February already?! Personally, January has actually gone a lot faster than usual and I think, because of Lockdown 3.0, I managed to force myself to take a step back, relax and really figure out what I want from the next couple of months. Well, I’m still working on it, but it’s getting there!

SO, Hello all! Thanks for opening this up and giving it a read. I promise that there is some honest chat, some interesting points about the industry, the favourite flower write up and the usual additions!

Valentines. Galentines. Palentine’s or

Please-Shut-up-About-It-Tines.

So, going to get this part done and out of the way… Sorry to state the obvious but February brings that one day of the year that we are all supposed to show our love for our special ones. Or friends. Or family. Or actually, anyone that needs that acknowledgment that they are loved. I’ve put together just one Valentine’s Bouquet this year, keeping it simple. Two sizes of the same ingredients, filled with ranunculus, hyacinths, anemones, forget-me-nots, parrot tulips, Icelandic poppies and mixed British foliage. I have chosen the flowers that best represent this time of year, without buying into ALL the roses which I just don’t believe to be great considering the environmental costs (I talk more about this below). The flowers in this bouquet, I think, are beautiful for this time of year and can be given to anyone.

It’s an important time to remember, especially in this year-long pandemic, love is not just for your partner- it can be platonic, it can be to and from a family member, it can be a gesture to a stranger, it can be a phone call to someone you’ve lost touch with, it can be telling yourself that you are capable and worthy… it can come in lots of different forms. I do think it’s worth remembering because more often than not we buy into the expense of the day and not a more real reason.

**Where are these flowers from?**

*Throughout this article, I am talking about transparency.*
*My Valentine’s Day bouquet is made of French, Dutch and Italian imported flowers mixed with British foliage.*

What’s been Floofin’ so far.

January brought a lot of laptop and social media time. I have been watching conferences, farmers’ reactions & thoughts to better farming methods in the UK, importing and exporting, learning about the problems with plastic in this industry- BUT transparency with customers, clients and buyers is what I really focused on. I read a lot about the transparency that companies should have about their product. I started Garage Florals with the intention of being an environmentally friendly florist, aiming towards a fully sustainable business plan and always educating myself and the brand on more eco-friendly methods. As I’m sure you’re aware, I use biodegradable cellophane, kraft paper which can be reused and recycled, I buy British where possible (the summer is much much easier to buy fully British and local) and I am always reading and learning about new mechanics that are more eco friendly never using floral foam or single-use plastics! Finally, I always ask my British supplier to not send their wraps of flowers in plastic, but to use paper/ cardboard- which they do. However there are WAY too many elastic bands, but again, I collect these and either send them back or use them. These few implementations are great, but it’s not enough and I aim to do more. Much more.

It’s true that the variety of British flowers that I want just aren’t available until late March, and so I choose to buy the best quality imported flowers that still are seasonal. These specific varieties are sometimes available locally and I do buy them when they are, but they aren’t grown and cut in abundance until early Spring. I choose to buy imported flowers as I still think there is a need and space for them as long as I know what I am buying, where it comes from, and I am aware of any implications it may have on the planet- essentially knowing my product. A massive part of this industry relies on imported flowers, and I think that’s okay, we (florists and businesses) just need to be more transparent about where the flowers come from JUST LIKE FOOD in the supermarket. Also, when I buy these imported flowers from the traders/my suppliers at the flower market it continues to boost trade and the floral economy which is personally incredibly important to me. Plus, it’s a total joy to be part of such a wonderful community, even at 4 in the morning!

SO WHERE ARE YOUR FLOWERS FROM?

Well, this month we’ve had Tulips, Hyacinths, Forget Me Notscelandic poppies all from The Netherlands. Ranunculus from France and Anemones & Icelandic poppies from Italy. All the foliage is British, and the daffs, narcissi, and single petal tulips have been British too. I have suppliers from Cornwall too who drive from the farm straight to my studio using DPD courier, who drive zero carbon emission vans.

Take a look at FLOWERS BY CLOWANCE and HIGHCROFT NURSERIES

British flowers come in the awesome designed and branded cardboard boxes.

Favourite Flower of the Month

This is tough. So many flowers have got me excited every time I go to market or open up a box of flowers. Anemones, they can’t go unnoticed- so ruffly and such long laster’s. Tulips are just beyond wonderful, but I think they are going to be next months favourite flavour- just wait until we get the amazing ‘ black’ double tulips.

