It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to grow and blissfully fragrant in the summer months. 
They were my mum’s favourite flower, so growing them now feels like a precious connection. Especially when I pick some and arrange them in her beautiful old blue and gold jug just as she used to do with the sweet peas my dad grew for her every year.
There are some really handy tips for growing success from founder of The Real Flower Company Rosebie Morton over on the blog (link in bio). Rosebie has a whole farm dedicated to sweet peas near Chichester so she knows a thing or two about the subject!
Main thing I’ve picked up from her is to allow lots of depth for root growth at this stage and to make my own supportive wigwams from twiggy branches when the plants are really starting to go for it and need a bit of direction. This photo is making me yearn slightly.
I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying out tiny living for a feature I was writing - this was taken on our way to indulge in a spot of forest bathing. To be totally honest, we were both a little sceptical beforehand. But we were only saying the other day how taken aback we both were by the amazing effect it had. I’m working on some new ideas around the subject - will keep you posted. X
I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole site - which has meant lots of photo editing and reorganising so much content. What’s been lovely (despite the claw hand from so much keyboard work!) is revisiting work and becoming engrossed all over again. I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been (re) loving - with links in the bio to the old site for now, but not for long…! X
This  image is from a feature about preserving garden roses. I’m going to give this a really good go this year, now I have a better idea what I’m doing. I know there’s nothing quite like a fragrant fresh rose in Summer but there’s a fragile beauty to dried and preserved flowers that I also love, don’t you?
Snowdrops 🌱🤍 . . . . . . #capturequiet #ins Snowdrops 🌱🤍 
.
.
.
.
.
.
#capturequiet #instabritain #natureandnourish #thewildernesstonic #cornersofmyworld
Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flower Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flowers Forever to be won! My bio has the link to enter as well as to get a peek inside. Beautifully photographed by Laura Edwards, I really enjoyed escaping into the pages and making plans for my own garden - hope you do too! X
To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Cla To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits has to be the perfect post Christmas craft project 😊 
If you fancy getting your needles out to make this adorable pair, the link to buy Claire’s pattern is in my bio. Happy knitting! X
Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists for a wonderful wreath making workshop yesterday. Such a special and creative space to spend time. I loved making my wreath - I went for a mixture of greenery arranged quite randomly with red waxed fresh apples, dried hydrangea, dried flowers, poppy and nigella seed heads and a winter white velvet bow. 
There were so many wonderful ingredients to choose from we were really spoiled for choice. 
Sarah’s new studio is such a beautiful, creative space. Think fragrant botanical candles flickering everywhere, mulled wine and apple juice simmering on the stove and containers full of fragrant festive greenery, waxed fruit, dried flowers and oranges, pine cones, lichen covered branches and even tiny gold wax-dipped fresh crab apples. 
Thank you for being so patient with my lengthy ribbon choice deliberations Sarah - and for bagging up a second choice option (dusky pink) to take home! X.  #wreathmaking #wreath #wreathsofinstagram #sustainablewreaths #wreathdecor #christmaswreath #velvetribbon #christmasdecor #festiveflowers
I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - s I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - she came up with the genius idea of embroidering on tulle using nature as her thread - and the results are sublime - like this Autumn colours beauty from her latest book.
I’m delighted that Olga is offering a fantastic prize bundle to my readers. For a chance to win one of her beautiful new dried flower embroidery kits (in collaboration with @driedandfloral ) as well as a signed copy of her wonderful new book(published by @quadrillebooks , pop over to my blog (link in my bio). It’s easy to enter so why don’t you give yourself a chance of winning this very lovely prize? Good luck! 
#driedflowers #driedflowerembroidery #olgaprinku #embroideryhoop #flowerembroidery #competitiontime #signedbooks #embroideryart #flowersontulle #autumn #autumncolours #hoopart #allthingsbotanical #instacraft
This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofp This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofpines and is from her beautiful new book Little Stories of Your Life. 
It’s packed with inspiration and practical ideas to help you become a visual story teller. Because, as Laura says, it’s the little moments that make up the fabric of all of our lives - and those moments are worth capturing and sharing with others.
We have three signed copies of the book to give away - just click the link in my bio to find out more. There’s a peek inside and a lovely film by @xantheb to enjoy too! X 
#littlemoments #littlestoriesbook #alifeofwords #lostinwords #competition #booksarelife #mindfulphotography #bookstagram #booksmakemehappy #booksconnectus #igreads #whatareyoureading #signedbooks
Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has sh Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has shared her wonderfully creative ideas for visibly mending well-loved clothing in need of repair and a little TLC.
She had me at ‘sometimes I like to use giant sequins…’ 
Hope you like Lisa’s ideas as much as I do. The link to head over to my blog and get all her step by steps is in my bio x
  • LIFESTYLE
  • MEET
  • MAKE
    • KNITTING
    • CROCHET
    • Sewing
    • FABRIC CRAFT
    • FELTING
    • Craft
    • Christmas craft
    • VIDEO TUTORIALS
    • Recipes
  • FLOWERS
    • FLOWERS
    • Dried flowers
    • GARDENING
    • WREATH MAKING
  • Home
  • About
  • Features
  • Shop
  • Directory
  • Contact
  • Join

