Life as a village Florist

The Power of Flower!

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 12:50:40 GMT

Mother's Day madness!

It may have looked quiet from outside the shop this weekend, but if you'd taken a sneaky peek through the steamed up windows you would have spotted how completely manic we were inside.

It was Mother's Day on Sunday and even though we were unable to open the shop and welcome people in, we were able to provide gorgeous flowers for hundreds of very special mothers through a pre-order collection an delivery service and we were absolutely inundated!

The madness started on Saturday morning, we had dozens of bouquets made up by 9am and had 2 drivers and 2 co-drivers at the ready. John had pre-prepared very detailed lists for each area we would be delivering to, listed in order of the closest to the furtherest away and back. If he was artistic enough to draw out the routes on a map then they would have looked like a daisy with lots of tightly packed petals and a long stalk (there was the odd delivery that took us a little further afield) , but to be fair John did an amazing job of planning the routes - just don't tell him I said that!

One of our regular drivers came back with some hilarious stories of getting stuck down farm tracks, not being able to find houses - there's one 'close' that doesn't have a number 2 or 15 (they are further down the road) which caused a lot of confusion . A gentleman answering the door in his wife's lacy dressing gown, well I assume it was his wife's but it could have been his (we are very liberal thinking in the flower shop) , and several heads and hands peering round corners of the door - a common sight when doing morning deliveries at the weekend.

By 11am on Saturday we were still manically making up bouquets for that afternoon and for Sunday morning but on the counter, among all the foliage I was watching my niece getting married!!! She is in the RAF, based up in Scotland so her and her partner decided not to wait and to get married without any guests.

She looked absolutely gorgeous �� Good looks must run in the family!

Sunday morning started early but knowing that it was a SUNDAY MORNING we were conscious that some people might prefer an undisturbed lie in, without John or Michelle banging on their door. Likewise, we were aware that if some people hadn't received their flowers by midday there would be a large number of concerned sons and daughters trying to contact us.

So, every inch of the shop floor was filled with flower arrangements, with colour-coded stickers showing which area/village they were destined for and at 9am vans and cars were at the ready, engines running - except of course the Flower Shop van, which doesn't have an engine.

I opened the doors, vehicles were filled and we were off.

Deliveries on Sunday morning went relatively smoothly, with lots of delighted Mothers. Some Mothers were extra delighted because we'd teamed up with the Little Bean cafe and Henning's Wine to deliver the most unbelievably gorgeous cream tea or bottle of fizz, together with their flowers. This however made organising deliveries even more complex and something was bound to go not quite as planned...

One of our regular drivers (naming no names - Michelle) was riding shotgun on Sunday and she was responsible for getting all the deliveries from the car to the right recipient. It sounds simple, but in her defence we had a LOT of deliveries to get through as quickly as possible.

One recipient was absolutely delighted and somewhat surprised at receiving a gorgeous bouquet together with a huge cream tea containing sandwiches, scones, meringues, fruit, jams and juices.

She and her husband were EXTREMELY GRACIOUS when Michelle had to run back down the street, only to arrive panting and very apologetic, hoping that the recipient hadn't already started to tuck in, to ask if she could have the cream team back because she'd got two orders mixed up!!!!

It was wonderful to see so many happy people this weekend, but let's hope more families can get together to celebrate next year.

Reasons to be cheerful!

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 17:28:34 GMT

Spring has most definitely sprung

I'm not sure if it's the sudden appearance of the sun in a cloudless blue sky, the abundance of Spring flowers or the recent encouraging news that we may be able to fully re-open the shop on April 12th, but ...I'm feeling extremely cheerful and super optimistic!

The last year has been a rollercoaster of positivity and downright misery for so many of us, but I really believe we have reason to be excited about the future.

Although we won't be able to open our doors in time for Mother's Day on March 14th, if you're organised you can still delight your Mother, Grandmother and Mother in law with a beautiful bouquet guaranteed to brighten anyone's day and that will last for days to come. Just give me a call at the shop, order your bouquet, pay over the phone, book a delivery slot or arrange to collect them from outside the shop. We did this for Valentine's day and it worked really well.

I've also joined together with The Little Bean Cafe and Henning's Wine Merchants to further delight the most special of mothers with some pink fizz and a cream tea. To have flowers, fizz and edible treats delivered to someone special, you have to be super organised; booking your flower delivery slot first and then calling The little beans and Colin Fizz to add on the extras, but if you do you'll be in your mother's good books for the rest of the year!

We are going to miss Easter again this year. I got a little over-excited a couple of weeks ago and got John to unpack all the Easter bling I bought in January 2020. There were boxes and boxes of rabbits, chicks, pots, vases and decorative eggs, things you will struggle to imagine never-mind find anywhere else. I was in my element, unwrapping and setting them up in the shop, only to be told to re-wrap and put most of them away. I was like a sulky child who was told she had to put away all her favourite toys before she'd finished playing with them.

I managed to sneak a few pieces home, just to brighten up the house and garden.

Looking further ahead into April 12th when, in theory, I can throw open the doors of the shop once again and start welcoming customers and friends inside. I have been busy ordering fresh new stock, lots of wonderful things for home and garden, everything from the rustic to the modern but all with a country cottage feel. I can't wait for them to arrive so I can re-fill the shelves and... bring out the flower cart!!!!

I'm trying to think of something spectacular I can create to celebrate the re-opening of the shop. If finances allow I may do something fabulous with flowers.

What goes on behind closed doors

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 16:47:32 GMT

In the Flower Shop during Lockdown3

It may appear from outside the shop that there's no one about, but if you think I'm at home with my feet up watching box sets, you'd be wrong.

Take a peep through the steamy windows and you'll see me and the flower ladies beavering away.

We had to close for a couple of weeks after Christmas, but recently we started taking orders for local delivery and collection in addition to the funeral work that we'd been able to continue with during this Lockdown and we have been extremely busy.

It's amazing (not to me obviously) how the giving of flowers can keep people connected regardless of distance or proximity and we've been rushed off our feet in recent weeks.

However it's strange when I think back to this time last year.

There was talk of a contagious virus spreading across the globe. I remember levels of infection rising in Italy and other parts of Europe which was starting to have an effect on the flower markets. We were approaching one of the busiest days on a florist's calendar - Valentine’s Day!

Even back then, when there was a feeling of uncertainty. Concern that we might not be able to get stock or concern that the UK would go into a sudden lockdown with a shop filled to the brim with fresh flower.

As it happened Valentine's Day 2020 was much like any other year with hundreds of planned orders and almost as many " Oh bugger, I forgot what have you got left " s

No one would have imagined the proceeding 12 moths.

As we approach this Valentines I can only implore everyone....

Please, please, please get your orders in early! We only have a few delivery slots left and there will be no opportunity to stick your head in the door when the penny finally drops. Collection orders will have to be made in advance and pre-paid as we are unable to invite customers into the shop.

Ladies, let your other halves know!

****To make your day extra special****

We have teamed up with Henning's and for those who want to add some bubbles to your Valentine’s order this is what you need to do...

If you have a flower delivery booked, simply call the lovely Colin or one of his team at Henning's and add a bottle of either; Wiston's English Sparking Wine @ £29.50 or Pol Roger Champagne @ £47.50

Colin will then drop your order (not literally) at the flower shop in time for your delivery.

The Flower Shop : 01798 875 488

Henning's : 01798 872 671

Homemaking

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 17 Jan 2021 17:03:07 GMT

Lockdown 3 and I've turned into a 1950's housewife!

Well, minus the high heels, the tights, curlers and corset...but I've been loving running the carpet shampooer around the house, making tea for the fit young man who has been doing some terracing in the garden and dusting the ornaments (some that have only become antiques since they've been sitting on my shelves) .

I tried baking bread, but that's what the young chap in the garden is using for the terracing. He recently asked me for a dozen rolls...for the edging!

I've been working through the full Avon list... plumping cream ( only to be used on the face) , biarritz glow foundation, kircsh cherry flavoured luscious lips and I even have NAILS, clean, unchipped, painted ones (I've had to do them myself so when I say painted, so are my cuticles and the chewy bits down the side). You can always spot a florist by their nails...chipped, torn, with spongy fingertips from being pricked by thorns and being permanently wet.

It's been 3 weeks and my fingers are only just drying out. I think I have rising damp originating from my wrists.

I've also become ' stay at home mom ' and ' home educator ' to puppy Phyllis and the kittens. I've finally taught little Phyllis not to pick poop out of the cat litter tray and place it on the sofa - I really don’t know who taught her to do that in the first place. I think it was the kittens spurring her on, she's very easily influenced.

John has been trying desperately to keep me occupied. It's why he persuaded me to open The Flower Shop in the first place. He said that even if it made a loss it would be cheaper than keeping me at home where I would simply shop and dream up projects - all of which would involve a lot of expense and a huge mess.

To be honest, I've enjoyed a complete break. I could never have stayed away from the shop if we weren't in Lockdown. I've managed about 6 days holiday in the last 5 years so I really needed a break, but now I'm ready to get back to work. The house has been empty of fresh flowers for weeks and the effects are beginning to show, even a small vase of flowers on the kitchen table brings energy and a sense of optimism to the day.

Even if we can't open the shop, I'm really hoping we can be ' open ' for collections and deliveries in time for Valentine's day. If that's possible I'll let you all know as soon as I can, so watch this space.

The highs and lows of 2020

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 18:02:46 GMT

A rollercoaster of a year

I think of myself as one of the lucky ones. Life as the Village Florist hasn't been easy this year,I have seen some terrible lows but I have also experienced some of relative highs and The Flower Shop is still open, well not open open, but still in business.

Looking back to this time last year compared to now, is like comparing dogs to dahlias there's absolutely no comparison whatsoever. The shop would be open, full to the rafters with flower and foliage and we'd be ridiculously busy arranging flowers ready for the most lavish New Year celebrations. There would be laughter, the occasional glass of champagne and I'd still have a huge bunch of mistletoe over the door. Today the shop doors are closed, there are no flowers and there are no New Year's Eve celebrations.

There are some good bits, so stick with me. I'm as fed up as most with all the doom and gloom in the news every day.

Having access to fresh flowers and a friendly face, even one hidden behind a mask, has kept me upbeat through the trickiest of times. We've been lucky enough to have some wonderful local growers who have been supplying the flower shop all year round, but we still depend heavily on the huge range of flower that comes in via the continent and that's been quite a challenge.

Several times, without warning borders were closed as the doors to the Dutch flower markets were slammed shut, sending florists everywhere into complete mayhem. With orders taken in advance we depend on stock turning up when planned. I can't stock up on flower and pop them in the freezer alongside John's cheesy leeks, so I've had to be extremely creative and once or twice.

