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It's been a while since I shared images from a styled shoot, and hold on to your hats because these are some of the most stunning photographs from any I've done to date. And that's really saying something, especially as I've done so many lovely shoots this year! Michelle, the photographer, had her work cut out with quite a dark backdrop, which included a stage complete with spotlight and bright red curtain. She knocked it out of the park, and what initially seemed like quite a difficult place to shoot ended up creating some really cool and dramatic photographs. A music venue based close to Manchester's universities, The Deaf Institute would be a quirky and alternative choice of venue for music lovers. We decided to go bold with the flowers, mixing deep red-purple scabious and hellebores with pale pink roses, frothy white lisianthus and paperwhites, as well as fresh and bleached dried ruscus. I also added a black trailing silk ribbon to finish the alternative styling of these wedding florals. Emma's beautiful dress had a vintage 40's vibe, and we paired her make-up look to reflect the moody colour choice of the flowers. Michelle used the lighting to her advantage for many of the shots, and some of my favourite images have to be the black and white photographs taken against the stage spotlight - they required perfect timing but the result is pure vintage glamour. Here's the full list of suppliers for this shoot: Photography: @weddingsbymichellelouise Model: @emmasames Florist: @a_pocketfulofposies Bridal: @ameliasbridal Venue: @deafinstitute Mel x

Getting hitched in one of the summer months and not sure which flowers you would like for your wedding day? Following on from the Spring list I curated earlier this year, here's a selection of flowers currently blooming here in the UK that are perfect for using in your wedding florals to not only look beautiful, but also give a little nod to the season. Cosmos This is a great focal flower that adds bounce and movement to a wedding bouquet or arrangement, and it's one I wouldn't be without over the summer months. With a bright yellow centre that looks reminiscent of a daisy, Cosmos is a colourful, cheerful and happy flower that never fails to catch the eye. My favourite varieties of this flower include Apricotta and Apricot Lemonade, both of which feature a very pretty pinky-peach hue that works well to transition between colours in a bouquet. Sunflower The quintessential British summer flower, Sunflowers just ooze happiness and that's what makes them such a commonly chosen wedding flower. While bright yellow is the main colour associated with a sunflower, you might not know they also can be found in different colours including pink and purple, although these varieties of sunflower are not easy to find as a wedding flower. These bright yellow beauties make the most stunning focal flowers in bouquets and installations and will really make your wedding florals pop! Sweet Pea There is no prettier fragrance than that of the humble Sweet Pea in my opinion, and those of you who grow them or know someone who does will be able to attest to their strong and beautiful perfume. These dainty flowers are a wonderful transitional shape to use in a bouquet, their delicate tendrils add an interesting element and the range of different colours you can find them in means they'll often complement your chosen colour scheme. They are, however, very fragile and can easily wilt out of water, something you might need to consider if you're getting married on a hot day. Delphinium Delphiniums, and their close cousin the larkspur, are wonderful additions to wedding florals, especially if you're hoping for a meadow-style arrangement along your aisle or top table. These long, linear flowers are great for adding height and are famous for bringing a pop of bright blue to designs, however they also come in white, purple and pink too! If it's a cottage-garden vibe that you're hoping to achieve for your wedding, delphiniums are a classic choice. Hydrangea Thanks in part to its large size, Hydrangea is an elegant flower for adding bulk to a design, and has long been a popular choice for weddings. Often available in pastel or white/cream tones, florists like to use them to create asymmetrical designs with one large focal flower, or use them as a series of statement blooms in an installation display. Giving impact while also managing to look quite delicate because of its cluster of small flowers forming one larger head, it's easy to see why it's such a favourite amongst brides and florists alike. So there you have it, five beautiful flower choices for the summer months! Are there any varieties you would add to this list? I'd love to know! And, if you're planning a summer wedding and would like to chat about your flowers, please do get in touch.

