I said hello again to people I haven’t seen for 18 months this week. First on Tuesday with Age UK and then on Friday at Barnet’s Health & Wellbeing Hub in Hendon. There was enormous anxiety from both groups around doing activities face to face but overwhelmingly the desire to return to “normal” was greater. Later on this morning we’ve got our 4th Zero Waste market and if you’re around please drop in as we’ve got lots of stalls and new vendors. All the marquees we use are donated by the wonderful Bob Burstow who is very accommodating and to whom I’m extremely grateful. Have a great week. Ursula

The week’s exciting week started with a late night pick up from The Garden Museum on Monday night. The scene at midnight was a hive of activity with caterers and stage managers dismantling Google’s reception at speed. I left with a boot full of gorgeous plants and headed back to North London taking in the wonderful sights London has to offer. On Thursday there was an event at London’s first carbon neutral office block at 22 Bishopsgate. The foliage from the event was sent by electric van to its consolidation centre in Borehamwood. The use of this consolidation centre has led to an estimated reduction of vehicle trips to 22 Bishopsgate from 1,300 to 50 per week. Yesterday was Tottenham’s annual flower and produce show and I ran a children’s workshop - the weather was great and it was wonderful to catch up with friends I haven’t seen for 2 years. To top off my wonderful week I caught up with Vanessa (see photo) who I met years ago when I was an Events Organiser for Haringey Council. She’s become a Paralympic shot putter who’s ranked 3rd in the world and who’s just competed in Tokyo. This week I’m back to running face to face workshops for Age UK and Chinese Mental Health Association and there’s no fear that I’ll be running short of foliage any time soon. Next Sunday 19 September is our 4th zero waste market and if you’re able to come down and join us that would be tremendous. The market runs from 12 - 4. Have a great week. Ursula

I love this time of year, it’s full of optimism and new beginnings. Tomorrow the kids return to school and a routine after a disrupted end of last term; I re-start my weekly flower classes at Lady Sarah Cohen House; it’s Tottenham’s Flower & Produce Show at Lordship Rec next Saturday 11 September, the same weekend as Barnet’s Medieval Festival - tickets for which are on sale at the shop. I spent yesterday making a medieval sword to advertise the event and realised The Flower Bank’s colours are definitely in the camp of St Michael as everything used in its manufacture was repurposed from Marks & Spencer; and finally in 2 weeks time on Sunday 19 September our markets start again. In the last few weeks I’ve been contacted by a number of companies asking me to collect flowers from their events, so tomorrow finds me collecting plants from the Garden Museum at midnight and 170 table settings from Battersea Power Station at the crack of dawn on Friday! Last Thursday myself and 4 wonderful volunteers (see Dan Dan in the picture) helped make the buttonholes and bouquets for a wedding their enthusiasm always blows me away as it’s in sharp contrast to the young offender who visited the next day. Eventually with much cajoling he helped create an apple from red carnations for our Rosh Hashanah window display, next week he’s going help me sort out our back garden which will be interesting as he’s already told me he hates soil! Shana Tova to those of you who celebrate and have a great week. Ursula

Sorry for the late sending of today’s weekly message but the place I was staying in last night had dodgy/zero wifi. Anyway, a brief message today to ask if anyone has an IKEA play tent (see picture below) and if they do please can I borrow it for 3 weeks. It’s to advertise the forthcoming Barnet Medieval Festival (11 & 12 September) and will be in the shop window. Also as of next week you’ll be able to buy tickets for the event from us. Have a great Bank Holiday. Ursula

It’s the height of holiday season, New Barnet is eerily quiet but we’re still busy with visits from young offenders and volunteers. The photograph shows Chieko one of my wonderful volunteers proudly showing off her stunning arrangement in a vase kindly donated by Sue Arran. Last week I confirmed 2 pick ups for the first week of September what I mean by that is bookings to pick uo flowers from the end of an event. The first is a midnight collection from The Garden Museum on Monday 6th and the second 170 small table arrangements from a PWC event at Battersea Power Station on the Friday. I’m waiting for photos of the arrangements before I book a van but PWC will pay me to collect. This dinner is for 700 and not their first this year as they’d managed a socially distanced one for 300 observing all the protocols back in June. Yesterday I received a desperate phone call from a florist in Alexandra Palace who’d just had a bride cancel her Sion House wedding. Unfortunately she said both the bride and groom had tested positive for Covid and could I use their flowers? Could I …… so far I’ve turned the bride’s bouquet into a housewarming gift and some table arrangements into a buffet arrangement for a celebration of life party. Have a wonderful week. Ursula