If anyone spotted me rustling behind a bush or clambering over a style on a WSCC footpath with a pair of secateurs in my hand this year, then I was only doing what was necessary to keep my customers happy.

We've not always been able to welcome customers into the shop, there have been times where I've had to close the doors and take telephone orders only. When I have been allowed to open it's not been the same, we've had to distance ourselves (something I find particularly hard) , there's been no hugging and kissing (something else I've missed) and worse of all everyone has been wearing masks, making it so hard to read people (something I think is very important in floristry and especially in a small community).

However, if I had to endure this year anywhere in the world it would be here in Pulborough and I'm so glad to be a village florist now more than ever. Even without all the hugging, kissing, laughing and simply being in close proximity to other people, it has been an absolute joy seeing people out and about, queueing outside the shop waiting to come in, seeing peoples eyebrows raise when I hand over bouquets, seeing people smile when they answer the door and realise that others are still thinking of them and sending them love and hugs in a bright bunch of fresh flowers.

For the next few weeks it looks like the shop doors will stay shut and the team and I will be ' staying at home ' but I can't wait for a time when we'll all be back together as a community.

Hopefully that won't be long.

DON'T PANIC Mrs Mainwaring!!!

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 18:40:34 GMT

We're not giving up on Christmas!

A ripple of panic spread through the village yesterday, when the media started to report on a potential second lockdown. At first we buried our heads in pots of flowers and dozens of cardboard boxes filled with Christmas stock that had just arrived, simply not wanting to believe it.

As news of a potential lockdown started to become more and more likely, I became more and more panicked. Then suddenly my past experience in local government kicked in and on went my serious head, my lipstick (essential for thinking) and rushed home to dig out my old Mulberry handbag (another essential for serious situations like this) , only to find I'd previously donated it to a cat charity - I'm not sure what they are using it for, I assume they sold it but it could now be a very posh cat carrier.

I came back to the shop, armed with clipboard, notepad, stylish neckerchief and a brightly coloured lip crayon. Fully prepared and ready to tackle whatever nightmares were on the horizon.

By 4pm yesterday we had a basic plan of action and today has been a series of emergency Flower-shop COBRA meetings to finalise all the details of how we hope to SAVE CHRISTMAS IN PULBOROUGH, from a floral and decorative perspective anyway.

So here's the plan....

1. Our part-time, job share, turn up whenever you can and try not to get lost ' Delivery driver ' Michelle has been promoted to Director of Communications, to keep everyone informed and updated on what's going on in the Flower Shop at all times. She will also be busy updating the website with news and selected items of stock.

2. After Thursday we will not be able to open our doors and invite customers in, BUT we will be open for business.

3. Orders for bouquets can be made over the phone or via email.

4. Members of the floral team and I will be working inside the shop and taking calls between 9am and 3pm Mon-Sat.

5. We will be filling the shop with loads of Christmas goodies, ready for when we can welcome customers back in, but will also be posting pictures on social media and on our website for a 'click & collect' service (unlike Tesco, this will however require you to give us a friendly call or email us with whatever you want).

6. We will expand our Covid-safe delivery service (upping John's hours) to provide FREE delivery within 4 miles of Pulborough with deliveries further afield at a small charge.

All in all.. DON'T PANIC!!!

We will still be here. Please keep in touch with us on social media, online and on the phone.

Keeping in touch with friends and family, especially those who are alone or shielding is more important now than ever before, so is keeping your spirits up and making your home a wonderful place to be.

Love and best wishes, from me and the whole team at The Flower Shop - Pulborough xxx

Sticky green fingers

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 17:29:16 GMT

Birthday Bouquet stolen from doorstep

This week we received a phone order for two bouquets for the same lady, from two family members that lived thousands of miles apart. Both wanted to say how much they missed their mother on her special day and wanted bouquets to reflect the occasion.

Both bouquets needed to be large, delicate, colourful but completely different, each to reflect the sender's personality.

It's not easy to do this, when you have spoken only very briefly to the person ordering the flowers. Long enough to jot down a few necessary details such as what is required, when, for who and how much they want to spend.

Regardless of price, I always use the freshest, best quality flower and foliage and although my style is quite distinctive I try and make each one individual.

This is the main reason why, no matter how many orders we get through the door on any one day, we are not a conveyor-belt or Interflora florist and I remember each one, even if I haven't made it myself.

For this reason it was VERY ODD when I answered the phone to a VERY IRATE customer, who not only insisted that I had not made up and delivered his order, but that I had tried to get away with making up only one bouquet and addressing it from both he and his brother!

"My mother only received ONE bouquet, which contained two separate address cards!"

"No, absolutely not, that would never happen" I replied " Let me speak to the delivery driver and get straight back to you."

I called John in... and in a calm voice ( screaming at a very high pitch, hardly able to get my words out)

"Where're the flowers you delivered earlier, do you remember taking two, you definitely took two didn't you, two bouquets for the same person, not one, definitely two, two separate bouquets?!!!!!

"Whaaaaaaaaaah...aaaahghhh!"

John just stood there until I'd stopped running around trying to see if there was a spare bouquet left somewhere in the shop. When I stopped caterwauling, John managed to speak...

"There were definitely TWO bouquets and I delivered BOTH to the same address and each had an address card."

"Unfortunately the addressee wasn't in, but the main door to the block of apartments (mainly occupied by sociable over sixties) was open and I left them right outside the lady's door and rang the bell in case she was in and shielding" he added.

I called the customer back to explain what had happened and even asked if he wanted to talk to John - HE DIDN'T!

I offered to remake the £60 bouquet at my expense and that appeared to pacify the gentleman. It was all I could do, but it really wasn't my fault. I'd made up the order as requested and can't keep running backwards and forwards to addresses hoping to catch the recipient while they are in.

I'm absolutely shocked at what must have happened.

I realise that we are in the middle of a pandemic, lots of people are shielding behind closed doors. Fewer people are going out to shop and are having deliveries of all sorts left outside their doors.

Someone must have nipped in through the main door, pulled out the address card from one bouquet, stuck it in the other and made off with someone's birthday gift sent by a loving son.

UNBLINKINGBELIEVABLE!!!!

I can't believe this would happy in our lovely community.

Corona-Christmas

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 27 Sep 2020 17:39:08 GMT

This hasn't been a normal year

No one knew this year was going to turn out as it did and every time it looks like we could be getting back to normal, new rules are announced that raise even more questions as to what to do next.

Nothing has gone as planned, but I'm so thankful that I still have a business, I'm still able to stock the shop with gorgeous flowers and gifts, I'm still able to employ my wonderful staff and The Flower Shop still part of this amazing community.

We have survived the summer because we are not totally reliant on Wedding floristry. I love a good wedding and I feel awful that so many couples have had to cancel, postpone or shrink their wedding celebrations, but in addition to birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's day and Valentine's day.... CHRISTMAS is our busiest and most profitable time of the year.

Those of you that know me know that I love being part of a community, I am extremely social, never need an excuse to party, hate having to social distance and absolutely love Christmas!!!

Being kept away from family and friends has been really difficult for me and I'm sure that we've all struggled with the social distancing rules. The thought of all getting back together for Christmas has been the one thing that has been keeping so many of us going.

Then last week there was talk of CHRISTMAS BEING CANCELLED!!!!

Nothing has been announced, but with cities and counties going back on local lockdown and social gatherings being reduced to a measly six, there's a huge amount of uncertainty about what Christmas is going to be like.

With all this uncertainty and a desire to cheer ourselves up, the optimists and the pessimists among us have been rushing to buy whatever they need ready for the festive season.

So, the BIG QUESTION for me and the shop is "When do I get out the Christmas stock????!!!"

I normally wait until November, once the fun of Halloween is over and the pumpkins have been packed away, but if I wait until November this year anything could have happened! There's no point looking at trends over previous years as there's never been a year like this. There's no business plan or map that will help us navigate this Covid-climate.

So, my thought at the moment is that we are going to start Christmas early. IN OCTOBER!

But let me know what you think. Do you need something to look forward to? Do you want to get preparations underway or would you rather wait and see what happens?

One of the things I love most about the festive season, apart from alcohol, chocolate and mince pies is CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING!

Not only do I love making Christmas wreaths and seeing them hung on doors throughout the village, I love giving Christmas wreath workshops.

There's nothing better than getting together with a group of friends, warm mince pies and a few glasses of wine to see who can create the best Christmas wreath, but given the current Covid -laws, I won't be able to hold workshops this year. ��☹️

DON'T WORRY....I HAVE A PLAN!

I'm going to make up ' Wreath-making Kits ' which will be for sale (I might even include the wine and mince pies) and I'll even provide a link to an online tutorial. So you can plan your own bubble-parties to enjoy wreath making in your own home.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for further announcements on when these will be available. ��

Health-worklife balance...

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 17:20:25 GMT

Finding time to look after yourself isn't easy

I'm not sure if it's a female thing or a parental thing, but I'm sure it's the same for all small business owners. We always put other people first, whether it's children, family, friends or customers, we don't want to let anyone down.

It's been eighteen months since I was first diagnosed with having gall stones. Initially I thought it was my body's way of telling me that I'd eaten or drunk too much, or that I needed to eat more lettuce �� , which is probably true, but I thought I was having a heart attack every time I consumed a little too much chocolate and because it was Christmas at the time, that was a LOT of heart attacks!

The first time I had an attack John wanted to call an ambulance, but I didn't have enough cover in the shop and I couldn’t drop everything just for a 'potential' heart attack, so I soldiered on. After a few more episodes I agreed to see the doctor but when when they suggested doing an endoscopy I thought " No, no , I don't have time for all that "

The doc tried to reassure me (not realising exactly why I was fretting so much) , "Don't worry we can sedate you for the procedure"

That wasn't my first thought, what I was really worried about was not being in the shop on the run up to Christmas!

After explaining that speed was of the essence the doctor said, if I wasn't sedated I could be in and out in no time.

So I took one for Florists and Small Business owners everywhere!

I sat there, trying not to gag, while the doctor fed a long tube down my gullet, without even using liquid chocolate as lubrication (I really suggest any healthcare workers reading this, consider this in future) .

I needed surgery to remove the rather large gall stones which were causing me so much discomfort, so I got out my diary... No, January wasn't going to work, short-staffed after Christmas and too busy. February? No that won't work either... Valentine's Day, March? No, impossible...Mother's Day! OK, OK April it was!

Then Coronavirus struck.

My operation was cancelled, re-arranged for June then cancelled again, re-arranged for August and yes..cancelled again!

My operation is now booked in for TOMORROW!!!!

Yes, tomorrow, the day after today, Monday, less than 24hrs away.