When I was asked to be a part of the Stockport Florist Collective (Stockport being just down the road from me and blessed with a number of great florists), I was thrilled to have some flowery friends I could meet up with for some professional solidarity, camaraderie and, perhaps, collaboration. Let's be real for a second, it can be very isolating running your own business and working for yourself! The theme was Manchester icons, so the idea behind the flower installation was to emulate the Stockport viaduct, an imposing landmark on the skyline that has been around since the Victorians. We wanted to create a structure that was built from man-made objects such as metal, brick and wire, and then weave organic material through it, so the overall effect was that of nature reclaiming an old industrial icon. As you can see, it was very much a joint effort, and we all pitched in to brainstorm ideas, design, plan and prepare, before working in shifts to create the final installation. Going down to see it later that week with my family was such a proud moment, and I was so happy to see how busy the whole flower festival was, and how much attention our arches received. If you're close to Manchester and you've never been to see the festival before, keep an eye out for it next year as it's a brilliant day out and features installations from many talented florists as well as gift stalls and food shops aplenty. Thanks so much to my fellow florists MillieBuds, Indie Bloom, The Garden of Iris and Love Florals, and I'll leave you with these wonderful photos of our design, captured by photographer Fiona Finchett Mel x

This styled shoot took place in a privately owned hall in the Staffordshire countryside, which has been refurbished and turned into a luxury wedding venue. The organisers wanted understated and timeless elegance in whites and greens for this one, with plenty of froth and texture. I chose Alpe d'Huez roses and ranunculus for this frilly, dainty bouquet, accented with phlox, genista, gypsophila and eucalyptus. A cream trailing silk ribbon finished the look. This vibe continued inside the venue, and I echoed the bouquet with a small meadow box for the signage, then wired gypsophila and eucalyptus to wreath rings to create some simple table centrepieces. Adding tall floating candles to the centre of the wreaths gave the most beautiful effect. Even the cake table was given a little sprinkling of fluffy gypsophila, but do be careful of adding this near any foods as it is toxic! In our case, the top tier of this particular cake was a 'dummy' cake so it was fine to add some to the top, then we carefully placed some around the bottom without letting it touch, to match the wreath centrepieces. We had both a model couple and a single bridal model for the day, and between them they showcased quite the array of beautiful dresses! Amy, the bridal model, did a brilliant job of posing with the bouquet, and these fabulous images were taken by the Content Creator on the day, The Social Wedit. Here's the full list of suppliers for this shoot: Venue @standonhall Photographer @joel.ejdys.photography Model couple @jasmineandliam_ Bride model @amylou.model Dresses @troyka.design Shoes @freyaroselondon MUA @makeup_kmsbeauty Hair Stylist @faye.elizabethhair Stylist @sparkleeventstyling Stationery @kaylaandjamesdesign Veil @becciboosshoes Embroidered veil @tabithatextiles Hair accessories and jewellery @cassiembridal Jewellery @kimberleyelizabeth_jewellery Cake @lolliandbeancakes Florist @a_pocketfulofposies Wedding Celebrant @celebrate_with_elizabeth Videography @thatweddings Content creator @thesocialwedit Confetti @yourconfetti Mel x

This week we turn the spotlight on possibly the most popular wedding flower of all - the Rose. These beautiful flowers have long held a cherished place in the world of weddings, with their timeless elegance, versatility, and varied colour palette making them a perennial favourite among couples. From classic bouquets to elaborate venue decor and installations, the use of roses in weddings has a long-held history, adapting to trends while maintaining their enduring appeal. Roses have long symbolised love and passion, and one of the most enchanting aspects of roses in weddings is their incredible versatility. These blooms seamlessly adapt to various wedding styles, from the classic and romantic to the modern and avant-garde. They're a hardy flower that can hold up for a few hours out of water, making them perfect for bridal bouquets and installations, and the size of some varieties means they also work really well as a focal flower. One of the key things about the rose for me is the choice of colours available, which allows for endless customisation, ensuring the bouquet complements the bride’s gown and the overall theme of the wedding. They also come in a multitude of varieties, each with its own unique characteristics, hues and shapes. Some popular styles include: Hybrid Tea Roses Known for their classic beauty and long stems, hybrid tea roses are favoured for their elegant ruffled appearance. They boast a high petal count and come in various shades, making them a go-to choice for formal arrangements. Garden Roses Garden roses exude a vintage charm with their lush, full blooms and captivating fragrance. Their ruffled petals and larger heads make them a luxurious option for show-stopping bridal bouquets and abundant centrepiece arrangements. Spray Roses With multiple smaller blooms per stem, spray roses are perfect for helping to create fuller arrangements. They work well in buttonholes, corsages, and smaller bouquets, adding texture and dimension. Miniature Roses These petite roses are perfect for intricate designs and smaller décor elements like cake decorations or hair accessories, adding a delicate touch to the look of your wedding. So many brides request roses for their wedding day, and with this list it's easy to see why! If you would like to feature roses as part of your day and have a style, colour or even just a vibe in mind that you would like to achieve, please get in touch and together we can design the wedding florals of your dreams! Mel x

