Puppy Love

Last week I was invited to a few of my clients’ houses to help with their Christmas decorations and I have to say, I quite enjoyed working in a nice warm living room compared to the somewhat cooler environment of the Flower Studio!

Mantelpiece garlands really create a focal point for the room and can be co-ordinated to match your Christmas tree, which is what Ann asked me to do with hers.

An antique clock that used to belong to her Grandmother was in the centre of the display and I used cinnamon, pine cones and gold twigs to decorate the holly and fir swag.

This home visit was made extra special though because I had the cutest little assistant… a 9 week old black labrador puppy called Louis….

He was quite an enthusiastic designer, experimenting (chewing) with the cinnamon sticks and holly (ouch!) but I managed to convince him that the plastic bottle didn’t quite fit the colour scheme!

Don’t worry though McVitie… you will always be my number 1 ♥

A Year in the Life of a Rose. Part 1.

This is the first part in a series of posts which aims to show you how to care for your rose plants.  Some of my customers are put off buying rose plants because they believe they are difficult and time-consuming to look after, but the reality is not so.  If you want to spend hours pruning and training your rose, then you can, but they perform just as beautifully if left to their own devices to ramble through a hedge or around an old tree stump!

This year we have been honoured to stock the stunning David Austin ® Rose plants and they have been selling so quickly we can hardly keep up with the demand.  For those of you that haven’t seen (or smelt!) a David Austin ® Rose, come and visit us down here at Tynwald Mills, because the plants we have down here are just bursting in to bloom and the flowers are absolutely gorgeous!

So, with the help of McVitie, we have put together this guide, starting with the planting of your rose…

Fantastic Foliage!

Foliage is something that often gets overlooked in a bouquet… I admit it myself, I always used to see it as the least exciting part of a design, after the pretty colourful flowers, giftwrap, ribbons , bells and whistles that go into a bouquet

However, since opening my shop, and getting to see just what is on offer at my wholesaler, I started to become more adventurous with my leaves.  Gone was the standard eucalyptus and salal, and in came grasses, twigs, and tropical leaves.

One of the Design School students' foliage creations

We even dedicated an entire class of our Design School to a design that was just foliage.  The ladies were a bit dubious the week before when I told them, but their designs at the end of the class were beautiful and they lasted for weeks… maybe even months!  What better value for money could that be?

So every Tuesday I get a little excited (actually a lot excited!), because it is the day I usually get my local delivery.  Rob has a nursery a few miles away from the shop and brings me a bootful of freshly cut foliage, bamboo, grasses and other delights.

Today was no exception when he arrived with armfuls of Aucuba, Fatsia, Phormium, Griselinia, and the biggest, fattest, Laurel leaves I have ever seen! 

I also had a special treat, with a preview of some new flowers he is growing this year… some gorgeous Sweet William and delicate Verbascum. 

I realise that in the UK, our climate is not favourable to home-grown flowers, and even Rob grows most of his flowers in greenhouses and polytunnels to protect them from the harsh Manx weather, so these locally grown treats are only available for a very short season.  But it is a short season that I am more that happy to support.  Maybe I will discuss the pros and cons of this subject in more detail in a later blog… but in the meantime, feast your eyes!

And what did McVitie think of all this excitement?  Not a lot.  Muttered something about ‘posh sticks’ and then went for a lie down.

 Well, I’m off home now to do some baking… we had a gazillion limes left over from a wedding consultation and I am toying between making Key Lime Pie, or Courgette and Lime cake.  Or maybe a bucketful of Mojitos.  Or G & T.  I will let you know tomorrow!

Its all about the Orchids today…

 Hello again, McVitie here!

Did you all have a good weekend?  I got my walk on Ramsey Beach as promised and then slept for most of the day, despite Heidi’s cats pestering me and sleeping in MY bed!

It is a miserable rainy Monday here at Tynwald Mills, but I have a comfy cushion and steady stream of cuddles and attention from The Flower Studio customers (and the Postman, who always has biscuits in his pocket!!).

A lot of people have been buying Phalaenopsis orchids from the shop today, so I thought I would let Heidi share some of the top care tips that we give our customers…  I would tell you myself, but I have a Jumbone to finish…

 Don’t overwater them!  Orchids hate their roots to be standing in water and this is the top killer of these beautiful plants, as people tend to water them the same as they do their other houseplants.  The best way, so I’ve found, to water an orchid is to fill a large bowl with tepid water (and orchid food if you have it) and dunk the plastic pot under the water for a couple of minutes.  Then leave the plant to drain before putting it back in its decorative pot.  Let the roots dry out slightly between watering.

They love Sun… but not directly.  An East or West facing window is perfect.  The orchid leaves should be firm and green… if they become floppy, the plant is getting too little (or too much) sunshine.  I discovered this after moving from a second floor apartment to a basement flat… my orchids were not impressed!

They will re-flower!  And it is so satisfying when they do!   When the current stem has finished flowering, cut it back to just above one of the joints (nodes) in the stem.  With any luck, a new shoot will come from this.  If is doesn’t, don’t worry.. cut the stem right back down to the base of the plant, and it should send up a brand new one.

Cool nights are best.  An orchid will thrive when there is a tempreature difference of  8 – 10 degrees between day time and night time.  Putting the plant in an unheated room, such as a consevatory or bathroom is usually enough, but never subject the plant to a cold draught or warm blasts of air.

To re-pot or not?  Phalaenopsis orchids actually like to be pot bound, and their flowering performance is better if the roots are slightly constricted.  However, if you have had your orchid for a few years, it might benefit from some fresh bark and a spring clean!  Gently remove the orchid from the pot and shake off any bark from the roots.  Check the roots and cut off any that are brown, or have signs of mould.  Never plant orchids into soil… it is too moist… most large garden centres should stock Orchid Bark.  Place the orchid back into a clean pot, and start gently packing the roots with bark until the plant sits firm in the pot and doesn’t wobble.  Leave the orchid somewhere cool and out of the sun for a couple of days and then move back to its usual place.

What to look for when you buy a Phalaenopsis orchid….

• Firm green leaves
• Roots that are silvery/grey, with green tips
• Clean bark, with no sign of mould
• Flower buds that are firm.  If they are soft and wrinkled, they will more than likely have fallen off by the time you get your plant home.

That is all for today from us… we will see you tomorrow!

Dog Blog….

Hi… I’m McVitie….

Some of you may recognise me from The Flower Studio as I have the occasional day out there, but as Mum & Dad have gone to Romania to help the charity Hands of Hope, I am having a proper holiday!

So while Auntie Heidi is busy faffing about with flowers, I thought I would show you some of my experiences at The Flower Studio  In all fairness I am only sticking around here because the Tynwald Pet Centre is around the corner, and sometimes people drop tasty treats on the way back to their car!

So anyway, today was a pretty hectic day as Heidi and the girls were preparing and delivering flowers for Lorraine & Marks wedding… which meant not much time for cuddles   We did have fun at St Luke’s Church creating an archway of flowers over the church door.  It was windy.  Very Windy. See… my ears are nearly blowing off my head!

Off home now… hopefully for a bound on Ramsey Beach, and then collapse on the sofa.  My sofa!