A Rose by any other name...

We all know that the red rose is the traditional symbol of Romance, but what if it doesn't set off a spark in your heart?   We wanted to show you some alternative flowers and bouquets that you can order this Valentines day, that have all of the passion, but none of the cliche!

Pretty in Pink:  A contemporary posy of pink garden roses and seasonal tulips is a perfect gift for all 'girly girls', it still says romance but with the vintage garden style that is so in fashion at the moment.

All things Bright and Beautiful: An eclectic mix of spring flowers, including Tulips, Anemones, Freesia and Lisianthus, a bouquet of brightly coloured blooms to put a bit of sunshine in to your loved ones day!

Sparkling Rose Cube: If you still think that red Roses are the best way to declare your love, then instead of going for the traditional 12 red rose bouquet, why not opt for a funky Rose arrangement like this in a silver glass cube with diamante accents?  And we could even hide a real diamond in there if you have a really special message to send!



Diamond rings from a selection at Charles Alexander Jewellers

 And remember, each Valentines order that we receive before close of business on 31st January will receive a free box of chocolates with their order.  Orders will be available for delivery on Saturday 12th, Sunday 13th and Monday 14th of February.  Visit our online shop for more details.

Wake up and smell the Narcissi!

At last, a sunny day, blue skies and only a breath of wind, could Spring be on its way?  Well, it certainly is in The Flower Studio, with the arrival of cut Hyacinth and Narcissi this week. Just close your eyes and take a deep breath and you almost forget about all the snow and ice that lay on the ground a few weeks ago!



A beautiful mixed Spring flower bouquet is guaranteed to make anyone smile, but for a more longlasting gift, we also have a selection of planted bulbs, including Muscari, Amaryllis, Tulip, Hyacinth and Narcissi.  Most of these bulbs aren't in flower yet so to add a splash of colour to the design we have accessorised with cute toadstools, fabric daisy flowers, twigs and ribbons.

And we mustn't forget our Plant of the Month... the pretty Crocus!  In the Garden Centre we have pots of Crocus bulbs in purple, yellow and white, ready to plant in your garden for a special price of £3 per pot.  Crocus are usually one of the first Spring flowers to appear and are great for naturalising under trees or hedges to give dark areas of the garden a splash of colour.

We also have Crocus vases, in sets of 3 which are perfect for growing on a windowsill and then the bulbs can be planted outside to flower again next year.

A little bit of inspiration....

The first week back at work since the New Year began had a predominant theme:  Brides getting organised!  From those who had already booked The Flower Studio to design their wedding flowers coming in to chat, to those who were newly engaged popping in to flick through our portfolio and wedding magazines, as well as a handful of Wedding Consultations.... We've certainly been busy!

So I thought, while I was still in the wedding frame of mind, I would blog some photos of weddings we did in 2010 to show how different wedding bouquets can be!  I hope you enjoy and would love to know your favourite, so please leave a comment!

Handtied posy of David Austin 'Patience' Rose, Rose 'Vendella' and 'Vivianne!'

Handtied posy of David Austin 'Juliet' rose, Tritilleria, Delphinium, Scabious, Passionflower and Lily longiflorum, bound with satin edged ribbon from VV Rouleaux (one of the most beautiful shops I have ever been in!)

Handtied posy of Cymbidium orchids, Calla lilies, Clematis, Campanula, Eryngium, Fountain grass and peacock feathers, bound with satin ribbon and a vintage brooch

A photo from the Manx Bridal Fashion photoshoot, with the lovely Teri Anne modelling a contemporary Orb bouquet and matching headpiece.  The flowers in this design are Dendrobium orchids and Calla lillies.



Contemporary wirework bouquet with Phalaenopsis and Vanda orchids, blue 'Vendella' rose petals and single Hydrangea flowers.

Jenni wanted a large single contemporary flower such as a Hydrangea or Paeony for her bouquet, but she also wanted it to be dark purple to match her colour scheme and although Hydrangeas come in a wide variety of colours from pure white to dusky vintage pink and bright blue, we were unable to find a colour suitable.  So to give the effect of a single large flower, we wired single and double Lisianthus flowers to create a perfect domed posy and the same in white for her Bridesmaids... it was fiddly work, but definietly worth it for the end result!  Jenni and George's wedding went on to feature on the fabulous 'Rock N Roll Bride' website and in Perfect Wedding magazine (issue 49).  To see more of Jenni's purple wedding have a look at Shan's Photography Blog.