So earlier this week was Earth Day, and it spurred me on to think a little more about how I approach sustainability within the business and how I could improve things going forward. We all know by now that floristry as an industry has a huge carbon footprint, and I knew right from the start that I wanted to run my business in a way that would minimise harm to the planet and not add to the problem to the same extent. Of course, good intentions don't always equal good working practices and Greenwashing most definitely is an issue across the board, so it's important to occasionally look at what's working and make any changes required. The main thing, for me, is to look at all my packaging. The aqua packs that I use are made from a biodegradable film that hasn't been working all that well for me, from annoying leakages to the fact that, even though it might be a more environmentally friendly option, it's still very much a single-use item. So, I'm currently exploring new ideas and how I can transport in water without the need for an aqua pack. This might be with the use of recycled jam jars, vases that can be kept and refilled or simply just a rethink on the sorts of items that I offer. I'm also going to be looking at reducing the amount of paper and card included in each order to minimise waste - this could mean the option of adding on a flower care card or a packet of flower food to your order, rather than them automatically being provided. This of course all takes time to work out and implement, but I'm hoping I can come up with a solution soon! As we enter the start of the British flower-growing season, I'm also looking forward to going back to some of my favourite growers this year and will soon be offering locally grown bouquets again! As a florist who creates all year round, I do use a mixture of both imported and locally-grown flowers, but I'm passionate about supporting the small businesses who grow seasonal varieties and using them as much as I can in my designs during the spring and summer. This year I'm working on a wedding that uses all-British flowers and I absolutely cannot wait! I'm hoping this is something I can do more of in the future going forwards. British-grown bouquets will be available as a subscription in either 3 or 6-monthly increments from the end of this month, and you'll be able to enjoy the changing of the seasons as the contents of the bouquets will vary each month depending on what's currently growing. It's the perfect gift for the eco-conscious nature lover in your life! Check out the Subscriptions page for more information. Mel x

A few months ago I travelled to Preston to take part in my first styled shoot! It was a really fun and relaxed day (the perfect way to ease myself into editorials!), and the request was for flowers in deep colours to suit a Rock & Roll vibe. I chose statement chrysanthemums in a red & pink colourway, then matched them with black Cala lilies, deep red roses and Germini, pink spray roses, dried amaranthus, waxflower and black-berried ivy. The result worked perfectly with Sharon's wine-coloured suit and contrasted beautifully with Emilie's stunning black Riley & Flynn dress. Red and pink were also introduced with some awesome bespoke leather jackets from Niamh Designs, which featured floral embroidery on the back - an inspired touch! As well as a bouquet, I provided bud vases for the tables and created a sustainable table spray on site, which was created with moss wrapped in a biodegradable liner, then covered with chicken wire. It was a last-minute decision to create this, but I was so pleased with how it came out. Possibly my favourite image from the day is this one, of the bouquet alongside Emilie's Dr Marten boots. It perfectly sums up the alternative vibe and I just adore the dark and moody style of Millie Angel's photography. Here's the full run-down of vendors on the day: Venue - @Blackhorsepreston Models - @lawrenceemilie @shallonstone Makeup - @sophiejakemanmua Hair - @bridalisedhair Dress - @ryleyandflynn Leather Jackets - @niamhdesigns Florist - @a_pocketfulofposies Graphics - @millieangel_photography Photography - @millieangel_photography

