around London - including a 90 year old birthday girl who is far more happening than us;

getting all creative, devising our exhibit for A Most Curious Wedding Fair in March;

and mainly, 

puppy training a dirty faced monster called Little Moose - the new addition to our One Flew Over family.

We're pooped.  Must be time for a nap with the pup.