I'm not at all stressed, anyone who knows me will tell you, I'm extremely laid back and confident that I'll be in and out in a few hours and back at work on Wednesday. Although I have told John that if it all goes wrong and I die during the operation then; the kittens need castrating in November and not to forget to tell the vet to microchip them at the same time and that I'd like purple flowers with lime green accents at my funeral.

It's a good job I'm so laid back and not at all stressed, completely chilled and not at all worried, because we had a WEDDING to do this weekend! Yes you heard right... a WEDDING!

It was the first wedding, involving a church set up, transfer to venue and breakdown that we've done since before lockdown and it was this weekend. This weekend, the weekend before my operation.

I did think of postponing my operation, I mean I've survived this long with bouts of excruciating pain, I'm sure I could have managed a little longer, but John and my fabulous team of florists wouldn't hear it. Becks, Lisa, Ali and Rach all pulled together and not only made a fabulous job of the wedding but have put aside all their personal commitments and demands on their time to ensure I don't have to worry and can leave everything in their capable hands for as long as needed.

They are putting me and all the Flower Shop customers ahead of themselves and I will be eternally grateful to have such a fantastic team!!!!

Keeping your beautiful blooms blooming for longer!

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:31:40 GMT

How to keep your flowers at their very best

At The Flower Shop - Pulborough we do our utmost to ensure that the flowers you receive are in tip top condition and are just short of their most beautiful.

More often than not, we arrange bouquets to order, using the freshest flowers and foliage note: the foliage we use is of the highest quality and adds to the arrangement and is not simply to bulk out bouquets and we do everything we can to prolong the lifespan of nature's beautiful gift.

When flower arrives in the shop we are very quick to strip and get them into scrupulously clean buckets - I mean strip stems, of leaves.

I'm suddenly imagining a Beryl Cook painting where we're all stripping off, nakedly bleaching buckets and filling them with our special water.

After an order comes in it can still be several hours between the point at which we make up an arrangement and them being delivered into the hands of the delighted recipient, so we usually package them in an aqua-pack and a beautiful ribboned box or bag.

We use environmentally friendly cellophane to create a secure water tight container to which we can add clean water with added nutrients which will keep your arrangements healthy for longer.

Once we handover our stunning arrangements it's down to the recipient to take on the carers role, ensuring that their bouquet looks it's very best, delighting the eye, for as long as possible.

So DON'T ruin all this care by leaving them in the aqua-pack for too long, for decanting them into a dirty vase, forgetting to feed and replenish with fresh water or placing them in strong sunlight or next to a hot radiator!

Our driver is the worst for doing all of the above!

The amount of times she comes into the shop with pictures of droopy displays, I sometimes wonder if she's trying to see how quickly she can kill an arrangement or if she's doing some secret research into which flowers are most resilient to germs, thirst, starvation and extreme heat.

Once, she came in with a picture of a bouquet she took home a week earlier, boasting at how well she thought they still looked.

THEY WERE STILL IN THE AQUA PACK & BAG SHE BOUGHT THEM IN!

"But the packaging looked so lovely...!" came her lame excuse.

Mind you, I've seen her decant arrangements into dusty vases, pulled from boxes in the under-stair cupboard that are way too small. Stems wedged into a narrow base with just a splash of water to keep them damp.

I've also driven passed her house and seen flowers cooking on her window sill in the midday sun and I would place money on the fact that there would be no water in the vase.

So don't be Miche. Look after your Flower Shop blooms and you will be surprised at how long they last.

I know, reading care instructions can be boring and time consuming so just remember the following:

Find a clean vase, the bigger the better
Cut the stems with a sharp pair of scissors or secateurs
Fill your vase with water and add your flower food
Keep an eye on water levels and remember to top up

D ON"T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!!....

The coolest place in Pulborough

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 17:02:55 GMT

Weddings, funerals and deliveries...

As temperatures SOARED into the mid thirties this week, all remained COOL in the Flower Shop.

Well that's how it may have seemed, on the outside I may have looked like my usual easy-breezy, laid back, chatty, I've got all the time in the world, self ...but under that glowing layer of 10 years younger foundation I was stressed, hot, tired and hangery.

The heat at home was stifling and I couldn't find anywhere comfortable to sleep. I've been instructed to eat 'sensibly' by the doc and John has been gently encouraging me to stick to the rules.

I'm sure you can imagine how a young middle-aged florist, deprived of sleep, chocolates and chips, with sweaty feet might be feeling, BUT a florist's work is never done. I had wedding flowers to order, cancel, order, cancel and order again, I had deliveries to get out and I had several funerals in the diary.

I really feel for brides, their families and venues at the moment, with all the constant changing to the rules on numbers of guests at weddings and receptions.

Funerals are a little more certain from a business perspective, but as you know I find funerals extremely personal and treat every single funeral with the greatest importance - you can't be late and you don't get a second chance for perfection.

Most funerals flowers go out first thing, even before we've opened the shop. However this week we had a mid-morning set up at a beautiful outdoor venue.

Our delivery driver Miche sauntered in as she does at around 9.30am, John had already been out to do a couple of deliveries and there were just four sat ready to go for morning deliveries.

" Make sure you're back by 11am " I shouted as Miche reversed out into the road.

It was almost 11am and there was no sign of Miche and the van, so I gave her a quick call.

" I won't be long, I've been having trouble finding one of the houses, but I met someone on a horse while I was trying to turn around on a bridleway and he's given me some directions. I'm just walking up the road now because I had to leave the van in a sort of lay-by as it's too narrow to stop up here. I'll be back in ten minutes"

I anxiously waited, knowing how much there was to do at the venue and how I couldn't be late. Twenty minutes later, I called again, trying not to sound too hysterical.

"I'm on my way back, just coming into the village" she replied, although I knew this was a lie as she wouldn't answer the phone if she was actually driving.

"You wouldn't believe what a nightmare I've had" she continued (still obviously not on her way) .

"The Sat-nav took me down a bridleway, then I got directions but couldn't find the house anywhere, I a nice lady walking her dogs and she gave me more directions but alas the position of house was proving to be a complete mystery. In the end I just knocked on someone's door and you wouldn't believe this, but..."

Come on, please come on, get in the van, I was thinking.

"Have you actually delivered the flowers" I asked.

"Yes, but they changed the name of the house, so the address didn't actually exist!!!" Miche replied.

"Great" I replied in my calmest, but squeakiest voice "Can you just get back here as quickly as you can?"

Five minutes later (which felt like at least an hour) pulled up outside the shop. Before she could even get out, Lisa and I flung open the back doors, filled the van with carefully arranged tributes and tethered them down.

Miche got out and off we sped.

Surprise surprise!

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 15:18:44 GMT

The thing with flower deliveries is...

...they are often a surprise.

And if you're a florist you'd be surprised what you might find behind the bushes.

This week I went out on a delivery. It was an absolute scorcher of a day, I was sweating buckets in the shop and I fancied a little trip out in the van - the new electric van, that has no added extras whatsoever (I assume that 's so it doesn't use up any extra power) , although it does have a fancy air-conditioning system known as ' l e window '.

It was only a local one so I expected to be there and back in two shakes of a Pina colada, hoping for a quick trip out with the wind in my hair. Like many houses around here, it wasn't very clear from the sat nav (on my phone), EXACTLY where it was, but I checked roughly where it was before loading the van with a beautiful aqua-pack of sunflowers and heading off in the bright sunshine and thirty degree heat.

Twenty minutes later I was still driving round in circles, looking for the address I had on the order slip. The difficulty around here is that a lot of houses have names not numbers and a house name can be tricky to spot from the road, unless you drive along at 2mph with a pair of binoculars.

Given that I haven't had a chance to get the van sign-written yet, creeping along the back roads at snails pace in an unmarked vehicle could raise suspicions and I'm surprised no one has called the police yet.

Finally, I found the address I was looking for, but as I drove up to the imposing gates I spotted a notice attached to the entry phone ' Deliveries to the rear '

I popped the van into reverse, backed back on to the road and pulled silently up to the back entrance.

I opened the back doors and carried out a large arrangement which obscured my view slightly. With what vision I had, I looked high and low for a bell or knocker on the gate, but there was nothing but a large knob which I grabbed with my only free hand, twisted and with a loud creaking noise the gate opened.

I popped my head over a neatly trimmed bush and immediately spotted a man, sunbathing on the patio. I had left my specs in the van but yes, he was definitely naked!

I was about to put the bouquet down and slowly step away, when the chap sat up grabbing a towel.

" I'm terribly sorry " he shouted, " I didn't hear you arrive "

" I'm sorry " I hollered back " I was just admiring the view "

There was no answer, so I just put the bouquet on the table nearby and added...

" Be careful it doesn't droop in the heat " and scuttled off.

(obviously I was talking about the flowers not his manly glory)

Shiny New Van

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 18:37:56 GMT

All electric ...

I love where we live. I love the people (well most of them), I love the village and surrounding area and I love the countryside. If there's anything I can do to help the village thrive while retaining it's charm, character and rural appeal I will.

I'm not usually in a position to do very much, but if buying all my wine and alcoholic beverages from ' Henning's ' next door, or buying my morning coffee and lunch from the ' Little Bean Cafe ' down the road, or offsetting a cream tea with something from ' Beneficial Health ' helps our local economy then I'll do it.

Occasionally however, I have the opportunity to do a tiny bit more.

I've been thinking of changing the The Flower Shop van for some time now. We do a lot of deliveries and even though most are very local, having a driver with poor navigational skills means the mileage clocks up very quickly, so we needed something economical and good for the environment. I finally plumbed for a fully electric vehicle (it was either that or a bike and a basket).

So a shiny new van turned up last week.

It's not only electric, but it's an automatic so it has taken a bit of time for me to get used to it. You may have seen me bunny-hopping down the road on the first day - although you probably wouldn't have known it was me as I haven't had time to get the sign writing done yet (the picture above is just a mock up and not how it will look).

This week, it felt like I'd had it years, it was like an old comfy slipper. Well so I thought, until the other day when I was driving along the A289 and in an attempt to slow down and drop a gear, I momentarily forgot that I was driving an electric car (which slows down the second you take your foot off the accelerator) and an automatic one at that. I took my foot off the accelerator and stepped heavily on the break with both feet and....

Came to a VERY SUDDEN HALT!

Buckets of untethered flowers came flying forward, splashing water over the seat and down my neck, as I sat there with my bosom squished through the steering wheel and my nose millimetres from the windscreen, listening to the screech of brakes behind me.

Thankfully, the car behind skilfully avoided the back of my shiny new van, but I had to think fast.

I jumped out of the driver's door and stood in the road looking to my left and then to my right before walking over to the hedge and looking under it with a look of complete bemusement.

The driver of the other vehicle slowly opened their window and asked if everything was OK.