Last September saw me teaming up with some other floral designers at a workshop run by wedding florist Meadows & Mulberry, and together we learned to create a set of completely foam free show-stopping wedding flower installations. These large-scale installations have become more and more popular with brides in recent years, and it's easy to see why with these fabulous photos. It's crazy to think that this beautiful broken arch has been created without the use of any floral foam, but I promise you that it has! We layered up several different types of foliage to create this wild and full look, starting with thick swathes of fir for coverage before going in with the lighter, more decorative varieties. We used a mixture of both British-grown and imported materials here, with everything from dahlias and roses to rudbeckia and zinnias all in earthy tones, with pops of blue and purple courtesy of hydrangeas and limonium. Broken arches like this typically start from around £600, and they are usually created on-site the morning of your wedding at your venue. They make a wonderful ceremony backdrop or frame for around an entrance door, and some can also be moved to a different area afterwards so you can maximise the value from your wedding florals (this does depend on mechanics and placement, so be sure to ask your florist about this if you would like this for your wedding!). The Moongate is another popular design which looks amazing in photographs as a backdrop for shots of the bride and groom. Again this was created using sustainable methods, all in shades of pink and red. We concentrated the flowers around the lower half of the Moongate, with just a few scattered blooms and a wisp of foliage around the top before tapering off, giving a natural look. However, you could have the whole circle covered if flowers and foliage if you prefer. Moongates start from around £650 for a full circle and again, are usually created on-site at your wedding venue. Luscious and sustainable wedding flower installations like this really elevate the look of your wedding, adding luxury, beauty and fragrance to your decor and giving visual impact to your wedding photographs. If you're a flower lover who wants your wedding day to be filled with beautiful blooms while also minimising your impact on the planet, these designs are a great choice.

If you're not a gardener it can be confusing to know which flowers are available at each time of year, which is why I have put together this series of posts to help give you an idea! Early spring can be a tricky time for wedding flowers, as many of the more well-known options loved by brides, such as the peony or the dahlia, are still a few months away from being available. However, you absolutely CAN curate a simply beautiful wedding style using flowers that are typically in season at this time of year, and the results can be truly stunning! Here I run down just 5 wedding flower options for the spring season. Anemones These statement flowers work so well for weddings as they look impactful in bridal bouquets thanks to the contrast between their dark centre (often black or deep purple) and their delicate petals. They are available in a range of eye-catching colours, from the most exquisite bi-colours and jewel tones to soft pastels through to pure white, so you're likely to find the right hue to suit your wedding palette. Anemones tend to bloom from early spring right through to early summer. Ranunculus I love everything about these dreamy flowers! The ruffles, the movement, and the scent all make this a fabulous choice for a spring bridal bouquet. Ranunculus flowers have delicate, layered petals that resemble those of peonies or roses, making them incredibly elegant and easy to pair with other flowers to create a cohesive style. Their intricate layers add depth and texture to bouquets, contributing to a romantic and sophisticated look that brides love. Tulips These flowers are probably easily identifiable to most, but not everyone will think of them when it comes to wedding flowers. However, tulips come in the most beautiful range of colours and bi-colours, styles and shapes, from double tulips to parrot and fringed varieties. They add a pretty touch to bridal bouquets and can even be used on the bulb for long-lasting and natural-looking installations and table centrepieces. They're definitely worth keeping in mind for your spring wedding! Narcissus The most commonly-known member of the narcissus family has to be the daffodil, but it's certainly not the only variety available at this time of year! My favourite has to be the Bridal Crown, with its creamy-white to pale yellow colour and soft ruffles. However, a good choice for wedding flowers is the Paperwhite, with its masses of tiny white flowers giving scale and interest to a bouquet otherwise full of large single-bud blooms. Being beautifully fragrant to boot, these delicate flowers are a great way to give a nod to spring in your wedding florals and decor. Hycainths These lovely linear flowers just scream spring to me, and as an added bonus they come in a variety of beautiful pastel colours befitting of the season. Their interesting shape gives height, while also being delicate enough not to shade other flowers in a bouquet or centrepiece. However, when using hyacinths in wedding flower arrangements it's important to consider their strong fragrance, which can be overpowering in enclosed spaces. Be sure to discuss this with your florist and consider the placement of hyacinth arrangements accordingly. As always, chat to your florist about the colours and shapes you would like in your wedding flowers and let them guide you - they'll have many more suggestions to suit your season and budget!