From Britain with Love

Sustainably Made in Britain

  • Home
  • About
  • Features
  • Shop
  • Directory
    • Makers
    • Workshops
  • Contact
  • Join

FLOWERS, LIFESTYLE · September 24, 2019

Foam free floristry – the sustainable guide to floral design

Foam free floristry – the sustainable guide to floral design

Creative floral designer, Sarah Diligent, is known for her love of seasonal British flowers and a passionate commitment to sustainable, foam-free floristry. When she told me about her Kickstarter project – to write the definitive a book about sustainable floral mechanics, I really wanted to help spread the word. This isn’t a floral design book. It’s a practical tried-and-tested guide to the mechanics needed to go foam-free. And it’s been painstakingly put together by Sarah and her co-writer and fellow floral designer William Mazuch.

In case you don’t already know, floral foam, or oasis, is a single-use synthetic plastic that does not biodegrade and disintegrates very easily into microplastic. This means that it ends up in our oceans and wreaks havoc with our eco-systems. Incredibly, its use is still widespread. Happily, there is a growing awareness that this needs to change – fast. So, getting the word out and sharing practical solutions is absolutely vital.

a guide to floral mechanics foam free floristry and sustainable floral design with sarah diligent and william mazuch

Sarah and William are crowdfunding to get their book – A Guide to Floral Mechanics – to print. The aim is to offer florists the practical know-how they need to go foam free and find more eco-friendly alternatives. Find out more and get involved here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sarahdiligent/a-guide-to-sustainable-floral-mechanics

I asked Sarah and her co-writer William Mazuch to share a little bit about their project and what they hope to achieve.

sarah diligent floribunda rose foam free floristry and sustainable flower design

How did you meet?

Sarah: We’re both floral designers, and we met whilst creating floral installations for British Flowers week in 2018. We quickly realised how much our values aligned, and have been working together ever since.

My background is wedding floristry – using seasonal flowers and sustainable techniques and I also teaches at her floral design studio in Hampshire.

William comes from the world of industrial design, his focus has always been materials and techniques. He now applies this thinking to floristry.

sarah diligent floribunda rose foam free flower design
william mazuch

Tell us about your book

Sarah: We are writing a book on sustainable floral mechanics.  It’s not a book that deals with doing the flowers, though one day maybe… for now though there’s a more pressing subject to deal with. Floristry may be considered a green industry, but the truth is there’s a huge amount of room for improvement where sustainability is concerned.

Most colleges teach floral design using floral foam which is a single use plastic that doesn’t biodegrade. There are a multitude of methods that can be used instead, and we are writing a book which outlines these.

foam free floristry ideas with sarah diligent floribunda rose and william mazuch mechanics of floral design

What inspired the book?

Sarah: A few things to be honest,

I couldn’t find a book on mechanics when I was first looking to learn floristry in a sustainable way. I’ve been working this way for a few years now and having thought someone really should write the book I was looking for, I began to realise that noone was. I also realised that, together with William, we had the knowledge and the drive to do it ourselves.  It is such a huge undertaking I don’t think I’d have ever seriously considered writing it alone. Once we’d begun, I realised it was an even bigger job than I’d imagined.

