DARLING BUDS We asked some of our favourite local florists to reveal their latest sustainable arrangements that will be trending for weddings throughout 2022 ELLIS ROSE FLORAL DESIGN Natalie and Gary Drake are the husband and wife duo behind Exeter-based Ellis Rose Floral Design, named after their children. “They’re always on hand to fill up water buckets and are great little conditioners!” Natalie tells us. Natalie does most of the designing and drawing of ideas which Gary then works out the mechanics for to bring it all to life. “Gary’s an expert at wiring so most of our floral crowns are his designs while I love creating the big statement pieces,” Natalie explains. “Our varying styles complement each other but we can both turn our hand to the other’s style easily. We love capturing each couple’s style and bringing that drama and excitement to our work so it reflects their personalities and provides a beautiful backdrop for them. We see flowers as an art form to create something beautiful with.” Looking ahead to new-year weddings, Natalie and Gary believe that dried and fresh blooms mixed will be a big trend. “The large wow-factor flowers are also proving popular when combined with simple table arrangements,” Natalie explains. “We promote seasonal varieties where possible and try to buy a mixture of flowers from local growers. When we do use a wholesaler, we check that safe and fair conditions are applied throughout the supply chain using socially responsible growers. Most wholesalers are very good at ensuring that you have visibility of the supply chain right back to the grower.” The couple uses eco-friendly mechanics behind their designs. Natalie says, “Unlike floral foam, moss doesn’t need to be hidden so we can utilise sustainable methods that not only keep costs down but also become part of the design and look beautiful. We never use single-use plastic and we reuse, recycle, and repurpose everything possible that comes through our studio - for example, the boxes that the flowers are delivered in are cut down and used to make smaller presentation boxes for bridal bouquets or boards to present buttonholes on. We try to ensure that as much moss and chicken wire is broken down after each event and reused for the next one, and even elastic bands are taken off deliveries and kept to be reused. Leftover floral material is put on our compost heap and then used on our vegetable patch at home. We try to make sure that unused flowers that can be dried, are, meaning that they can be used in the future.” Photography of Ellis Rose Floral Design courtesy of www.paigegracephotography.co.uk ✿ www.ellisrosefloraldesign.com www.facebook.com/ellisrosefloraldesign www.instagram.com/ellisrosefloraldesign THE FLOWER PRESS SHOP Ellie Truscott is the owner of The Flower Press Shop, a specialist botanical and flower shop located in the heart of Truro. As well as providing beautiful, bespoke flowers for weddings and events, they also deliver gift bouquets in and around Truro. Ellie tells us, “I go foam and plastic-free for my wedding installations, preferring to work with moss and wire instead. Where I can, I source local flowers from growers such as Perdie’s Flowers (www.facebook.com/perdiesflowers) and The Cornish Flower Patch (https://thecornishflowerpatch.co.uk), especially during the summer months when there are plenty of choices.” Photography of The Flower Press Shop courtesy of www.photographybyadamlang.co.uk and www.sofiemichellephotography.co.uk ✿ 01872 270 463 https://theflowerpressshop.co.uk www.instagram.com/theflowerpressshop FLOWERS 55
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