The Flower Bank Hub

I’ve been drowning in glorious peonies all week and they’ve been used in everything from funeral wreaths and bouquets to workshops. I had a bride visit on Thursday who’s getting married in Putney in September. She’s passionate about sustainability but she visited on such a dark and gloomy day I found it really hard to be as passionate as she was. It’s actually really difficult to be creative when someone says they’re in your hands as you’re the expert even more so when you’ve only just met! A large shot of caffeine later and we reached a consensus. I much prefer to create flowers for a funeral which leads me on to a moan about the logistics of dropping flowers to a funeral directors. They’re always in the hardest to reach places and I’m never sure if I’ve contravened the parking gods. Fingers crossed my Wednesday morning drop off in Enfield Town didn’t breach any by-laws. Have a great week. Ursula

Every Friday for the past 3 years I’ve run a flower arranging group for people with early onset dementia and we’ve become a family. This year I didn’t run a class in January and when I re-started in February everyone said how much they’d missed the routine of the class. I’ve often thought that it was weird how everything stops in August for the summer holidays so I’m continuing. It got me thinking though about the possibility of a summer play scheme for the elderly and I had this on my mind when I had a meeting with Thea from Barnet Council’s Adult & Social Services earlier this week. I pitched the idea to her but the question of venues arose and volunteers and lunches and to be honest it all became a little complicated - but I do think there’s legs to this. Let me know if you have any ideas on how I can progress this. Have a great week. Ursula

It’s been a crazy time for surplus flowers this week as the scorching hot weather has been relentless - thank goodness for my fridge, which also gave me refuge at times! You know that expression if something is too good to be true then it generally is? This expression is so appropriate for the card machine market. At least 3 times a week I’m contacted by a different card machine provider telling me about the great deals they have and how I can leave 1 contract with one provider and move to them quite seamlessly. What that card machine provider fails to tell you is that every time you switch you have to do a compliance check with the new provider’s bank which is £65. However, if you aren’t able personally to do it because it’s complicated stuff involving terabytes and broadband speeds then for £15 a month they’ll do it for you! This is quite scandalous as it used to be free and quite straightforward and all you had to do was complete a simple form and return it to your card machine provider and they’d do the rest. Surely 1 compliance check should cover you for all card machine compliance, I mean just how much variety can there be. Enraged I contacted the Federation of Small Businesses of which I’m a member and amazingly no-one had ever contacted them about this issue before so they’ve added it to their general work on trying to reduce card fees. I blame Radio 4 You & Yours, who I’m itching to call. Have a great week. Ursula.

First, please accept my apologies for my lack of blog last week but it’s actually been a crazy fortnight. Last week I was at the Marx Memorial Library decorating garlands with political slogans in memory of Walter Crane a famous socialist children’s illustrator. We arrived in Clerkenwell during its Design Week and drove through packed streets of people enjoying the various events taking place in churches and pubs. On Tuesday I drove to The Grove Hotel in Watford to collect my annual donation from Google’s away day (actually 2 days) and the flowers this year were the most spectacular alliums, the only drawback was the overwhelming smell of onions on my return drive. I have a request which is about my blog asI I’ve actually no idea how many of you receive it after 8 years and once I post it simply trust the Spacehive Gods to work their magic and deliver it. It’s come to light that some people have stopped receiving the weekly blog so I’d really be very grateful if you could email me at [email protected] with a simple Yes if you do receive it. Many thanks. Have a great week. Ursula

It’s been an emotional roller coaster this week. On Tuesday my youngest daughter, Ella officially left school. For as long as The Flower Bank has been open Ella has been there. She’s been a constant, good humoured support and her non complaining hands have accompanied me on some wild floral adventures I’m going to miss her. In the meantime, until September, when she’s off to study in Newcastle I’ve got lots of work to keep her occupied. By the weekend I’d rallied as I prepared birthday flowers for two 80th and 90th birthday parties. Time really does move on. Have a great week. Ursula

Meet Tanya (see photograph) she asked me a few weeks ago if I could create some sort of headgear for her to wear to the Jack in the Green festival in Hastings this weekend. I hadn’t heard of the Jack in the Green festival before but it’s a 4 day festival that celebrates summer’s arrival. “The hat has got to be secure enough for me to wear whilst walking in procession and strong enough to withstand some pretty vigorous Morris dancing” she told me. I made a few Heath Robinson’esque prototypes and settled on this version, an old straw wreath ring and upturned basket. Tanya loved it and I’m just praying it survived beyond day 1. My brush with leading figures from the Labour Party continues; you might remember that a few weeks ago I passed by the paparazzi outside Peter Mandleson’s Regent’s Park pad? Well, on Thursday morning I’d just finished a team building workshop at Noa girls in Golders Green and was driving off when I saw a baying mob of paparazzi outside Grodz bakery. I couldn’t believe my eyes, drove on and 3 minutes later Keir Starmer arrived. Elsewhere this week The Flower Bank featured in Best Magazine it’s a jolly piece and reminded me of just how much I’ve done over the years. Have a restful Bank Holiday weekend. Ursula

This week after a 4 month hiatus, I re-started my flower collection from the newly refurbished Whetstone branch of Marks & Spencer’s. The new store is fabulous for customers and equally as fabulous behind the scenes - I’d really missed collecting from them not only for their flowers but also for the early morning chats I had with their staff. On Monday I met Clare, a community engagement officer for Islington Council who’s working with the Marx Memorial Museum in Clerkenwell on a May event to celebrate the life and work of Walter Crane, a colleague of William Morris and part of the Arts and Crafts movement. She asked me to re-create 2 x 30” wreaths which will be adorned by attendees with sloganised ribbon, my only problem is that I have to travel with them on public transport. This week I re-discovered my lost passion for book folding and introduced it to all my groups with some wonderful results. Have a great week. Ursula

The Battle of Barnet anniversary on April 14th feels like it comes round quicker every year. It’s now the custom for me to make the wreath for the annual service that takes place at the Hadley Highstone memorial. This was the first wreath of 6 funeral tributes I made this week with a further 3 ordered for the Marx Memorial Library in Clerkenwell. In May they’re holding an event at the Library to celebrate the life and work of Walter Crane (see photograph) and they’d like attendees to decorate the wreaths with ribbon that they will write slogans on. The only problem is I’ve got to transport them unmade on public transport! Talking of problems I travelled into town on Friday night to collect my weekly floral donation from Index Ventures unfortunately when I arrived there was an event taking place. The event was to toast Anthropic which has been used in high-level government and military work since 2024, now if only the House of Lancaster had had access to that in 1471 how different the outcome would’ve been. Have a great week. Ursula

So yesterday was the New Barnet Amateur Gardener’s Spring Show and we had 25 entries in the craft category, the theme for which was floral mask.. All week my various groups were preparing entries and in this photograph you see Natasha modelling one from Wednesday’s group. In my eyes they were all winners. I’ve had a glut of tulips this week which ended up being donated to a whole host of organisations. I’m currently awaiting the arrival of flowers from a stupendous wedding the foliage from which is reserved for the funeral tributes I’m preparing this week. Have a great week. Ursula

There was quite a bit of multi faith navigation this week preparing flowers for Passover Seder nights one day and table decorations for Easter afternoon teas another and I loved it. I haven’t been at work this weekend and I’m now completely disorientated akin to the post Boxing Day/New Year feeling. So for those that celebrate - Happy Easter/Chag Sameach and for those that don’t have a lovely rest. Have a great week. Ursula