A review from Lovely Local Indie guest writer, Charlotte A Taylor – find Charlotte on Instagram or read more of her posts.
[AD – PR invite] No doubt is it true that something means more if you make it yourself. This is exactly as much as I am finding out every time I return home and see the impressive wreath I made on the front of my door. Vicky from Blooms & Bantams kindly invited me to one of her workshops at the beginning of December and fuelled by Christmas tunes and mince pies, we set to work making our own wreaths.
When we first arrived at the impressive Fox in the Box in Dronfield, Vicky greeted us and took a drinks order and then we set to work. We were introduced to all the local foliage and items neatly separated and sorted. We were then given a copper wreath and used twine to attach the sustainable moss to it. Vicky said that it was one of the only items not local to Derbyshire but it was specifically grown to be harvested. I loved that, and the ethos of the whole evening.
When the moss was firmly attached it was time for the arrangements. I won’t give away Vicky’s secrets but needless to say, we got a lovely balance of instruction and freedom. The perfect teacher in my opinion. I didn’t want holly or berries so instead I opted for a more boho eucalyptus spray of mixed grey greens.
After finishing the last section, we secured our decorations- dried lime and oranges as well as cinnamon for me. There were pine cones and berries too for those wanting to introduce some festive merlot tones. The finishing touches were bow and ornament. We were offered an exquisite section of velvet ribbon- in the evening light I was regretting my choice of forest green but on my door when the fabric caught the light it looked superb. We added a little ornament on the bottom to give it a super luxe vibe and a sweet jingle.
It’s no surprise to me that florists are the happiest of workers. Immediate feedback, working with nature as well as all those cytokines floating about (look up the Japanese practise of Shinrin Yoku [or forest bathing] if you’re interested to know more about this). I had such a wonderful time and learnt about native plants and shrubs as well as aftercare. Vicky gave us the hoop for an extra large wreath and I have to say everyone who has come to our door has commented on how good it looks- I’m so proud of it next to our sweet little pine cone knocker.
Best for:
Taking a friend for a meditative yet productive festive evening.
Details:
Blooms & Bantams is based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Founded by Vicky, after ambitiously setting out to grow her own wedding flowers. Find out more about Vicky’s inspiring story here.
Each week from spring Blooms & Bantams will have flowers for sale that truly represent the British flower season. From gift bouquets to more extravagant wedding flowers, Vicky can help add beautiful, sustainable flowers to help celebrate your events throughout the year.
Visit the Blooms & Bantams website or follow on Instagram.
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