I run a group on Facebook called ‘The eco friendly florists and flower growers collective.’ It started as a place for a few florist friends to share tips, techniques and ask for a helping hand or share some useful information but has snowballed to be 2.4k florists and growers across the globe sharing knowledge. Many questions came up time and time again and I kept thinking there really should be an up-to-date book on sustainable (tried and tested) techniques that really work.

More and more florists were coming to 1:1 days with me in the studio to find out how to go about things in a more sustainable way and it became clear that this area of floristry wasn’t served well enough with guides or books to show the options available.

We saw a need and we wanted to meet it. Well.

William: Initially I was researching the methods in which flowers were arranged. I looked at guidelines for various flower schools, associated organisations, and historical methods. It quickly became apparent that all the methods of arranging flowers are slightly different depending on who you’re talking to. There are many different ways and styles of designing all manner of products [my background], but when it comes to having something made, there’s generally a standard method which is well documented. This just didn’t exist in floristry. There’s not a clear, concise manual for the methods in which to design flowers, less so for methods which aren’t solely based on the use of a single use plastic. Sarah and I met, and although for different reasons, we wanted a similar, if not the same outcome. And so here we sit, documenting these methods so that this isn’t all a mystery.

We’re hoping for change and doing something about it.

What is your ethos?

Sarah: Working with nature, doing no lasting damage and bringing joy.

William: Surprise people. Make people happy and do it well.

foam free floristry ideas with sarah diligent floribunda rose and william mazuch mechanics of floral design #britishflowers #foamfree #floristry #floraldesign #frombritainwithlove #floribundarose #ethical #plasticfree

How are you making the book?

Sarah: We’re making every single element, recording how, and photographing the technique, each step is being hand drawn on one side and explained on the other. We’ve taken inspiration from Ikea furniture assembly instructions, car manuals and recipe books to create a book that is easy to follow, clear and absolutely achievable. We’ve tested each set of instructions on willing volunteers, both florists and those who have never made a floral design in their lives, then tweaked and improved them.

William: Absolutely, the aim is to demystify the process and as such it needs to be crystal clear.

foam free floristry ideas with sarah diligent floribunda rose and william mazuch mechanics of floral design #britishflowers #foamfree #floristry #floraldesign #frombritainwithlove #floribundarose #ethical #plasticfree

What keeps you going?

Sarah: Gallons of earl grey tea in the mornings, black coffee in the afternoons and the occasional glass of wine in the evenings.

William: Gardens. Coffee. Certainly not sleep.

foam free floristry ideas with sarah diligent floribunda rose and william mazuch mechanics of floral design #britishflowers #foamfree #floristry #floraldesign #frombritainwithlove #floribundarose #ethical #plasticfree

Why foam free floristry?

Sarah: I want our wonderful industry that brings so much to people to cause no lasting damage. I want people to feel god about the work they have produced and proud of the fact that it is sustainably created. I think we’re all trying our best and think that working this way will become the norm.

What does all of this mean for florists and hobbyists?

I think it means taking a leap of faith, learning different techniques and embracing a movement to reduce single use plastics. It doesn’t have to be more expensive or more time consuming.

William: It feels as though there’s a chance to make a difference, and with Sarah, it seems feasible.

What are your favourite flowers?

Sarah: Tulips, fritillaria and every type of blossom in the Spring

Garden roses, mock orange flowers and Japanese anemones in the Summer

Acidanthera, dahlia and asters in Autumn

Hellebores, amaryllis and paperwhites in the Winter

William: Anemones. Ranunculus Cloni (I think it’s the Italian in me). Citrus flowers.

Could you share your top 3 tips for going foam-free?

1 Choosing/sourcing good quality products is absolutely key.

It really is the difference between having flowers last a day or a week…

Did you know that you can ensure hellebores work as a cut flower if they’re picked once the seed pod has formed?

Flower farmers and growers will know these things, so my advice would be to try and find a flower farmer near you to buy from. This way you can ensure you’re getting the best blooms (picked at the right stage) possible.

