Thank you to everyone who participated and supported us this afternoon for our inaugural BloominBarnetbins. It was a wonderful afternoon. You can look at all 10 bins and like your favourite @Bloominbarnetbins on Instagram. The winner is the bin that has received the most likes by next Sunday.

Many hands make light work as we collect flowers from M&S Whetstone, Aldi’s East Barnet & Tottenham and receive wonderful donations from Tivoli and former Capel Manor classmates Vicky & Ann. This afternoon Sunday 19 May from 1.30’- 3.30 at 3 separate venues throughout Barnet 10 teams will be competing again the clock and each other to decorate in as imaginative a way as possible public litter bins on the theme of re-cycling, using only donated flowers. If you’re in East Barnet come down to Oak Hill Park, if you’re in the vicinity of Grahame Park Estate, Barnwood Park or Market Place East Finchley please come and say hello. The winner will be the bin that receives the most likes on Instagram @Bloominbarnetbins please follow it so you can vote. May the best bin win!

Last weekend I held a pop up shop at the Community Hub and it was lovely to meet well wishers, pledgers, new neighbours and friends old and new - thank you for your support. I’m busy re-stocking and the Hub will be open once more on the Sunday and Monday of the bank holiday weekend at the end of May, 26 and 27 May. We’ll have coriander from the young offenders’ garden available - which was grown by them from seed and other herbs will be coming through the season. I had a wonderful meeting with our architect and builders on Thursday - the architect Amadeo will be our Project Manager and he’s really grasped our needs. We hope that work will begin next month. On Sunday 19 May 10 teams are taking part in a competition against the clock to see who can decorate a public litter bin in the most creative way. You’ll be able to watch us on Instagram @Bloominbarnetbins and vote for your winner on that Instagram page. Finally my thanks to the amazing Helen Harte for overhauling the website she’s done it voluntarily and it’s wonderful. Thank you.

Yesterday, Saturday 4 May we held the first of our 2 day pop up events in our makeshift space. It was wonderful to meet neighbours, friends and pledgers so thank you for coming. The Hub is open again today from 1 - 4. The hanging baskets in this photograph were made by the young offenders from baskets that were donated and bedding plants that had been thrown away and which we’ve been able to resurrect. I’m really proud of them. It’s been great to be able to use the space and the building works that are going to happen soon will help the space flow better - so please bear with us as we are a work in progress.

Cont’d/.. (Apologies for the abrupt end of my previous message but my computer just malfunctioned) but I said that I’m taking the builders around the premises on Friday and I hope it won’t be too long before they’re able to start work. I am still aiming for the Hub to be opened on Saturday and Sunday 4 and 5 May next weekend between 1.00 and 4.00 pm and if you’re able to come down it would be tremendous to have your support. Our Chelsea Fringe event takes place on Sunday 19 May and for those that want to take part I’ll be holding a meeting at the Hub on Wednesday 7 May at 7.30 pm - please let me know if you can come. I had an Instagram conversation with Lewis Miller this week who’s delighted that we’re going to be decorating bins - he cheekily asked if he could take part!! Have a great week. Ursula

On Thursday I delivered my first batch of confetti to Haringey’s Registry Office - it’s really kind of them to road test it for me. This afternoon I held my first workshop at the Hub - the participants were incredibly patient as they sat in mismatched chairs, ate with plastic cutlery in a bare room but no-one cared or really noticed in the end as the results were fantastic. Monday is quite an eventful day as I finally start work with Barnet Young Offenders receive the architect’s draft proposals for the Hub. On Friday I’m taking the builders round the space for the first time and hope that they’ll soon be able to start wo

I’d been contacted a few weeks ago by a theatre company whose forthcoming production “Funeral Flowers” required floralising. It was serendipity that the lovely Marie & Paulette contacted me to say they’d been to their mum’s grave and could I use the old foam - the foam pieces were seen in the production at The Bunker, along with contorted willow from Tivoli and lilies from M&S on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. Yesterday I signed a Service Level Agreement with The Felix Project which will allow me to collect flowers on their behalf from M&S Whetstone and Southgate - their flowers are really beautiful and I hope to start collections after Easter. I’m expecting to receive the architect’s draft plans for the shop after Easter but in the meantime as we enter peak gardening season I’m planning on opening the shop as a pop up for the first bank holiday weekend in May (4th and 5th). The shop is empty and very much a work in progress so please bear with us. Tonight is the first night of passover and I made this centerpiece earlier in the week I’m not too sure on the state of it’s pungency but it’s certainly effective for a night. Have a wonderful break. Ursula

I must begin by apologising once more to those kind people from Friern Barnet for being unable to deliver the Flower Bank Hub in N11 and that I do appreciate your support. Last Monday I visited the new premises in New Barnet with the architect Ulrike from what-if an architect’s firm used to working with social enterprises who’s drawing up plans to convert the space into an area for floristry display and space for activities. There’s some building work that needs to be done such as inserting windows and creating a new door but I’m hopeful that work can begin on the space in May with completion by June. The picture I’ve attached is one of my first feeble attempts to dress a litter bin. For those who don’t know The Flower Bank is taking part in the Chelsea Fringe Festival on Sunday May 19 at a few locations around Barnet, don’t worry it’s not too late for you to sign up for the day - please feel free to contact me as it’s wonderful to hear from you.

This afternoon I signed a lease on a premises which will become The Flower Bank Hub unfortunately it won’t be in Friern Barnet. The decision wasn’t taken lightly but after weeks of soul searching both my solicitor and Advisory Board told me that the most sensible thing to do was to walk away from “the old florist”. To say that there were a few issues with the fabric of the building would be an understatement plus there was the unexpected hidden cost of a non negotiable £16,000 deposit which only reared it’s head during discussions. The new premises are at 45a Leicester Road, New Barnet former home to mental health charity Heart Reach. The landlords couldn’t be more amenable and there is a small garden space which we’ll be able to use. If you have any comments please get in touch and I’m sorry to have disappointed everyone in Friern Barnet.