" Did you see that cat? " I shouted back " Lucky, I just stopped in time! "

Sad News

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 15:38:21 GMT

When the house feels empty ...

This week has been a bit of a blur and I can't really remember anything that happened before Wednesday or after Thursday.

Many of you will know my Jack Russell ' Mikey ' because he's such a cheeky little character. He moved to the village with us seven years ago and quickly settled into village life. He begrudgingly accepted the introduction of numerous chickens and ducks into our lives and into his garden, in fact he even accepted them coming into the kitchen and and helping themselves to his doggie biscuits from his bowl!

When I opened the Flower Shop he'd wander down the road, wondering where I'd gone and if I was ever coming home.

To be honest we didn't go on long walks across Pulborough Brooks or over the Downs but he was just there; under my feet, behind me when I stepped back, in front of me at the top of the stairs and under my bum when I needed to flop on to the sofa.

Knowing when it's kinder to let your dog go or whether it's worth the pain and discomfort for the smallest of chances, is one of the hardest decisions a dog-owner has to make and whatever the decision it will never be easy.

Losing Mike has left a big empty space at home. From the moment I open the door and step into the kitchen after work to the moment I leave in the morning that empty space follows me around.

So if anyone called Mike should call or come into the shop this week, or if anyone with a tri-coloured Jack should wander passed then don't be surprised if I suddenly get teary-eyed or start sobbing.

No, that's not what I meant...

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 14:26:12 GMT

I don’t go down anymore!

Well if it’s absolutely necessary I’ll give it a go, but if I do there’s a good chance I’ll get stuck and won’t be able to get back up again.

NO! NO! NO! STOP IT! THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!

Some people have minds like dirty sewers.

I was in the shop alone the other day, when a nice young man came in to pick up a bouquet (probably for his gorgeous wife or girlfriend). I had already made it up and Becks had popped it on the floor in the ‘collection’ area before she went home. All I needed to do was wait for this handsome (oh did I mention he was handsome?) man to come and collect the bouquet and I could shut up shop and go home.

I was desperate for a bath. I tweaked my back the day before (that’s another story) bending down to put a large vase on the floor and after a day on my feet, standing at a workbench I needed a long soak.

When this handsome man (did I mention he was handsome?) stepped through the door I slid down the workbench after going slightly weak at the knees and had to climb back up to my full 5’2”

I then glided (or was it shuffled) over the ‘dry’ area where the last bouquet box sat. I turned my back to the wall ( no one wants a view of my backside as I bend over) and attempted a dignified bow BUT my short, stumpy arms were still a good foot away from the handles of the box. I tried spreading my legs (STOP IT), but the box was still out of reach.

The only thing I could do was push the box closer to ‘Handsome Man’ (HM) with my foot. HM stood in the doorway looking a little bewildered as his box snaked its way slowly across the floor all by itself, as I followed fluttering my eyelashes and wearing my biggest grin.

When the box of beautiful blooms finally reached his polished, brown brogues, he looked down at his feet and then directly into my eyes.

“ Sorry ” I said, “ I don’t go down these days, my back won’t take it ”

A second later I realised what I’d said and flushed bright red!

Epilogue (for those who want to know how I tweaked my back in the first place) .

Amberley Castle has re-opened!!

I was so excited by this news and couldn't wait to get back there. I turned up early on Friday morning with fresh flowers to welcome back visitors.

I was carrying an very large arrangement in a big glass vase to the reception room when I was politely stopped and informed that I would have to have my temperature taken before entering the hotel.

I immediately stopped and the weight of the vase coupled with being slightly top heavy resulted in a sudden jolt forward.

I think the person who so politely stopped me in my tracks thought that when they asked if they could take my temperature, I thought that meant they wanted me to BEND OVER!

It wasn't actually what I thought, but the result of stopping so suddenly meant that there I was, bum up, in front of a person holding a thermometer!

To make it worse, I was stuck, I couldn’t stand back up and social distancing made it difficult for anyone to come to my aid. I gently put the heavy vase down, shuffled to the wall and slowly climbed up it.

Who knew Floristry was so strenuous.

Being Claire

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 12:23:24 GMT

We've both got dark hair, blue eyes and an ample bosom!

When driving around in the Flower shop van I often get mistaken for Claire and to be honest I'm not always surprised. After all I am driving the van, I have dark hair and when I'm sat down I could be mistaken for being a pint-sized 5'2"

However, when I get out any one who knows Claire should immediately realise their in initial mistake, as I'm much taller at 5'9" and as I approach you'll notice I have a much bigger nose.

As I reverse out into the road on Lower Street, I often find people waving, smiling, letting me out and pressing the button on the Pelican crossing...thinking I'm the lovely Claire Denman. Then as I set off on my deliveries other drivers flash and wave, couples out walking the dog smile, nudge each other and point before giving a polite wave or nod of the head.

Later as I slow down to a crawl and bunny hop along the road looking for a house name or number I may occasionally get a frustrated ' toot ' from the car behind, but more often than not it's a friendly wave from someone that has just rushed out of the door in the hope that I'm looking for them.

When I jump out of the van, knock on someone's door or just walk up the drive I'm never sure whether the look of delight is the anticipation of receiving a gorgeous bouquet or the anticipation of seeing Claire, as the broad smile I'm initially met with flickers slightly before attention clearly switches to what I'm holding.

So...you might now understand the reason that this week, I pretended I WAS Claire, just for a minute or two.

I set out with a beautiful hand tied bouquet of peonies, roses and hydrangeas in the back of the van. I knew the house, if not the person I was delivering to and was keen to go as I've always wondered who lived in such a beautiful property set in an idyllic country setting.

I pulled into the driveway in wonder at such a lovely place and was immediately met by two large friendly dogs followed by a lady who looked so excited to see me. I stood there holding a huge arrangement, looking at this lady beaming with joy, when she said

" Hello, are you Claire from the Flower Shop? "

Looking back I don't know what came over me, I couldn't stop myself, maybe it was the look of excited anticipation and the desire not to disappoint, but it just came out...

" Yes, I am " I replied.

My response caused even greater delight.

"I'm Claire too!!" "Are you Claire with an 'i' or without an 'i'?

Now, at that point I should have come clean and I should have admitted that I wasn't Claire, but again I didn't want that look of disappointment.

"With an i" I replied, unable to help myself. But that wasn't the end.

"I spoke to you on the phone last week, I ordered some red roses which I came in to collect but you weren't there and I didn't get chance to say how wonderful they were."

This really was the point where I had to admit the truth. The truth that I wasn't Claire at all!

But how would it sound, surely she would think I was some sort of weirdo or someone that probably shouldn't be allowed out on her own, never mind driving a van. If I was going to say something at all, I had to say it quickly. It was probably already too late, but it would only get worse if I pretended I was Claire for any longer.

My mind was racing, maybe I could admit I was Claire, but not THAT Claire. No, no I had to say it...

" Oh sorry, I'm not actually Claire at all "...I paused for a moment before adding " but she is my sister-in-law "

As if that explained everything.

I quickly jumped back in the van and drove off.

We're OPEN!

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 18:52:53 GMT

Welcome back into The Flower Shop ...

We've been working hard to ensure our customers are kept as safe as possible when visiting the shop. I've been back at work for almost 6 weeks now, firstly taking orders over the phone and making local deliveries and then opening the front of the shop under the guidelines set down for Garden Centres.

Then came the news that we could re-open the shop to customers.

This was great news, I was not only missing you, our lovely customers, but I was also missing the flower shop team. My lovely talented team and suppliers who I normally saw several times a week. Lockdown has been hard, even for our local suppliers; growers and wholesalers, with fresh, high quality flower being in high demand and short supply.

Before opening, I had to think really hard about how it would be possible to limit the risk of anyone contracting Coronavirus and keeping everyone in the shop safe. Our shop is relatively small, considering that we need; room for several florists to work, room to condition and display fresh flower and room for all our lovely objet d'art and shiny trinkets for the home and garden, not to mention all the buckets, foliage, ribbon, bags, paper, oasis, wire and artistic materials needed to produce splendid flower arrangements, displays and tribute.

Keeping everyone two metres apart wasn't going to be easy.

The first thing I needed to do was redesign the shop so there were different clearly defined sections. There is always going to be some cross over, but limiting risk was my first priority. I've always been keen on rearranging things in the shop, if you come into the shop and linger longer than about 10 minutes you are likely to be made-over, put on a shelf or asked to hold a hanging basket, but this time I called in a local expert 'Daryl'.

Daryl is a genius. He arrived last Sunday morning and after a brief chat about what we needed he got to work and a few hours later we had an amazing working area for the florists, where everything would be at hand and we wouldn't have to climb over each other, sticking our hands in each others drawers, looking for bits and bobs all day long.

The next thing was putting in the ' Sneeze Screen ' We don't as a rule sneeze and cough on our customers but a perspex screen is reassuring, especially to any male customers or suppliers worried about receiving my usual continental greeting.

Then I was left to my own (well mine and Becks) devices when it came to re-arranging the interior stock and cabinets. I can still hear John's voice ringing in my ears...

" That Armoire won't take another move, Claire! "

It's lasted a couple of hundred years I thought, I'm sure it will last a few more.

John was right (don't tell him I said that) but before long there were bits of wardrobe and shelving all over the place.

Thankfully Becks and I managed to rearrange everything and before long we'd tripled the size of the shop or turned it into a TARDIS and we're now waiting to welcome you all back to the FLOWER SHOP!

ps. if you're not ready to come in and see us, you can always call us on 01798 875 488 we'd love to hear from you.

Flower Prices similar to that of Gold

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 17:23:05 GMT

Flower shortage and high demand sends prices sky high.

As we come out of lockdown there’s nothing that will brighten someone's day more than a beautiful array of summer flowers. They say so much, they say... "I care, I'm thinking of you, congratulations, I love you and I miss you"

The demand for Flower has never been greater, but prices have rocketed.

In June we should have a huge selection of flower and foliage at the absolute peak of condition, but back in March and April growers were cautiously planting less than 50% of their usual capacity, not knowing if the lockdown would be lifted in time for harvesting.

As a result good quality flower and foliage is in high demand and in extremely short supply.

Holland is the centre of the Flower market. Flower comes into the Netherlands from all over the world and is sold at, believe it or not...a Dutch Auction .

In a Dutch auction the price starts at the highest conceivable cost and reduces in value until it is all sold. If flower is in short supply then bidders will bid early, paying a high cost in fear that that it could disappear quickly as the price reduces.

Flower is also graded depending on it's quality and availability meaning that the best quality flower that has become relatively scarce will attract the highest possible prices, and this is what is happening.

The picture above was taken before the pandemic hit, it was early spring but we had a huge selection of the very best flower and foliage.