This bouquet has already appeared on this blog back in the summer (the what? Such a distant memory...) but it is still one of my favourites from last year, not only because of the gorgeous vintage colours and scented roses but because it is going to be appearing in 'The Decoy Bride' film with the gorgeous David Tennant (along with some equally beautiful actors and actresses I'm sure), and will be showing on the silver screen in Summer 2011.

Now I have to admit, Rachel's trailing shower bouquet was one of my favourites, don't get me wrong, I LOVE all the designs we create for each wedding as they are all unique to each Bride and her day, but I think Rachel chose to go for a style that is the sort of fairytale bouquet little girls dream of having when they meet their Prince Charming (in Rachel's case, the handsome Will!).  Her stunning bouquet was made from Rose 'Memory Lane', 'Vendella', and 'Milano', local Manx grown Delphiniums, Campaula, Honeysuckle and Aster complimented with a mixture of scented and trailing garden foliage.

This is just a small selection of the bouquets we have designed for our beautiful Brides over the last year, but if you would like to see more, come and see us in our shop at Tynwald Mills, or browse our website and Facebook pages.  We will also be at the Glen Helen Wedding Fair on the 20th January, and the Sefton Hotel Wedding Fair on the 26th February so come and say Hello!

In the next few weeks I will be posting a blog with my predictions for wedding flowers styles for 2011/2012 and also a very exciting competition for any Bride gettting married on the Isle of Man in 2012, so keep checking back with us!

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

How much fun was had at our Traditional Wreath Workshop last night??  Lots, that's how much!

Jill & Anne-Marie with their beautiful Door Wreaths

 Everyone was given the choice of exactly the same ingredients and accessories, but they all left with totally different designs, unique to them and their tastes.

And they finished their wreaths so quickly I had to fill the last half an hour with a demo of a Christmas Handtied bouquet, using a willow wreath as the frame!  It was a great evening and I can't wait until tonight, just hoping it won't be quite so icy on the way home though!

Even Lil'Ted had turned blue and put his woolly hat on!

Early New Years resolution!

I have to admit that my frequency of Blog posts is not great... in fact it is rubbish, and for that I apologise!

So I am making a little bit of an early New Years Resolution....  to write at least 2 posts per week!  Yes you lucky readers,  I promise to give you your weekly fill of flowers, plants and all things lovely!

Be prepared for plenty of photos of all the gorgeousness that comes in and out of our shop on a daily basis as well as some simple step by step designs for you to make yourself at home.

I would love to hear your ideas as well, let me know if there is anything you want to see, or would like me to write about, and I will do my best to make your wishes come true.

For now, here are a couple of photos to wet your appetite and I wish you all a very Happy Monday x

Festive Candle Arrangement with yummy oranges & cinnamon sticks

Silver & White candle arrangement with Honesty seedheads and pretty Hellebores



I LOVE Christmas!!

Awesome Autumn!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Autumn... yes its my birthday in the first week of September, but the thing I get most excited about is the rich palette of colours that are in season.  Everywhere you look, there are rusts, golds and bronzes... fiery colours to warm up the slightly cooler days. 

And it is no different in The Flower Studio!  This weeks sees the launch of our Autumn Collection, including flowers such as golden Roses, deep orange Lilies, bright yellow Solidago and scented bronze freesias.  Why not have a browse through our online shop to see more?

But if you can't see what you are looking for online, then we have loads more in the shop at Tynwald Mills and the selection will change weekly, so give us a ring on 800061 to chat to one of our designers.

In the meantime, I will share my excitement with you in the form of some photos!  Enjoy!

Malus (crab-apple)... I can't wait to put these in a bouquet!

Locally grown Chrysanthemum Blooms

Wreaths aren't just for Christmas... this Mushroom and Acorn design will look fab hanging from your door right now!

Or perhaps something a bit brighter with this Pumpkin &

 Berry design?

The Flower Studio... your one stop shop for HUGE flowers!!

This Dahlia is so beautiful I don't think I will be able to sell it!  It is almost the size of my head!!!