2 Conditioning correctly is essential.

Some flowers are very particular about how they like to be treated once cut. Poppies can be used in floral arrangements if heat treated – if you sear the cut end with a flame for a few moments immediately after cutting, they will last beautifully.

3 Any vessel can become a vase

Even non waterproof dishes can become the base of a gorgeous design if you first create a ‘liner’ vessel to go inside – old jars, cut down buckets, or anything that will hold water. Once you’ve prepped your liner it can be used again and again

How to get involved

As well as feeling good about supporting a move toward foam free floristry, there are lots of great rewards you can choose in return for pledging, including copies of the book with your name in the acknowledgements, floristry days with Sarah, lunch in London with the authors and a group workshop for up to 8 people. But you don’t have long, people! The campaign is only running until 29th September and it’s all or nothing. Either they reach their target or they gain nothing, no matter how close they get.

The link for the Kickstarter campaign (which runs until 10th November 2019) if you fancy a look… or would like to pledge https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sarahdiligent/a-guide-to-sustainable-floral-mechanics

Let’s get behind this great resource and get pledging. Because creating with flowers and nature really shouldn’t literally cost the earth should it?

Other foam-free floristry ideas to inspire you

I had an inspirational day in Shropshire with Tammy Hall of Wild Bunch learning foam-free techniques. Read the whole blog post here:

Flower Arrangement ideas using spring flowers from an english country cutting garden

love these foam free floristry flower arrangement ideas by Tammy of Wild Bunch flowers using spring flowers grown on her farm Click through to see lots of ideas as well as practical professional tips and ideas to go more eco friendly and micro plastic free in your flower arranging #plasticfree #foamfree #floristry #flowerarranging #springflowers love these foam free floristry flower arrangement ideas by Tammy of Wild Bunch flowers using spring flowers grown on her farm Click through to see lots of ideas as well as practical professional tips and ideas to go more eco friendly and micro plastic free in your flower arranging #plasticfree #foamfree #floristry #flowerarranging #springflowers love these foam free floristry flower arrangement ideas by Tammy of Wild Bunch flowers using spring flowers grown on her farm Click through to see lots of ideas as well as practical professional tips and ideas to go more eco friendly and micro plastic free in your flower arranging #plasticfree #foamfree #floristry #flowerarranging #springflowers love these foam free floristry flower arrangement ideas by Tammy of Wild Bunch flowers using spring flowers grown on her farm Click through to see lots of ideas as well as practical professional tips and ideas to go more eco friendly and micro plastic free in your flower arranging #plasticfree #foamfree #floristry #flowerarranging #springflowers

INFORMATION


Find Sarah Diligent’s floral design company Floribunda Rose in the Sustainable British Flowers  section of our Directory

Are you a maker, grower or creative course provider? Like to list with us and benefit from joining our supportive community? We’d love to hear from you. Check out the packages we offer on our Join Us page and get more details from our Information pack here


A PIN TO SAVE TO PINTEREST

It would be great if you could share the love for this project. All you have to do is hover over the image below until you see the Pinterest button appear. Then share it to your boards. Thank you! X

foam free floristry ideas with sarah diligent floribunda rose and william mazuch mechanics of floral design #britishflowers #foamfree #floristry #floraldesign #frombritainwithlove #floribundarose #ethical #plasticfree

In: FLOWERS, LIFESTYLE

You’ll Also Love

storksak organics baby skincare and giftsStorksak organic baby skincare
make a dried flower wall hangingHow to make a dried flower wall hanging – wildly beautiful by Bex Partridge
welsh flowers - pheasant botanica seasonal british flowers grown in wales for weddings, functions and moreWelsh flowers by Pheasant Botanica

Comments

  1. Ana O'Kill says

    January 15, 2020 at 1:23 pm

    I trained in Floristry from 1981 – 83, then a year full time at college,then 2 years part time. I was trained in a traditional way,using moss and wired flowers both in funeral and wedding work.
    This is nothing new! I am guessing not much research was done with florists over a certain age as possibly deemed out of touch but we have a wealth of knowledge that is underestimated.