Last weekend following a visit to my local cemetery I posted this image and a rant bemoaning the floristry industry’s abuse of single use plastic in funeral arrangements to my Instagram account. I’ve half heartedly talked in the past about lobbying the Council to get them to ban polyribbon and plastics at funeral services but this time, buoyed by comments and support I did. I emailed Councillor Sara Conway the lead on cemeteries with this photograph asking for the Council to ban the use of polyribbon and to use natural foliage instead and calling for cemeteries to provide a recycling area where the plastic rails and trays could be placed following a funeral. She responded quickly to my email and forwarded my request to the Council, they take 5 days to reply, so fingers crossed they respond positively because I won’t take no for an answer. I’ve been contacted by a number of crafts people about stalls at next month’s market as well as North London Waste Authority who are keen to promote their recycling initiatives and I’m really delighted that the market is generating such wide interest. A number of floristry students have been in touch recently asking for work experience as it’s August it’s a great time to have them here because it’s quiet. By and large I’ve been lucky as they’ve worked hard and had interesting stories to share but I was blown away by Julie, who I met for the first time this week. She told me about the severe abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex partner who’s now imprisoned for his crime and how she’s found a joy for life through floristry, moments like this make you reflect on your own life and are truly humbling, I can’t wait for her to come back. Have a great week. Ursula

Getting ready for Wednesday’s wedding was a huge team effort so thank you Sue Arran my go to Chuppah guru for your advice and help and Naomi, Lubna and Chieko. Lubna & Chieko started volunteering with me following a 5 week introductory course they’d both done at Capel Manor about 2 months ago. Since then they’ve gone from strength to strength helping me prepare flowers for 2 weddings, a bar mitzvah and a funeral! Last week’s wedding felt like a midweek mini break as we were at an amazing country house venue called North Mymms Park. Scenes from last year’s lockdown must see Bridgerton were shot there and the bride and groom and their party had the entire house and grounds to themselves for the day. Julie and I felt very much “below stairs” as we watched their stunning wedding from the sidelines, I’d been wearing a work apron all day and later on after the service several people asked me for directions so clearly the apron is the new hi vis jacket. The bride and groom and their family were all marvellous and this wedding booked a year ago actually went ahead on the day with no deviation or hesitation. It’s back to reality now and thanks to the Urban Flower Farmer and Sue Arran once again for the surplus from the weddings they’d prepared last week. Have a lovely week. Ursula

I can’t believe just how much I’ve let my week be dominated by the Tokyo Olympics - I even got the young offenders on Monday to decorate our window on an Olympic theme. My normal early morning starts were pushed even earlier as I became entranced by everything from BMX to Tae Kwondo. I’ve got my first Chuppah to decorate on Wednesday (a chuppah is the canopy that a bride and groom are married under in a Jewish wedding) I’m delighted the couple have faith in me. On Monday I’m talking to an events company who’d like to start using us for events but in the mean time I’m back to a nail biting golf play off for bronze. Have a great week. Ursula

The market last week was a phenomenally hot affair, so hot that the icing melted on Blondie box’s cakes. All that seems a long time ago as this week we’ve created funeral tributes for Laura, wedding flowers for Joy & Sam, a buttonhole and corsage for a prom, prepared endless farewell and thank you flowers for teachers - oh and collected flowers from Nobu Hotel in central London. Collecting the flowers was an experience as I’d been dreading the drive but as it turned out we sailed into Portman Square in 45 minutes. The Sat Nav directed me through Regent’s Park where we drove amongst a sea of cyclists with an occasional sighting of another car and it felt very eerie. We loaded up the car and headed back home to turn them into table arrangements, buttonholes and bouquets for Joy & Sam’s wedding the following day. Thanks to Lubna, Chieko, Wai and Julie for your help this week you’ve been amazing. Lubna and Chieko have only just completed a 5 week crash course in floristry at Capel Manor but worked as if they’d been in the floristry industry for years. We were sustained throughout by Theo’s iced lattes! This week looks a bit calmer and I need the peace to get straight and tidy in advance of Comic Relief on Wednesday. Have a great week.

Today is market no 3 and it’s going to be a scorcher. I can’t believe how quickly the month has passed and I’m looking forward to catching up with our stallholders and volunteers who are all wonderful. At this market we welcome a new stall “Grow fromTotteridge Academy” who crowdfunded in the round after me and are a learning and community farm based at Totteridge Academy in Barnet (quite near The Flower Bank). They’re going to be selling their farm fresh produce. Comic Relief didn’t come this week as their photographer was self isolating so they’re re-scheduled for a week on Wednesday. Talking of self isolation please spare a thought for my younger daughter and her Year 8 bubble. After self isolating for 10 days earlier in the month she was in school for just one day to be told to self isolate again for 10 days. This meant no traditional end of term larks and happily for her No Sports Day, She’d been chosen to do the relay which she swore blind she was ok with but I think self isolation was preferable. Still, the rules change tomorrow which should make everything so much clearer!!! Next Saturday we’re preparing flowers for our first wedding and on Friday I’m supposed to be collecting flowers from a corporate event at Nobu in Mayfair. I received a phone call from a Leeds event based company who were pitching for an event in London in September and wanted to name The Flower Bank in their section on Sustainability - the world of events is really opening up. I spoke to Tivoli a few weeks ago - Tivoli is the company that until March 2020 supplied board rooms, receptions and restaurants at Canary Wharf with weekly blooms. They told me that they’re expecting to start supplying flowers to them from September. Anyway, I’m off to cut some hydrangea heads and if I don’t see you later have a great week. Ursula