At last I have found the time to share with you photos of my final fabulous day at the Sussex Flower School back in June.
You can find the photos of Day 1 and Day 2 in my earlier posts. Day 3 was both exciting and sad, as it marked the end of my long awaited mini holiday. After packing my bags before breakfast and saying farewell to my friends, I set off to The Sussex Flower School with my vintage finds from a shopping trip to Lewes carefully tucked away in the boot of the car.
I knew that Georgia would appreciate the possibilities of the birdcage I had bought and took that straight in to show her. I was delighted when she suggested we do something with it immediately!
She showed me how to build an oasis base covered in moss that would fill the bottom of the birdcage. I then used roses, rosebuds and nigella to create the arrangement which sat on the moss.
The birdcage looked lovely in its final home on a friend’s coffee table.
After yet another delicious lunch, we moved on to look at weddings. Although I am not planning to do any weddings, it is always good to know that you can if you need to. We made a lovely bouquet bound with a delicious satin ribbon. In contrast to the spiralled bouquet I had made on Day 1, this rounded arrangement was created by holding the flowers loosely in one hand and placing individual flowers in as as I built up the arrangement. I used a mirror to check how it looked as I went along and Georgia taught me to make sure that all the colours flowed through from the centre to the bottom of the arrangement so that the dome would look balanced. When the dome was complete she taught me how to secure and bind the stems with the beautiful ribbon. The cafe au lait colour matched the roses perfectly.
My final task was too make a wired buttonhole. Sadly I forgot to take any pictures of the results, but I have to say this was as much fun as I have had since I used to make Plat Doh models when my children were little. I was initially sceptical, thinking it would be too fiddly. Actually it was totally addictive and I can see myself doing this ‘just for fun’ in the winter months. Although I don’t have any immediate need for buttonholes, the technique would easily adapt to napkin rings and I have plans to use it for dinner parties.
After this it was time to say a sad farewell to Georgia, pack my arrangements carefully into the car and set off on the long drive back to Suffolk. I had a wonderful time at the Sussex Flower School and picked up all kinds of tips and techniques to help me in the future. I have a pile of notes to work through, with suggestions for books, magazines and supplies I might use, as well as practical reminders of what I have learnt.
If I lived closer I have no doubt I would be a regular customer but in spite of the long drive, I will certainly be looking for an opportunity to make a return visit!
As well as the website, you can find Georgia on Facebook and Twitter.
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