Bright bouquet

One of the joys of creating flowers for weddings is the different ideas brides have for their bouquets. There are never two the same.

Stirling Castle

It is always exciting setting up flowers in Stirling Castle. The only way in is to drive slowly and VERY carefully through a series of arches and narrow driveways. I don't want to be the one who chips off a bit of historic stonework.

I was disappointed by the castle when I was little. Having been brought up just a few miles away it never had enough turrets for me. Now I love it. It's more a collection of buildings rather than one single construction and it is a dramatic venue. This time for a dinner.

The team setting up with supreme efficiency as the building closes to the public just a short time before events usually start.

Just time for the candles to be lit and for us to drive slowly out before the guests arrive.

Kirkcudbright

On Sunday we took a trip to Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway.

Between around 1850 and 1950 Kirkcudbright was an established artists colony and today there are a number of little galleries with artists still choosing to live here. In fact they now called it The Artists' Town.

A very nice lunch in the Selkirk Arms Hotel on the High Street and on to see the garden of this house which was open as part of Scotland's Garden Scheme.

They also had a beautiful view of the marina.

There are lots of little closes around the town.

I really like the work of the Glasgow Boys and Girls. In particular E.A. Taylor's drawings and paintings and there were a lovely couple of examples for sale in one of the galleries. I have a copy of Jessie M King's book The City of The West with illustrations of Glasgow buildings so it was great to see where these two artists lived and worked.

On one of the streets there are two window full of cats.

The sign on the door gives more information.

Lovely!

A summer bouquet

Bridal bouquet in wonderful summer colours including roses, freesia, ammi, delphinium and alstroemeria. Ammi is a favourite just now. It looks a bit like the cow parsley you would find at the side of the road but with a kind of herby scent.

Roman Camp

 

The Roman Camp Hotel in Callander is a beautiful venue for a wedding. In the winter its cosy with open fires, William Morris wallpaper, comfy sofas.

In the summer you can appreciate the walled gardens and walk down to the river. I would happily live in any of the old sheds, potter all day in the drifts of flowers and herbs and chat to the resident peacock.

They also do great coffee and amazing shortbread, the perfect treat on a Sunday morning after dismantling wedding flowers.
http://www.romancamphotel.co.uk/

Moss heritage

We recently discovered this old photograph showing the shop my great great grandparents owned in Maud, Aberdeenshire.

I have one of the original paper bags and it states

James Towler
Grocer, draper and general merchant
Choice selection of home and empire fruits in season
Established 1887
Telephone No. 39

Sadly it closed in the 1970s.

I'm sure I would have loved it and perhaps a little bit lives on through my shop Moss.