Those of you that live in Pulborough may have noticed the ' Snapper ' lorry regularly parked in Lower street or en route from Southampton. The lovely Snapper chaps brought flower direct from the auction houses in Holland to the UK and I was free to browse stock, like a child in a sweet shop , picking out the very best blooms and foliage.

I got so excited every time they turned up .

The risk of buying Flower in bulk at such high prices in the hope that they can all be sold before they pass their very best, may simply be too great for a small family run business.

The Snapper boys, like our other wholesalers will more likely buy to order, buying only what florists request.

So what does this mean for you, our wonderful customers?

We may be forced to keep a reduced selection of stock. Foliage is particularly difficult to come by at the moment and what we can get is almost the same price per stem as flower itself. We can always order specific flowers ' on demand ' but there will be a delay in getting hold of them and it will be almost impossible to predict the cost.

However, you can be assured that at ' The Flower Shop ' we believe in maintaining quality, we will only use the best flower available, we will continue to use British growers wherever possible and I will always ensure you get the very best value for money.

So please bear with us during this difficult time, appreciating the real value of a carefully selected assortment of flowers, arranged and given with the utmost love.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 18:50:09 GMT

Is your garden ready for visitors?

While we're still not free to go away to romantic destinations with friends and family, we can always set the scene, relax and pretend we are on holiday at home. We are now free to meet up with small groups of our dearest friends and family outside and if you have a beautiful garden for entertaining friends, then I'm sure you'll have people queuing round the block, waiting for an invite.

Hopefully you've had time during the lockdown to tend your garden, no matter how small or large, but now that Garden Centres are now open it's a great time to fill those gaps, add some colour and create your dream space.

I often dream of past holidays in France, but since opening the Flower Shop I've had very little time to go on holiday, especially during the summer months, unless you count a few days in Hastings, but all that was going to change this year. We were booked for a week in Limousin THIS WEEK June 5th - 12th and John and I were devastated when we had to cancel all our plans. I love the towns, the architecture, the food, the cheese, the wine and the weather ☀️�� but living here in West Sussex, with it's vineyards, rustic barns and cattle it doesn't take too much imagination to think you are in France... I also like to practice my French so if you speak French and want to order a bouquet then by all means order in French ( that's if you don't mind who receives what or when and you don't mind me guessing what you'd like as a message).

I've also fancied going to Italy, again I like the romance, the wine �� and the food. So in my garden, I have an Italian terrace, sheltered from the sun by vines which produce the most wonderful grapes, olive trees in large pots and smaller pots of basil and oregano.

The French section has a bistro area, surrounded by French lavender, rosemary, thyme, a gravel base (perfect for a standing butler's tray and wine cooler) with lots of potted shrubs.

I also have a wonderful kitchen garden and a large hen enclosure.

During Lockdown I've been lucky enough to have access to a number of plants and shrubs which would have been for sale in the shop and I have been road testing some of the garden ornaments, pots and candle holders just to make sure that they look as great in situ and they do outside the shop. I've also had access to some priceless information and advice from the shop's horticultural expert 'Ruth'.

And as my loyal friends and customers I'm willing to share this valuable advice with you....

A friendlier way to take care of the garden

(and cheaper too!)

With time on my hands I thought I would write down a few of the remedies on how to deal with common problems in your garden, passed on to me by friends and family over the years.

The first problem is how to deal with weeds. Most people would probably turn to a shop bought weed killer but, although an effective solution, it is full of harsh chemicals that may damage your garden, rather than help it. You can easily make your own weed killer at home using natural ingredients. Simply mix together a bottle of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of table salt, stir until the salt is dissolved then add 1 teaspoon of washing up liquid and put into a spray bottle. Spray when the weather is fine and the air still (so basically not on a windy day or when rain is forecast). Spraying is by far the easiest way to get rid of weeds, but it is not without challenges. You run the risk of getting weed killer on the plants that you want to keep. The answer is to make a collar by simply cutting the top and the bottom off a tin can to make a cylinder. Place the cylinder over the weed you want to kill before spraying your weed killer directly into the collar.

Weed spraying will kill off unwanted plants in your garden, but what about the pests that want to eat your plants. To create an effective repellent just follow this easy recipe. The ingredients are 2 whole heads of garlic peeled and finely chopped, 2 big handfuls of mint leaves (or 2 heaped tablespoons of dried mint will do if you have no fresh) also finely chopped (or be lazy and blitz both in a food processor), 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, and 2 litres of water. Just put all the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and let it stand – preferably overnight. Strain the liquid into a container and add 1 teaspoon of washing up liquid. You can now decant this liquid into a sprayer and spray liberally on everything you don’t want munched by bugs.

Sometimes rabbits or deer will assume that your garden is their personal dining room and eat everything in sight. A bar of soap provides a solution to this problem, it seems that almost any soap will do. Just put the soap in the fridge overnight so that it is nice and cold and solid. Then simply grate it and scatter it amongst your plants. The smell of the soap keeps hungry animals away, but the soap itself won’t damage your plants. You’ll have to replenish it if they wash away, but other than that it takes very little effort for you to keep your plants safe.

We all like to use fertiliser to keep our plants healthy and encourage growth, but did you know that Epsom salts are an incredibly effective fertiliser? Epsom salts contains magnesium, which helps seeds germinate and plants absorb vital nutrients. It’s cheap, easy-to-use, and it will keep your plants healthy. Use roughly two teaspoons of Epsom salt mixed with one gallon of water per month. Water the mixture onto the base of your plants, then sit back and watch them grow!

This is an ingenious tip and one that I wish I had known years ago. When planting your garden or allotment, the spacing of plants is important. If you’re looking to get your spacing completely perfect, all you need is an old cake tin (one for making fairy cakes). In the cleared area where you want to plant, push your cake tin into the ground. Move it to the next space and push it in again, and so on and so forth until your entire planting area is covered in little fairy cake size dips. Then place your seeds/seedlings in each of the dips. Now isn’t that easy?

I also love this tip. If you want to save a little space in your garden, you can create a vertical planter with an old over-the-door shoe organiser. Make a few holes in the bottom of each compartment to allow water to drain. Then fill each compartment with soil. Then you can put a different plant in each section. This method is especially useful for creating cut and come again salad bar or herb garden. Loop the organiser over the shed door or attach it to a garden fence and there you have it—your own vertical garden that fits beautifully in any space.

Ruth Growney

Wedding Season!

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 31 May 2020 13:45:18 GMT

Not your average day at the end of May

This time last year we would have been up to our eyes in Wedding flowers, but this year is like no other.

We recently started to take orders for bouquets, weddings and funerals and we've been delighted with the demand for fresh flower bouquets for loved ones who have been sorely missed throughout the lockdown. We have enjoyed making them and have been even more delighted to see the look of joy on the faces of those who have been forcibly estranged from their family and friends for so long.

However, the absence of wedding fever at this time of year is painfully clear. Normally Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday mornings are frantic days in a florist's summer diary, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the freshest flowers, hoping that they will arrive in time to acclimatise and reach the peak of condition in time for the big day. Arranging the Bride's and bridesmaids bouquets, Groomsmen's buttonholes, Coronets, ' Thank you ' bouquets, garlands and table decorations scream ; love, family, friends, celebration and togetherness, like nothing else.

This week we supplied flowers for a ' virtual' wedding. It really was an actual virtual wedding ( I think that's an oxymoron ) where the bride and groom were dressed appropriately, were surrounded by flowers and recited vows, while guests were invited to watch a live stream of the proceedings.

I do hope that everyone watching, dressed up accordingly. These are very strange times, but this shows the lengths people will go to in order not to let obstacles such as a lockdown get in the way of love.

Personally, I'm also missing making funeral tributes and inviting families into the shop to discuss their wishes, to learn more about the deceased and what they will most be remembered for.

It's at times like this when 2 meters distance is like a having a cavernous gorge between you and another person.

I've loved seeing old and new customers coming back into the village and wandering between the plants and flowers we have outside the shop. Unfortunately I haven't been able to rush out and hug some of the people I've really missed, but a favourite customer of mine came by with a lovely surprise this week.

We have a number of charming men that come (came) into the shop on a regular basis, that's one of perks of being a florist, but there's one particular gentleman who I have great fondness for and who I often ask what he was like as a young man.

Well, this week he came in with a picture and what a 'looker'!! He could have been a film star!

That made my week and is a great reminder of how resilient humans are, that we all have a history and stories to tell and how very lucky I am to live in a small, close knit community like Pulborough.

The latest Government guidelines will allow us to open the shop doors to those wanting a floristry service, allowing us to discuss requirements face to face from INSIDE the shop. It's seems like a very small step forward as we are already allowed to take orders over the phone and I'm allowed to serve people wanting garden plants outside the shop, but I'm very excited at the prospect. I've already ordered up the required safety equipment to keep customers and staff safe and can't wait until June 15th.

Sadly still no hugging and kissing allowed though.

Keeping Safe

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 24 May 2020 15:13:49 GMT

A slow return to normality

It's been wonderful to see people in the village this week. In addition to people simply getting some fresh air and exercise, there's now more reasons to pop down into the village. The Little Bean Cafe has re-opened for take-away treats, serving up everything from a morning crispy bacon sandwich and a steaming coffee to a glorious afternoon tea. Suters the butcher is open as is Pulborough Stores and of course the Flower Shop is now OPEN!

It's also been wonderful to have staff back in the shop and customers coming through the door. I've so missed seeing people face to face. I can't yet hug everyone, but just seeing a friendly face and hearing laughter makes such a difference.

Opening hasn't been easy though.

Government guidelines have been a little tricky to interpret. Even during lockdown we have been able to operate as a florist, taking telephone orders and delivering bouquets, however, I chose to close during this time for many reasons.

Firstly the Dutch markets closed and the international supply chain broke down meaning it was difficult to get the breadth of choice and quality of flower I was used to, then there was the safety aspect.

Florists tend to spend an extraordinary amount of time with their hands in disinfectant, so even before we were all strongly advised to wash our hands as often as possible, I was happy that this was already happening within the shop, but with everyone on lockdown I just felt it wasn't worth the risk.

Most people have been delighted to see the shop doors open this week, but a few people have queried why our doors have opened while other businesses have remained shut.

While the shop was closed, I like many others, spent a lot of time in the garden. Popping out of the backdoor and across the lawn was about as far as I ventured, for weeks! There was plenty of weeding to do, but with the Lockdown being imposed, almost without warning in the middle of March, I and lots of other people hadn't yet stocked up on their spring and summer plants. So when the Government gave the green light to Garden Centres opening I was delighted and was able to stock up on hundreds of beautiful plants, many of which went straight into my garden, the rest of which are available for sale outside the shop.