This month is going to be the outrageously stunning, and notoriously temperamental ICELANDIC POPPY.

They come squished into a small perforated plastic (very uncool) packaging. You could most definitely look at a packet of Icelandic poppies and walk by them thinking they’re an ugly/ dead flower. Odd squiggly stems and their petals are shrouded in a green, hairy cocoon. They almost look a bit alien-like- and are fairly expensive for what looks like a scrotum on a stem (sorry, they do!). BUT THEN, they either begin to stretch open VERY slowly on their own or if you’re always in a rush & need them to open, you gently peel back their tight, incredibly delicate sheaths. Slowly but surely the petals begin to show, blooming in their beautiful peaches, oranges, yellows, pinks, mixing pastels and jewel tones. Peeling back the poppy cover always makes me feel like these flowers are making us work for their beauty, that they don’t just give us their allure lightly. And then, if we are lucky, they will model for us beautifully for a few days, but more often than not they tend to blow after 2 days… sometimes just a ruddy 24 hours. But aren’t they so worth it?! Poppies, the species, have a place in most flower lovers’ hearts, but the Icelandic ones just take the biscuit. But they can have my biscuit, the whole packet, my cup of tea, the whole pot of it if they just lasted a little longer!

Below are a few pictures I’ve taken of February’s Favourite Flower.

February’s Vibe

I dig February. I think it’s mainly down to the fact that it’s my birth month, it’s my brother’s birth month (and I bloody ruddy love that man) and it’s my parent’s wedding anniversary. It’s also the shortest month of the year, so that’s probably the main thing because March means SPRING! GREEN SHOOTS!

This month I’ve got some amazing collaborations! I’ve teamed up with two amazing female-led businesses for Valentine’s Day; The Female Glaze and BookBar. The Female Glaze is a vegan baked goods delivery service and we have joined to give away a lucky winner a bouquet and a packet of delicious red velvet vegan cupcakes for the weekend of the 14th- more to follow on the 7th when we release the giveaway!

The Book Bar is an online (for now, physical bar is coming!) bookstore where you have prescribed books for your tastes. Garage Florals and Book Bar have teamed up for a Valentine bundle of a book and a bouquet for £50. Just purchase through the Book Bar website to get your book and bouquet delivered just before the V- Day weekend for you, your loved one, or just a special reminder to someone in your life.

THE BENTALL’S CENTRE, Kingston-upon-Thames, also asked me to make a short video of putting a bouquet together with a few top tips on how to look after your bouquet. Do have a look at their socials (Facebook and Instagram) for my little how-to, and show support for your local shopping center and florist!

Below is a little video I made for my social media last week, it is not the video for the Bentalls Centre.

A Few Recommendations

The wonderful Francesca of THE FEMALE GLAZE, I just love this woman. TFG is an all-vegan bakery delivering their goods in mixed or single boxes of incredible delights. From cookies to doughnuts and brownies to Hunny, there is no stopping Francesca and her insanely delicious delights. The names of all the products are puns of feminist icons which TFG believes to be a way of encouraging customers to look up the women who have inspired and created feminist ideals to showcase the power of women! You may find The Female Glaze at a farmers market or food market near you! Always having an amazing display and selling out pretty quickly, make sure you get down in time to avoid disappointment. Take a look RIGHT HERE and see if you can bag yourself some delights this week!

I am SO excited to write about BOOKBAR. I asked Chrissy Ryan, the owner & founder of BookBar, to write a sentence or two about her exciting enterprise AND in true word-lover-literary-genius, she wrote a small essay. So, I have tried to break it down into a slightly (much more) brief version- sorry, Chrissy.. here goes. BookBar is currently an online service where you are ‘prescribed’ books to your reading personalities. You speak to Chrissy about your interests and reading ideals and she advises you on book choices, bundles and ‘medicates’ your literary needs OR you can just buy a single book there and then online, like any other bookstore too. ONE MASSIVE REASON TO INDEFINTELY SACK OFF AMAZON! BUT the second most exciting thing about BookBar is that YES, IT’S ACTUALLY A BAR TOO. In the not-too-distant future, BookBar will be opening premises in North London where you can enjoy a glass of something bubbly, sweet, or a giant latte and talk about your current read and generally have a welcoming, safe and uber-cool space to be the babe-book-worm you have always needed to be! TAKE A LOOK HERE.