All Over The Shop

 

A while ago I spent a few sunny days painting up this old garage, not far from the flower plot, to use as a space to sell my flowers. I keep going to use the word “shop” – not so much delusions of grandeur as an awareness that “come and visit me at the leaky old garage with a tendency to flood and no heat, power or water” isn’t quite as enticing so, in my mind at least, “shop” it will remain.

The idea is to open it on Saturdays only to sell my flowers, plants from a friend’s nursery and wooden, gardeny goods made by the guys at the sawmill which owns the garage. It has parking, a decent amount of passing traffic and is on the edge of a lovely – and stylish – village, so I’m hoping that it will pull in a more focused group of customers than the market stalls do. The biggest advantage, though, has to be that I can leave the flowers there overnight and put together bunches on site, in a “come and see the local artisan at work” kind of way, rather than staying up till gone midnight the night before, watching the water I’m sloshing about gradually ruining my polished living-room floorboards.

Having attracted a fair few enquiries from dog-walking passers-by, I decided not to wait till spring to open,  and have boldly (rashly?) announced we’ll be opening on the Saturday before Christmas. So now, of course, I have to produce something to sell…

To that end, last weekend I did a brilliant course at a willow farm up on the Levels (can’t recommend it enough – www.musgrovewillows.co.uk) and all week have been weaving rings and stars for wreaths and decorations. The front-room floor is hidden beneath a carpet of fir cones, baubles (not strictly adhering to the local theme, but I figured recycling stuff I bought years ago makes it OK), ribbons and twiggy bits, and the back room is full of bird boxes and planters.

However, being a grower, I feel I ought to offer at least a few fresh things. Hanging mistletoe and festive foliage balls I am confident of – I did a couple for friends last year.  Mossed wreaths I can play with till I get them right. Topiary balls to stand outside your front door, though, are a new idea for me, and one I thought would be relatively straightforward.

Hmm. Of the three I’ve tried so far, the first one was the least successful. The foliage ball slid straight down the trunk and broke in two. The second one got further – a cunning piece of dowelling stopped any downward slippage, and the ball, if I say so myself, looked great. Until I tried to move it and the trunk snapped clean in two!  The third, though, has made it! And it even withstood the wind last night! Now, how much to charge?