The Unexpected Holiday

My world of flowers was going bloomin’ well, the year had got off to a strong start, and March was packed with corporate work, weddings & funeral tributes, together with the start of a very exciting new corporate account. Mother’s Day weekend was my busiest ever, and I had a nice little photoshoot at the end of the month scheduled. Life was good, and all the hard work I’d put into my floral business was paying off. And then came the COVID-19 economic crash, which saw the majority of my business vanish over a mere three days! I doubt even Mystic Meg saw that coming…

I spent the first few days rushing around all my corporate clients, retrieving vases before they all closed, and rescuing all the plants I had supplied and maintain, to keep them alive during lockdown. My house was suddenly transformed into Chelsea Flower Show, it felt somewhat decadent having so many vases of fresh flowers displayed in one house, probably the closest I’ll get to experiencing a day in the life of Elton John! The flowers have all gone now, but the plants are in abundance, looking green and luscious, and somewhat jungle-like - I’m sure the postman has raised an eyebrow on more than one occasion!

With this unexpected holiday now ahead of me, and having little idea of how long it would last, I was determined not to press the pause button on my business, even though I’m no longer planning my corporate flower order every week, and filling copious amounts of vases with flowers. I’m constructively using this time to develop my website and make contact with potential clients who are still open for business. I’ve created a dedicated Funeral Flowers section, together with a Plants & Planters section to my website, showcasing my work.

Flower wholesalers have now reopened, albeit with reduced deliveries, however, I am sure I can speak on behalf of many florists and say how delighted we are for the huge efforts wholesalers have made in getting the flower supply chain back up and running, to allow us to continue to supply flowers behind closed doors. Unsurprisingly business is significantly quieter in lockdown, but I am supplying final tributes to families who thought it would be impossible to obtain flowers at this time, and there has been a steady stream of bouquet orders placed, for birthdays, anniversaries, and of course bereavements, and indeed just to brighten someone’s lockdown.

I also received a very prestigious order to create the official wreath to mark the 456th birthday of William Shakespeare, which was laid in the grounds of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. The Shakespeare Birthday Parade has taken place every year since 1893, with the only exceptions being during the First and Second World Wars, and of course, this year, which shows the enormity of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The garden has, of course, received much more attention than it’s ever had, it’s amazing what you can achieve with a little spare time and some decent weather, and I’m also sporting quite an impressive tan for April! My beloved greenhouse has had a good clean out, and is now looking very orderly with tomato plants, and seed trays full of salad & vegetables, courtesy of my lovely florist friend Becky at foxgloveandferncornwall.co.uk.

My new bed has also had some serious attention, there’s not a weed to be seen, and I’ve acquired some new plants to fill it out a little, which is a challenge during a lockdown - who would have ever imagined in a country of gardening obsessives, it would be so difficult to acquire plants. Last week’s delivery of plants felt like finding the golden ticket! Of course it’s too early in the season for much to be in flower yet, and the tulips have now gone over, but I do have some colour to focus on in the shape of Scabious, Convolvulus, Ceanothus and Camassia. And I also have one very obliging Spring Clematis Macropetala Purple Spider in bloom and looking very elegant as it meanders through one of my favourite David Austin roses, Roald Dahl.

Hopefully, this unexpected holiday will come to an end soon now, my corporate clients will reopen their doors, and I’ll start filling all those vases again. All my postponed brides will start rescheduling their wedding days, and new dates can be set for my cancelled workshops. And my world of flowers will start to flourish yet again. But until then, let’s all stay home and stay safe.