But....

Could I open the doors of the Flower Shop to sell plants and operate as a florist at the same time?

It was a question I asked myself many times before opening. I knew I was able to sell garden plants, as we always have and I was able to sell flowers and fulfil orders for delivery or collection, but in order to keep everyone safe I have strict social distancing rules in place inside and outside the shop and I have spent hours on the phone to Trading Standards trying to clarify the situation as they were initially as confused as I was.

The outcome was...

I must continue to run the florist business from inside the shop, on the basis of taking orders over the phone with delivery or collection. While we encourage customers to browse all garden plants and ornaments (at a safe distance) outside and will come and find anyone wanting to purchase anything.

As for other business. I am desperately missing our friends and neighbours, the wine merchant 'Henning's. I'm told that they will be back open in a week or so and I for one, can't wait!!!

Our number, if you wish to place an order is 01798 875 488

Re-opening

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 17 May 2020 17:50:56 GMT

A slow return to something different

We closed rather abruptly on March 24th. We were planning to slowly wind down, expecting restrictions would soon be put in place, but it was quite a shock to have to close the doors so quickly. Before I knew it weddings were being cancelled and the international flower markets dried up, literally.

I would agree with all those who tell me I'm a workaholic. I just can't stop working if there are things to be done, but this enforced break to 'business as usual' has been like someone pressing a huge PAUSE button.

It wasn't like being on holiday .

The thing that makes a holiday, a holiday, is the chance to relax, unwind and not to worry, and there was plenty to worry about. In addition to my concerns about the business and most of all the impact this was having on my team of florists and their families, John found himself busier than ever, working from home and I was just getting under his feet.

The first week I busied myself by cleaning, cleaning everything. I was scrubbing, dusting, wiping and sprucing up everything in sight. Then when I couldn't find anything left to clean I started searching the internet for anything I might need.

Before long I found a sewing machine! Of course, how on earth have I managed this long without a sewing machine? I've been watching the Great British Sewing Bee and I was imagining myself whizzing up stylish new uniforms for everyone in the shop. I was so excited when it arrived but after pulling out the manual that came with it, I decided to leave it in the box.

During the day I had plenty to do in the garden. The weather was particularly good and I had quite a few plants left from the shop that needed planting, so that kept me occupied and out from under John's feet for a while.

Cocktail hour became earlier each day.

I would occasionally walk down the hill, into the village. There were still a few people about, the Butchers and Pulborough Village Stores were still open, but I missed being in the shop, I missed my flower shop family, chatting to everyone that came in, frequent visits to and from the Little Bean cafe and Henning's the Wine shop.

Everyday life .

However, as time ticked on and John's work eased up I suddenly found myself enjoying the time I had on my hands. Not having to get up at the crack of dawn, having the constant worry about not ordering enough flower or ordering too much, trying to anticipate weekly demand and staffing requirements, staying late into the evening trying to get wedding flowers done, hoping that every recipient would love and appreciate the flowers and the work that went into sourcing and arranging them. Second guessing what my customers might like or want in addition to fresh flowers and plants, sourcing items and buying in the right numbers.

I missed all the people I worked with, but I wasn't sure how much I missed the business.

Having time to sit in the garden late in the afternoon, the warm sun hitting the patio bathing everything in golden light, intensifying the smell of fresh garden herbs, listening to the hens happily clucking and Idris Elba (the cock) crowing, while sipping a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc was making the idea of early retirement extremely attractive.

John would have to keep working though .

After 4-5 weeks of Lockdown, when everything in the house and been cleaned to within an inch of his life and there wasn't space anywhere in the garden for even the tiniest 'additional' shrub, I decided to Spring-clean the shop and prepare it for the future and a potential re-opening.

After spending a few days in the shop, refurbishing and giving it a fresh coat of paint. I felt revived, excited about the future, a potential reopening and getting back to a near normal, but...

The new normal would have to be different.

Opening at all has been quite tricky and something I thought long and hard about. Under Government guidelines florists have been allowed to take orders over the phone for delivery or collection, throughout the Lockdown period, however because I couldn't guarantee our usual abundance of choice and quality I haven't until recently done this. Now that Garden Centres are allowed to open, I can open the Flower Shop for garden plants, shrubs and ornaments, while at the same time take orders for cut flowers and bouquets.

We are also following Government guidelines with regard to social distancing, ensuring that all our customers and staff remain as safe as possible when visiting the shop.

Also, I've decided to reopen with some changes. Going forward I've decided to close at 4pm Mon-Friday and wait for it....I'm closing for half day on Saturdays!!!

Missing you all!

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 17:37:53 GMT

I'm a florist get me out of here...

I am lucky enough to have a beautiful garden, a husband that puts up with me and a love of books, so life in lockdown could be a lot worse, but jeepers I really miss everyone!

Everyone in the village, everyone popping into the shop ( I almost wrote pooping in the shop, but I definitely don't miss them) , my friends in the The Little Bean Cafe who are always so welcoming and of course my lovely neighbours Henning's the wine merchants, but most of all I miss the lovely ladies that work with me, my fabulous flower shop team, who drive me nuts but at the same time keep me sane (most of the time) .

This little snapshot of life in the Flower Shop-Pulborough was taken just before we went into lockdown. We were obviously worried about what was to come but we were doing our best to keep everyone happy and smiling.

We are all keeping in touch as much as possible via social media and it's so good to hear what everyone is getting up to, but it's not the same as seeing each other and working with each other. Alison has been busy in her garden (digging a large hole) and has been sorting through decades of clothes, Annemarie has been sending us all pictures from her garden, Lisa has been teaching her chickens to play football and Becks has been keeping me generally entertained.

I'm sat here typing away, on my patio, watching John tend the veg patch, pretending I'm talking to a huge audience of Flower Shop followers but worried that I'm actually talking to myself.

Is there anyone out there?!!!

I've been spending A LOT of time in the garden and I'm so glad that I've kept well stocked. I occasionally nip down to the shop for a new garden ornament or two and you can still order and pick up essentials at the garden centre at the bottom of Bury hill, but I've really noticed the lack of fresh flower in the house.

My next ' How to... ' video is going to be putting together a small bouquet or posey from common garden foliage and Spring flowers, so look out for that on our Facebook page this week.

I can't say much else has happened this week. We had another fox attack yesterday and had to replenish the flock, but I'm not sure you want to know all the details. Fort Knox or Fox Knox as I liked to call it has got bigger and I'm pretty sure it's now impenetrable to undesirable wildlife. The weather here has been jolly nice and I have been pretending to be on an extended holiday in the South of France, but to be honest I'm ready to come HOME now as I'm missing you all!

Happy Easter!

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 13:30:26 GMT

Not your usual Easter weekend

I'm really missing my fellow florists, being rushed off my tiny little feet and seeing all my regular customers that come into in the shop.

This week we would have been ridiculously busy making up bouquets, creating beautiful springtime table displays and making lots and lots of Easter Wreaths to adorn doors inside and out, in celebration of new life and new beginnings!

I love Springtime, it's my favourite time of year, along with Autumn, Winter and Summer. I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by fresh blooms all year round, but there's nothing like scented Spring flowers and a bounty of bright green foliage.

The run up to Easter 2020 however has been quite different, probably for everyone.

For a change I have been getting under John's feet since he turned our kitchen into the head quarters of NATO . I have actually been moaning at him for working all the time and never taking any time off to entertain ME, no time to make me drinks, bring me the odd little snack or update me on what's going on outside the village.

It's SO boring having time on your hands when there's no one to share it.

Most of this week I've been BORED, BORED, BORED!

I bought a sewing machine last week, but I got bored just trying to thread it and I can't think of anything to do with it.

Then I decided to dye my hair... PURPLE!

Then I had an idea.

I needed to do some floristry and what a better time to show everyone ( I use the term 'everyone' carefully) how to make their very own Floral Easter Wreath, from foraged flower and foliage.

All anyone would need to get started was a wire ring and a bit of guidance from none other than ' The Village Florist ' so I set up a workbench in the garden, scrambled together some bits and pieces, things that most people could find in their garden or someone else's garden ( I'm not condoning unauthorised pruning of other people's bushes, so always ask before getting out your hedge trimmers) and persuaded John that the world economy wouldn't collapse further if he took a 10 minute break to film my demonstration.

If you haven't already seen it then, here it is HOW TO MAKE AN EASTER WREATH by Claire Denman

It's never to late to give it a go, if you've missed Easter simply refer to it as your Spring Ring.

Safe at Home

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 16:51:02 GMT

Keeping social while at home

There's nothing like interacting with people day in day out. It's probably why I chose to become the village florist and why I'm not very good at being a stay-at-home wife and being cut off from the community is something I'm struggling with.

I'm ever the optimist and I know we are all going to come through this and the Flower Shop will be open again. In the meantime I'm in constant contact with the lovely ladies I work with and I'm planning some great blogs and social media posts to keep you all entertained, and to give you lots of ideas on what you can do to brighten up your home and garden for however long it takes.

So what have I been up to since we closed the shop? Firstly...

I bought a sewing machine!

I have no idea why, it was one of those impulse buys before all the shops shut. I don't know how to use one or what I'm going to make, but that's half the adventure. If anyone has any ideas, do let me know, otherwise I'll use my imagination and you can all look forward to some interesting items in the shop.

At the moment the sewing machine is on standby.

My days have so far been spent, scrubbing .

My kitchen floor is spotless, as are my skirting boards, cupboards and worktops. I exhaust myself, flop into a chair then spot something else that could do with a scrub. While the weather has been good I've been spending most of the day, in between scrubbing, mixing horse manure (kindly left outside my gate by the poo fairy) into the soil to feed my little veggies growing in my kitchen garden. I say MY kitchen garden, it was John's veg patch but I've made an executive decision and taken it over. After all NEEDS MUST!

John's working from home and to get any work done he's had no choice but to give me ownership of the trowel and to hope for continued good weather. Thankfully I have the good company of my dog 'Mikey' and my community of chickens. All with their very own unique personalities and hair-dos. The one helping me in the onion bed above is Mrs Slocombe!

TOP TIP - I'm finding that having a set of 'day-pyjamas', not wearing any make-up and letting my hair grow wild is a great way of social distancing. It stops me wandering down into the village and prevents me answering the door to visitors.

Most of my village florists have been out in their gardens this week. We've been keeping in touch by exchanging garden pictures and what we've been up to. Alison has been busy digging deep rectangular holes, for what purpose I'm not entirely sure.

Excuse the unintentional link, but the one thing I'm really missing being able to do is funeral tributes.

If I could get flower delivered to my house I would love to be able to continue making these. Funerals at the moment can only be attended by close family who are local and it makes me very sad that we can't celebrate lives with beautiful, fresh flowers and I send anyone who has lost a loved one recently my deepest condolences.