Hey! It's been a while! If you've read this blog before, you'll see that it has transformed somewhat from a record of all things cutting-garden related, to being the home for my floristry business. It made sense to incorporate the blog into my website, as it'll allow me to continue showing people behind the scenes of both my floristry work and the flowers that I grow. The cutting garden has also changed rather a lot these last few months, and there have been some successes and plenty of failures! We're now in June so tulip season is over, and looking back it's clear that tulips are wonderfully cheap to buy but not particularly easy to grow or harvest! Half of my tulips did well, but the other half didn't at all. I think as far as next year goes, I'll buy tulips from the British growers and just plant some in my garden for my own enjoyment. It wouldn't be a surprise if they'll do much better in the ground rather than a pot (and certainly in a larger quantity!). Mount Everest and Full Star Anemones both did fantastically well and with very little maintenance, and I'm happy to say that I was able to use my own home-grown orlaya and cornflowers in some bouquets recently too, which felt like a bit of a milestone moment! The orlaya has been beautiful and plentiful, long lasting in bouquets, good for drying and is an unusual, airy addition to an arrangement. Something I will definitely grow again! However, as well as the tulips there are other things I probably won't bother with going forwards, including sweet peas (I harvested a couple of flowers but most of the plants died off in the heat), alliums (only one of the handful of bulbs sprouted and the flower was underwhelming) and nigella (I found these infuriatingly difficult to grow!). I also still have some seedlings in my greenhouse that I need to plant out soon, including helichrysum, cosmos and callistephus, so I'll write another post about those, but one thing is for sure so far - growing my own cutting garden has been a delight!

Resplendent with its gorgeous ruffles and large statement-making size, the peony is an easy contender for one of our all-time favourite flowers. On many a bride's must-have list, it makes an absolutely beautiful addition to a bouquet or large-scale floral installation. Romantic and often sweetly fragranced, the peony has come to symbolise prosperity, love and good luck, especially in Chinese culture where the name itself translates to 'Mǔ dān' which means 'the most beautiful'. However, the peony can also be an absolute diva, arriving in small, tight buds complete with sticky residue and tiny resident insects, before blossoming quickly and then dramatically falling apart. If you don't get the timing right for your wedding or event, you're in trouble! The bloom season for these flowers is also quite short, falling for just a few weeks between May and June, so if you want to use these for your wedding you will need to keep that in mind. Peonies come in a range of colours complete with quirky names, from the classic white frilliness of Duchesse de Numours and the soft pastel pink of the Sarah Bernhardt, to the vivid colours of Coral Charm and the hot reddish-pink Buckeye Belle, with many more colour varieties in between. These bright, blousy flowers make great focal flowers, as you can see in the bouquet here! Equally, white peonies are perfect for bridal bouquets and floral wedding installations. Paired with other focal flowers like roses, zinnias or dahlias, they help to create that sumptuous look of volume and glamour, making your wedding decor look more expensive than it actually is! In fact, peonies are rather affordable as a focal flower when they're in their peak season, packing as much impact as the traditionally more expensive rose, so they're a great choice for any early summer wedding. If you would like to find out more about featuring peonies in your wedding flowers, please get in touch!

I haven't written much about my cutting garden lately, as the seed sowing has tailed off completely and once the last of my flowers, the Rudbeckia, have faded I'll be sorting through planters, planting bulbs in some and storing the rest away over winter. While I have had some successes this year, there have been many lessons I'll be taking away from it. One lesson will definitely have to be that over-wintering seedlings isn't worth it in the climate I live in and with the tools I have at my disposal. So, seed sowing will wait until the spring! Another is to simplify things and streamline my growing list - between running a business and a household, it was all too easy to fall behind and I lost lots of seedlings that could have otherwise flourished! That's why it was such a delight to take the pressure off and finally get back in the garden over the weekend just to make up some simple autumnal planters. These will be used to brighten up the front of my home. I took out the very disappointing wildflowers that had previously been designated for this oblong planter and instead added this colourful heather flanked by two tiny evergreen shrubs for contrast. I adore the colours of this heather, and I'm hoping it will last well into the winter season. I also added some hot pink cyclamen plants to a round planter next to my front door, as well as this beautiful dark foliage known as Heuchera Melting Fire.I just love how dramatic this foliage looks, and I may even be treated to some constrasting white flowers come the spring! These planters were a quick, cheap little project to add some colour and interest over autumn and winter, and they've made me so happy. Isn't it amazing how just the act of getting out into the garden lifts your mood?