    Reply
  2. José Camacho says

    April 8, 2020 at 10:56 am

    Hola! how can i get the book?
    I am very very interested.
    Thank you. 🥰

    Reply
    • Laura Dunkley says

      April 11, 2020 at 9:23 am

      Sarah published an update on Kickstarter recently which says they are working hard on getting everything right, so it’s taking a little longer and they’re not setting a date, just working hard to get it all finished as they want it to be… https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sarahdiligent/a-guide-to-sustainable-floral-mechanics/posts/2750446

      Reply
  3. Louise Hodkinson says

    April 22, 2020 at 9:10 pm

    I’m very interested in purchasing this book. I would also be very interested in any short courses you may be holding, which would demonstrate some sustainable techniques.

    Reply
    • Laura Dunkley says

      April 23, 2020 at 11:08 am

      I believe the book has gone to print as we speak and I know Sarah does offer workshops normally. Not sure if she has any virtual ones planned, but you can find out more on her website: https://www.floribundarose.com/workshops/

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

Belenos Skin Botanique founder Rhi Ball

About Me
I'm so glad you're here. I'm Laura - national women's magazine editor and journalist now sharing my passion for sustainable and creative living here. Hope you find something to enjoy and inspire! X

Categories

  • MAKE
  • MEET
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FLOWERS

Reader Favourites

The Directory

Browse Makers & Workshops

Pinterest

Login (directory listees)

Log in

Create account
Forgot password?