I want to end on a brighter note so here's a picture of the brooks not far from my house. I'd like to say it won't be long before you see me in a lycra cat-suit jogging along the bank, but you'll be glad to know that's highly unlikely.

Keep connected and remember to let me know if you have any ideas for what I can do with that sewing machine.

Still finding things to smile about in these strange times.

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 18:39:56 GMT

When the little things do mean a lot

Without doubt the day will come where we simply can't get the beautiful array of flower that we have been used to receiving every week, but we are more than a flower shop and my team are more than employees.

I have some thoughts on what we can do when our supply chain collapses or demand drops, but for now we are doing our very best to spread a little joy and happiness in these very testing times.

Today is Mothering Sunday and plans to spend precious time with Mother's across the country have been dashed, plans for special lunches in favourite restaurants, trips to the theatre or just tea at home have all been put on hold. Mother's Day and the days leading up, have always been the busiest days of a florists calendar but this year we have been unbelievably busy. We bought as much flower as we possibly could as we didn't want to disappoint anyone who was looking to brighten the day of someone stuck at home, unable to physically be with those they love.

It was only days ago that trips out with elderly or vulnerable were still on the cards, but as these events looked less and less likely, orders for flowers increased significantly. We were inundated with orders and requests, and for many reasons we did not want to turn any of these orders down. Our delivery schedule was already chockablock but on Friday we were still taking orders for Saturday and Sunday.

As I sit here with a G&T in hand, the last few days have been a complete blur and to be honest I'm having trouble remembering anything. All I know is that my whole team have been flipping amazing!!!!!

I've even had some amazing customers. I've hardly had time to check our social media channels, but I know we've received many messages of support and thanks, which have kept us all going, but best of all one wonderful lady came in at just the right moment with.... CAKE!!!!!

Annemarie hobbled out with her foot still in a brace and volunteered to help with Saturday's deliveries. Thankfully the weather was dry and fine which meant she could load bouquets in the back of her convertible and together with Alison's daughter they were like the Flower Shop Batman and Robin unlike John and Michelle who were more like The Krankies (I'm not saying which one is which) but they came back with a few interesting tales. Apparently they went on a few magical mystery tours around the Sussex countryside (that was their excuse for literally taking hours to deliver a dozen bouquets) .

Back in the shop, I was quickly losing the plot. There was myself, Becky, Lisa and Alison so together with all the flower and bouquets waiting to go out, there was barely room to move never mind keep two metres apart. We were all well and confident that we wouldn't be infecting each other, but then we had to add customers into the mix and that's when things started to get a little cosy.

At one point I thought we'd hit a lull. The phone hadn't stopped ringing and there had been a shop full all morning, but suddenly we found ourselves with time to take a breath. It was when I got a second to stop and assess the situation that I absolutely lost it. Despite Batman and Robin , The Krankies and Alison's husband and second daughter filling up numerous times with bouquets to deliver, the sea of bouquets in the shop didn't seem to be getting any smaller. I couldn't find anything and when I realised that I might have sold a bouquet for collection to someone accidentally I flipped, ran to the door and started banging my head on the door frame, pulling faces through the glass panelling.

It was only after a minute or two that I realised that people had stopped coming in and were queuing up down the street. Everyone was being very British and standing a good two metres apart which meant the queue was all the way passed the Butchers, passed the Pelican crossing, then snaking back towards the shop.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were all out here, can I help anyone" I said in my best business voice, pretending not to be at all surprised and embarrassed.

Things are changing on a daily basis, so I really don't know how things are going to pan out, but what is foremost in my mind is keeping everyone safe, spreading a little happiness wherever possible and ensuring that we all come out of this stronger as a family, business and community.

The affects of COVID-19 on a small village in England

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 16:50:34 GMT

Let's all move to Ambridge.

I wasn't going to mention Coronavirus this week as I'm sure most of you are fed up of hearing nothing else. Also I was listening to The Archers ' omnibus this morning and before it had finished, it dawned on me that news of COVID-19 had not yet spread to Ambridge .

As a rule, I am not one to panic (well I am) but when I'm in a panic I become unusually level headed and in a crisis I love to ... CLEAN!

If I'm stressed, bored or really should be doing something but can't think what, then the thing that helps me focus is a good scrubbing.

As I've mentioned more than once, good florists keep their shops and work areas scrupulously clean because they are working with living produce which has be cut and needs to be kept super clean. So if you need to get out of the house and want to pop to the shops then the Flower Shop is a reasonably safe place.

Not only do I want to keep you and your family safe, but after the bad cold I had last week that completely knocked me out I realised how important it was to keep the Flower Shop environment germ-free not only for our customers who come in, but for our staff too.

While the world is in a state of confusion over what is the best approach, what is going to happen and how long it's going to last, it's surprising how quickly the ripple affect from abroad and from major cities has found it's way into our small little village, here in West Sussex.

To be fair, we are a commuter village from London so a significant percentage of the population come and go, probably doubling in numbers every evening and at weekends. These commuters which include my husband John, could easily be picking up 'nasties' from the big city and bringing them back, which is probably why a lot of city employees are being asked to work from home and why we are seeing lots of 'new' customers coming in during the week.

Deliveries are up too. Maybe that's because people don't want to come into the village and we're happy to deliver within 4 miles free of charge and maybe people who are self-isolating just want to be cheered up with a beautiful bouquet or potted plant. Although our delivery driver was struck down with a bug on Friday, she had none of the Coronavirus symptoms I should add, but spent the day on the sofa, under a duvet feeling poorly...not too poorly for a French Fancy though!

According to my brother (who just happens to be married to our delivery driver); after 6 hours of lying under a duvet, being mostly asleep but occasionally waking to complain about not being well, he opened a box of Mr Kiplings' French Fancies and put the open box on a small side table. Within seconds a weak, pale looking hand emerged from under the duvet and grabbed a yellow fancy and whipped it back under the duvet, seconds later another fancy (a pink one this time) disappeared leaving just the empty wrappers.

So, if by some strange chance, Coronavirus can present itself without any of the chesty symptoms associated with it...could Mr Kipling hold the cure?????

While the World Health Organisation investigate this and advise on what we need to do next, here are some pictures of what we have in the shop to cheer us all up and take our minds off more serious issues.

Forget Coronavirus, it's the flu!

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 13:15:25 GMT

While the world is on alert it's easy to forget everyday issues and how families and communities pull together.

I'm not belittling the potential issues of a Coronavirus pandemic, but let's not lose sight of the common cold and the effects it can have on our lives. Owning a shop and working with the general public greatly increases the chance of catching something. We shake hands, hug, open and close doors and exchange money all day long, but before you start to panic, you are less likely to pick up more than you bargained for at The Flower Shop than almost anywhere else. We spend all day elbow deep in disinfectant and bleach. Flower is very susceptible to bacteria and unless buckets, vases and surfaces are kept scrupulously clean our precious stock can quickly be infected.

But believe it or not, I do venture out of the shop every now and again and it seems somewhere along the line I picked up a nasty cold.

The week started off badly when the shop's card machine caught a mystery virus, turned blue and suddenly died and I immediately went into panic mode. I tried banging it on the work bench, pulling out all the plugs, pressing all the buttons, screaming at it and calling John and screaming at him too. None of this worked.

Lisa, has learnt to say nothing and offer no advice when I ' go off on one ' and continued making up the morning orders and answering the phone (doing a great job of explaining why we couldn't currently take phone payments, due to a slight technical error) .

Eventually, I got through to a technician who got me to stand on my head, recite a nursery rhyme, count to ten and do a tap dance and hey presto, I managed to breathe life back into the magic box and normal service in the Flower Shop resumed.

I struggled through Monday and Tuesday, fighting hard to stave off the effects of my cold. In addition to the constant hand washing, I was coughing into my bosom (there's no chance of anything escaping alive from there) and overdosing on cold remedies which unbeknown to me at the time I shouldn't have been mixing with some other medication. I lasted until Thursday morning, when I almost collapsed and John had to drag me home on one of the garden trollies.

Thank heavens for the Flower Shop Family, they were AMAZING!!!

I always struggle to take time off and never ever imagined being too ill to come into work, but I seriously couldn't stand. I couldn't even work from home, I tried doing flower orders and checking the VAT from my sick bed, but it was futile, I couldn't focus, due to the mix of medicines I was having weird hallucinations.

Back in the shop, things were running as clockwork. Lisa has an amazing ability to stay calm in a crisis and she soon had everything organised and Michelle stayed on to do extra deliveries. Lisa was due to leave in the afternoon to be replaced by our lovely new florist Cathie, who is the newest member of the Flower Shop Family, but she quickly rearranged her afternoon, leaving her children to fend for themselves (not really) just so she could stay in the shop and do what needed to be done.

I keep using the term ' family' because that's just what it's like. Everyone stepped up and pulled together to keep business going and to keep customers happy. I kept well out of the way, in fear of passing my germs on and actually felt relaxed and reassured that I'd still have a business to come back to. Lisa, Becky, Alison, Cathie, Michelle, Amie, John and Phil you were all FANTASTIC!

If you are wondering where Annemarie and Rachel are. Rache is still on maternity leave and Annemarie broke her ankle while hiking in New Zealand and had to hobble across miles of uneven terrain to get help, so she's resting up at home, although both continue to provide mental support.

I have been recovering well over the last few days and I will be fighting fit, full of vigour and back in the shop tomorrow, preparing for MOTHER'S DAY which if you don't know is on Sunday, March 22nd . We are already taking orders and have a limited number of delivery slots still available.

And the card machine is still working, so we can take contactless and over the phone payments!!!

Mission of Love

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 17:27:30 GMT

The date that only comes once every 4 years

Everyone knows that February 29th is a special date when traditional roles can be reversed and you can get away with almost anything (as long as it's legal). If you happen to be born on February 29th then this date is even more special and requires additional celebration.

The last couple of days I have been full of mischief, not only because it was my grandson's 1st actual Birthday yesterday, but because I was chosen to go on a 'Mission of Love'

A very well known local lady (I can't say who), who is very much part of the Pulborough community (I really can't say who) , came into the shop and set me a very exciting task. I had to make up a stunning bouquet which had to be delivered together with a card that had a very special message.

Our usual delivery driver, Michelle, was out and about in the van, but she wasn't having this job. This was a job for The Boss (that's me not Bruce Springsteen) . Besides what if Miche delivered it to the wrong person...can you imagine that? Imagine someone getting a surprise proposal, calling their partner to say YES and being met with complete confusion, or worse what if someone had only been on one or two dates and thought the proposal was for them? A YES or NO in this case might be not be the answer the other person was expecting.

