Not Christmas Wreaths Already

No, don’t worry, not for you lot. I, however, seem to have slipped into that world of retail where you are always thinking at least a season ahead and consequently am beginning (in my defence, reluctantly) to think about Christmas wreaths.

Until this year, I had a proper job, which meant that any flower work had to be fitted around my shifts. That curtailed the number of wreaths I could actually get made at Christmas and meant that I would usually stop taking orders at some point. Yes, folks, people were turned away!

OK, it wasn’t like there was a queue outside the front door or anything, but there seemed to be enough demand to a) hugely inflate my ego and b) make me think there might be a bigger market out there to be tapped in following years. Anyway, to cut a long, rambling explanation short, this year I am going for it.

Which means I need to find the materials to make them with. Normally, I wouldn’t trouble myself with such nonsense for a good six weeks yet but, still in shock, I have already begun gathering materials. So far, it’s mostly holly berries and hydrangeas. I am putting them in glycerine to try to preserve them. In case this is new to you, you just mix one part glycerine (89p in Boots for 200mls) with two parts very hot water and then stand your flowers in a couple of inches of the solution and leave them for a few weeks in the shed. The idea is the flowers take up the glycerine with the water and stay soft. I have had mixed results before, and I have never tried it with berries, so I am not sure how successful it will be. If you give it a go, let me know how you get on and we’ll compare notes.

Although you’re not allowed to be better at it than me, of course.

Groovy Buttonholes

As you may have grasped, I love the idea of men wearing flowers and the whole be-a-bit-imaginative-with-your-buttonhole thing. One of last week’s grooms wanted these. Excuse the immodesty, but they were gorgeous!