trending now

instagram

Follow @frombritainwithlove

It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to grow and blissfully fragrant in the summer months. 
They were my mum’s favourite flower, so growing them now feels like a precious connection. Especially when I pick some and arrange them in her beautiful old blue and gold jug just as she used to do with the sweet peas my dad grew for her every year.
There are some really handy tips for growing success from founder of The Real Flower Company Rosebie Morton over on the blog (link in bio). Rosebie has a whole farm dedicated to sweet peas near Chichester so she knows a thing or two about the subject!
Main thing I’ve picked up from her is to allow lots of depth for root growth at this stage and to make my own supportive wigwams from twiggy branches when the plants are really starting to go for it and need a bit of direction. This photo is making me yearn slightly.
I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying out tiny living for a feature I was writing - this was taken on our way to indulge in a spot of forest bathing. To be totally honest, we were both a little sceptical beforehand. But we were only saying the other day how taken aback we both were by the amazing effect it had. I’m working on some new ideas around the subject - will keep you posted. X
I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole site - which has meant lots of photo editing and reorganising so much content. What’s been lovely (despite the claw hand from so much keyboard work!) is revisiting work and becoming engrossed all over again. I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been (re) loving - with links in the bio to the old site for now, but not for long…! X
This  image is from a feature about preserving garden roses. I’m going to give this a really good go this year, now I have a better idea what I’m doing. I know there’s nothing quite like a fragrant fresh rose in Summer but there’s a fragile beauty to dried and preserved flowers that I also love, don’t you?
Snowdrops 🌱🤍 . . . . . . #capturequiet #ins Snowdrops 🌱🤍 
.
.
.
.
.
.
#capturequiet #instabritain #natureandnourish #thewildernesstonic #cornersofmyworld
Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flower Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flowers Forever to be won! My bio has the link to enter as well as to get a peek inside. Beautifully photographed by Laura Edwards, I really enjoyed escaping into the pages and making plans for my own garden - hope you do too! X
To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Cla To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits has to be the perfect post Christmas craft project 😊 
If you fancy getting your needles out to make this adorable pair, the link to buy Claire’s pattern is in my bio. Happy knitting! X
Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists for a wonderful wreath making workshop yesterday. Such a special and creative space to spend time. I loved making my wreath - I went for a mixture of greenery arranged quite randomly with red waxed fresh apples, dried hydrangea, dried flowers, poppy and nigella seed heads and a winter white velvet bow. 
There were so many wonderful ingredients to choose from we were really spoiled for choice. 
Sarah’s new studio is such a beautiful, creative space. Think fragrant botanical candles flickering everywhere, mulled wine and apple juice simmering on the stove and containers full of fragrant festive greenery, waxed fruit, dried flowers and oranges, pine cones, lichen covered branches and even tiny gold wax-dipped fresh crab apples. 
Thank you for being so patient with my lengthy ribbon choice deliberations Sarah - and for bagging up a second choice option (dusky pink) to take home! X.  #wreathmaking #wreath #wreathsofinstagram #sustainablewreaths #wreathdecor #christmaswreath #velvetribbon #christmasdecor #festiveflowers
I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - s I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - she came up with the genius idea of embroidering on tulle using nature as her thread - and the results are sublime - like this Autumn colours beauty from her latest book.
I’m delighted that Olga is offering a fantastic prize bundle to my readers. For a chance to win one of her beautiful new dried flower embroidery kits (in collaboration with @driedandfloral ) as well as a signed copy of her wonderful new book(published by @quadrillebooks , pop over to my blog (link in my bio). It’s easy to enter so why don’t you give yourself a chance of winning this very lovely prize? Good luck! 
#driedflowers #driedflowerembroidery #olgaprinku #embroideryhoop #flowerembroidery #competitiontime #signedbooks #embroideryart #flowersontulle #autumn #autumncolours #hoopart #allthingsbotanical #instacraft
This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofp This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofpines and is from her beautiful new book Little Stories of Your Life. 
It’s packed with inspiration and practical ideas to help you become a visual story teller. Because, as Laura says, it’s the little moments that make up the fabric of all of our lives - and those moments are worth capturing and sharing with others.
We have three signed copies of the book to give away - just click the link in my bio to find out more. There’s a peek inside and a lovely film by @xantheb to enjoy too! X 
#littlemoments #littlestoriesbook #alifeofwords #lostinwords #competition #booksarelife #mindfulphotography #bookstagram #booksmakemehappy #booksconnectus #igreads #whatareyoureading #signedbooks
Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has sh Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has shared her wonderfully creative ideas for visibly mending well-loved clothing in need of repair and a little TLC.
She had me at ‘sometimes I like to use giant sequins…’ 
Hope you like Lisa’s ideas as much as I do. The link to head over to my blog and get all her step by steps is in my bio x
Thank you @therealflowerco for these heavenly swee Thank you @therealflowerco for these heavenly sweet peas - the perfect way to celebrate #britishflowersweek 
I just wish I could share the blissful fragrance with you too 💕🌸
#locallygrownflowers #flowersofinstagram #supportlocal #britishflowersweek2021 #britishseasonalflowers #flowersfromthefarm #sweetpeas