No, I had to do this one myself.

Bouquet made, message written and off I went.

I arrived at the target's office. Instructions were to deliver the flowers and card to AB (that's my code name for the target).

I had driven to the target's office in my car as not to give any clue as to what was happening. I snuck, around the back of the car in stealth mode, trying not to look highly suspicious (possibly failing at that), I carefully took out the bouquet and armed with THE card in one hand and an enormous bouquet in the other I ventured toward the office reception, pressed the button and waited to be let in.

I was buzzed in and there I stood in reception. I gave the target's name to the lady behind the desk and insisted that I needed to hand over the 'package' myself. I didn't want to chance the card being overlooked or being left on the side until someone noticed. I was imagining the person who entrusted this important mission to me, waiting with bated breath for THAT phone-call. The phone call that meant my mission had been accomplished and the message had been received.

The target approached and I thrust the bouquet at him as if it was about to explode and then I handed him the card..... then I turned and ran!

I ran as quick as my little legs would carry me and dived into the bush right in front of the office window. I wanted to get a picture of the very moment that 'the target' read the message.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED and PHOTO EVIDENCE SENT.... but at this point I was unaware of what the ANSWER was. I had to wait until I had driven all the way back to base, before I was told.

The answer was... YES!!!!!!!

We also had a 21st Birthday for an 84 year old lady ��

Growing Greener!

183:812725728 (Claire Denman) — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 15:30:08 GMT

Reducing the Flower Shop's environmental footprint, one step at a time.

You might think that Floristry is a very GREEN industry. Our stock is not only beautiful to look at, it is produced by nature and is completely compostable, however there are lots of ways that florists can further reduce their environmental footprint and this is something I'm particularly passionate about .

Sourcing LOCAL FLOWER whenever possible. Most flower is now grown in Africa and South America, but while we like to offer customers a wide range of flower all year round, I also think it's important to save on thousands of air miles by buying as local as possible, as frequently as possible. Our biggest supplier of British Alstroemeria is only a few miles away and we already have a huge order in ready for Mother's Day. So when you order your Mother's Day bouquet you can be confident that not only will they receive a beautiful arrangement, but a lot of the flower will have been sourced locally and will look at it's best for longer.

We regularly use OASIS (as shown above, noting that these are not my hands, no florist ever has hands like this) but it isn’t easily biodegradable and ends up in landfill. I found this shocking and over a year ago I began searching for biodegradable oasis. There were are some varieties available which were more environmentally friendly, but at a cost. I didn't want to increase costs to our customers, but I felt that this was so important that we now use biodegradable oasis wherever possible and costs are slowly coming down.

CELLOPHANE , again something we use all the time, not only for wrapping but for creating aqua-packs (Hand-ties in water filled cellophane pouches). For obvious reasons aqua packs can’t be water soluble and therefore tend not to be biodegradable, but what else can we use?

Aqua packs are very popular, but there are alternatives; we can send bouquets in glass vases for only a fraction more than it costs to aqua-pack and box , customers can even bring in their own vases which we’d be more than happy to fill with the perfect arrangement or we can simply wrap and deliver in tissue and paper, finished off with lengths of reusable ribbon.

Since last year cellophane has developed further and there is now cellophane which degrades quicker, meaning you won't find the wrapping for your bouquet, floating about in the ocean. We are already using this new cellophane and you will hardly know the difference. The only thing you need to remember is to do as advised and remove your flowers from the aqua-pack and place into a vase as soon as possible...thereby avoiding a soggy bottom!

POTTED PLANTS , are a wonderful alternative to cut flowers if you want to save on waste. We have lots of potted arrangements which we pot here in the shop, which we will wrap in tissue and paper. I love sourcing different pots and rustic planters which match our vintage, country style. I look for all sorts of containers that will look great indoors and out. If you see something you like it's always best to grab it while you can as I can never guarantee that I'll be able to get them in again as I like to use niche suppliers, like one chap who drives up from the South of France once a year with home and gardenware made from reclaimed tiles and clay guttering from derelict buildings.

The most EXCITING news in my quest to become as green as possible is....

I'm soon to replace the Flower Shop Van with an ELECTRIC powered vehicle!!!!!

I'm terrified of letting our delivery driver out in a new vehicle, but it's for the good of the planet.

The new van won't be here in time for Mother's day on Sunday March 22nd (a subtle reminder to get your orders in soon) but it will be here by April 1st, 2020.

The Nightmare That Was Valentine's Day

Sun, 16 Feb 2020 17:49:58 GMT

Life as a florist isn't always as it seems

When you see me laughing and smiling in the shop it's usually because I'm happy. I genuinely love working with flowers and being in the heart of the local community. I get great pleasure from delighting people, going the extra mile and exceeding expectations.

It's why I opened the shop, I love to please, I take it very hard when I fail to do this and when my best efforts are met with rudeness and mis-understanding I wonder whether it's all worth it.

Let me explain...

Fridays are generally busy in The Flower Shop , people are going away to visit friends and family, planning dinner parties, having people to stay, celebrating, relaxing and spending time at home. Flowers play a part in all these activities and I hope the shop here in Pulborough makes these times extra special.

This Friday it also happened to be Valentines Day .

Hundreds of people who never usually buy flowers for their loved ones, want beautiful bouquets containing the freshest, reddest roses available. This is absolutely fine and my pleasure to provide, but so do hundreds of thousands of other people, all across the country and getting all the stock needed for this takes lots of advance planning and a certain amount of guesswork. Getting orders in advance helps but there will always be a large number of last minute requests and people popping in.

By Thursday morning I had everything organised, I had enough staff in to make up orders ready for Friday's morning deliveries and most of the roses had turned up, all we needed was the foliage and a wide selection of complementary flower and the arranging could commence. It was going to be a long day and probably a long night, followed by an early morning.

Then DISASTER struck!

The second delivery of flower failed to turn up. The wholesaler was unable to deliver and I really felt as though we were COMPLETELY and UTTERLY STUFFED!

AAAAAAAAAGH! @$%^&)(!!! ***^^%$!!!! (All swear words have been edited out)

After having a near mental breakdown and flooding the shop with a torrent of tears.

I managed to pull myself together and think. I got on the phone to one of our other wholesalers, hoping that they would be able to cover the missing stock, thinking there wasn't a chance in hell. Unbelievably, they said that they could, but it wouldn't be until Friday morning.

While hugely relieved, I had no idea how we were going to get all the bouquets made up on Friday morning, while the shop was open. I hardly slept on Thursday night, I was up at the crack of dawn, just pacing, knowing that there's was nothing I could do until that delivery arrived. I had a funeral to go out and contract work to fulfil, that was ready and waiting to go and I was desperate to get them out, but I had to wait at least until the sun came up.

I sent John out with the funeral as soon as I could and spent the next hour pacing around the little space there was in the shop, given that the floor was completely filled with thousands of pounds worth of roses. Our driver Miche, turned up early thinking she could get started on the early deliveries but the was NOTHING for her to do, so I sent her home again.

Then the flower delivery turned up .

The floor was completely covered. Becks and Ali turned up and just managed to squeeze in through the door. Soon we were frantically preparing flower, stripping, cutting and getting them into buckets ready to arrange. There were at least 100 orders on the clip waiting to be made up, some for collection, some for delivery.

I had two delivery drivers on the go, driving in opposite directions, trying to fulfil requests for early morning, mid morning and mid-day deliveries, before moving on to the afternoon. We can't guarantee delivery times for reasons like the above, literally anything can happen, but as always we do our best. When deliveries can't be made because there's no one in and there's nowhere safe to leave them, then the drivers have to bring them back to the shop, which makes things doubly difficult. As the number of bouquets to go out increases, there's nothing worse than having bouquets that have gone out, come back in.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur, we were working so fast but aware that each bouquet had to be extra special. Doing my best and going that extra mile was still at the forefront of my mind, letting anyone down would feel like failure.

The phone had been ringing all day and whoever picked the phone up had to sound calm and in control, which at times was somewhat difficult. This time Becky picked the phone up and quickly tossed it over to me as if it was on FIRE .

It was a bride , she was getting married on Saturday, the very next day and ...her florist had been involved in a road traffic accident and was unable to make up her bridal bouquets!!

"Yes, of course I can do that for you, this evening, yes, yes, that's fine"

Oh flaming heck, why do I do this to myself!!! ????

That was a question I kept asking myself all afternoon. When an irate customer phoned wanting to know where his flowers were, knowing John was stuck in the mud trying to reach his house and again, when another customer who wasn't in when we'd tried to deliver to earlier that day came into the shop and insisted we re-delivered the bouquet to his house, despite them having been returned and there for him to take.

I managed to keep my composure until the end of the day, not wanting to let anyone see I was crumbling and not wanting anyone else to feel that they had let me down in anyway. I continued to tell myself that whatever had gone wrong that day it was my fault and only I could fix it. I went home that evening and just sat looking at the wall, with a glass of wine in my hand, wondering if I could go on being the village florist.

Saturday was another day and tomorrow will be a new week.

Bring on Mother's Day!

Reverse Gear

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 13:40:23 GMT

Delivery driver has a small scrape

Our lovely delivery driver Michelle skipped into work as usual on Friday and we had a number of deliveries ready and waiting for her. It’s always fun planning the delivery routes, as quite often Miche can end up going backwards and forwards and round in circles depending on when the orders come in.

On Friday we were organised. As a rule we can’t guarantee delivery times, but this week we had a funeral tribute that had to be delivered to the church at a very specific time, for obvious reasons (as a rule all flowers would go to the funeral directors in advance, but this was going direct to the burial), so Miche had to be there at precisely 11.30pm.

However, before setting off for the church there was time to squeeze in a couple more deliveries. Miche wasn’t sure they’d be time because she’s what some would call a ‘careful‘ driver. I would call her a dawdler!

You won’t catch Miche speeding. So maybe she was right to be concerned given the two earlier deliveries were the other side of a long 30mph stretch.

She left at 10.50am and returned to pick up the funeral at 11.20am. She was cutting it fine and pulled up outside the shop in a bit of a flurry. Quickly re-stocking the van with the graveside arrangement and a number of other deliveries before shooting off, almost doing a wheel spin as she left.

I’ve never seen her move so fast, ever!

About an hour later she returned, having successfully delivered flowers to the church, Amberley Castle and Storrington Primary School.

However, when she returned she looked a little sheepish.

“Everything OK?” I asked

“Er yes, sort of” she replied “It’s not a huge dent, more of a scrape”

DENT!!! SCRAPE!!!????

“Not my newly re-sprayed silver panels?”

“Errr…”

Apparently, it was a low wall which jutted out into the road, totally invisible in either side mirror.

It’s lucky we’re family, that’s all I can say.