This heavenly knitted lamb is by Claire Garland ak This heavenly knitted lamb is by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits and just one of the creative spring projects you might enjoy immersing yourself in right now. To discover other inspirational ideas and to get all the info you need - including this free pattern by Claire - click the link in my bio. Hope you find something that brings you a little seasonal joy x
Thanks to Erin at @floretflower for sending me a s Thanks to Erin at @floretflower for sending me a surprise signed copy of her dreamy new book Discovering Dahlias - and another signed copy to share with one of you. 
To enjoy a peek inside - and for a chance to win - click the link in my bio. 
The truly beautiful photographs (including this one) are all by Erin’s husband Chris Benzakein #discoveringdahlias #floretflowerfarm #dahliasofinstagram #flowersgivemepower #giveawayuk
Thanks to @sarahravenperchhill for sharing a beaut Thanks to @sarahravenperchhill for sharing a beautifully simple way to arrange snowdrops and other early spring flowers over on the blog (link is in my bio). I’ve already made my own simple flower grid using foraged twigs and it works brilliantly! 
As well as sharing her simple step by steps, there’s also a video tutorial where Sarah shares more inspiring ideas for creating with early spring flowers. The beautiful photographs are by @jonathanbuckleyphotography - hope you enjoy! X
Last call to enter our Pippa Greenwood Grow Your O Last call to enter our Pippa Greenwood Grow Your Own gift bundle competition!
My favourite #gardenersquestiontime panellist @pippa.greenwood offers a range of totally brilliant Grow Your Own gift bundles - which include garden-ready veg plants sent out at the right time for planting, email growing advice, tips and recipes from Pippa herself as well as signed copies of The Gardener’s Year. It’s the perfect gift for anyone interested in growing their own fresh produce - and comes with the best expert advice!
We have two Pippa Greenwood GYO gift bundles to be won - the link to enter the competition, and to find out more is in my bio - Good luck!
Last call for anyone who’d like to enter our Cla Last call for anyone who’d like to enter our Claire Garland Christmas Mouse knitting pattern competition. The link to enter is the top one in my bio. Good luck!
If you’re finding the world a somewhat shouty an If you’re finding the world a somewhat shouty and overwhelming place right now, you might like to get behind Sarah Corbett @craftivists new project - she’s crowdfunding to create the final part of her Craftivism trilogy: the Craftivist Collective Handbook. It will be a beautiful hardback with 20 gentle protest Craftivist projects and tools to help readers become positive and effective change makers. Because slow and gentle can be more effective in the long run than fast and loud. I am 100% behind Sarah’s project and have no doubt that those of us in the crafty, creative community have plenty to contribute when it comes to making a better, fairer world. 
Stitching a powerful message can be  more effective than shouting it at someone who’s not listening to you. If you’d like to get involved or find out more, follow the top link in my bio.
Thanks to @botanical_tales for sharing beautiful d Thanks to @botanical_tales for sharing beautiful dried flower wreath ideas over on the blog - link in bio. I love this dried mini wreath as natural gift wrapping decoration (you can buy ready-made too) - all the links are in the post.
Thanks too to Kirsten @henthorn_farm_flowers for sharing her step by steps for creating a stunning giant foraged dried flower wreath as well as her beautiful simple wreath in silvery winter whites. 
I’m increasingly obsessed with the idea of growing my own flowers for drying and creating lovely things with them. Watch this space for more dried flower inspiration coming soon... X
One of the joyful things about this time of year f One of the joyful things about this time of year for me is making plans for next spring and summer in my flower cutting garden. After two years of growing cut flowers, I’m ready for some fresh ideas and to raise my game a little more. I would like to fill some gaps in shape and colour and to extend the flowering season in particular. I’d also like to start drying and preserving my flowers... so I am thrilled that Kirsten of @henthorn_farm_flowers has shared a beautiful glimpse into her seasonal and sustainable flowery world as well as lots of fantastic expert tips and ideas over on the blog - the link is in my bio. I hope you find some inspiration too. Kirsten lives in a very beautiful part of the world - the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. It’s an area very close to my heart as I grew up not far away. Loved spending a little virtual time there again, thanks to Kirsten - and I am yearning to go back in person one day soon and breathe it all in again.
To be honest, I’m still clinging on to the last To be honest, I’m still clinging on to the last moments of Summer. I do always eventually embrace Autumn but, this year in particular, I’m wanting to hold on for as long as possible to the quiet bliss of the last few months. 
I do really worry about what lies ahead for us all, but spending time outdoors, connecting, really up close, to what’s going on in the garden definitely helps. I still have roses, sweet peas, snapdragons, zinnias, asters and LOTS of dahlias blooming so there are always jars and jugs of flowers on every available surface. Rose geranium leaves have been a revelation for adding a fragrant green frilliness - and now I’m full of love for abelia. 
This beautiful photo is by @gandgorgeousflowers and captures the between-seasons beauty in the flower garden right now. I am inspired to create something similar as I have many of the same colours. 
I do realise that it’s silly (and utterly pointless 😂) to resist Autumn as it’s actually one of the most beautiful times of year. As soon as the leaves really turn, and everywhere starts to smell like Autumn, I’m sure I’ll be fully on board. 
With that in mind, I’ve shared lots of inspiring Autumn Flowers ideas over on the blog (link in my bio) from some of my favourite flower creatives including @gandgorgeousflowers @simplybyarrangement @therealflowerco @wildbunchflowers @floribundaroseflorists @thesussexflowerschool @electricdaisyflowerfarm 

Hope you enjoy - and find a little bit of creative inspiration too. X

INFORMATION

  • Join Us
  • Get in touch
  • About us

DIRECTORY LISTEES

Log in

Create account
Forgot password?

BROWSE

  • Shop
  • Directory
  • Features
  • T & Cs
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy

Copyright © 2025 From Britain with Love

Change Location
Find awesome listings near you!