It’s September! I don’t really know how that happened. This year has stormed by so very fast!
So what to tell you? Well quite a lot really. Lex and I got married, we moved house and he’s started a new job! I’ve relocated my flower business to our new home in Balham and I’ve just packed up the last vase from our Rococo themed flower class.
On Saturday we had a little group booked of wonderful women so we (my sister, Tildy and I) hosted this class at the new house. The sitting room rather suited the theme. It has very pale, dusty blue walls and we decorated with our antique vases sat on newly painted shelves, our lovely drawings, paintings and our gilded oval mirror hung above the old fireplace.
Of course we set up a display of beautiful British grown flowers from our family garden and from Mill Stream Flowers and Nettlewood Flowers too. They were held in antique crystal vases I've been collecting and old stone urns that decorated the fireplace rather beautifully.
Our colour palette channelled Marie Antoinette, lot’s of pastels; muddy pinks, peachy apricots, milky creamy whites, dusty lilacs and fresh greens. A celebration of the Rococo era.
After basketfuls of French pastries and a pot of coffee we started our bouquet class, focussing on natural loose shapes and negative space. Bouquets are one of my favourite things to make and now one of my favourite things to teach. I’m so pleased our guests grasped the technique so well and produced such beautiful work.
Here are a few of the beautiful bouquets made…
We stopped for a delicious homemade lunch of roasted beetroot, feta and chopped almond salad, little salmon and lemon creme fraiche crostini and marbled meringues, frozen summer fruits and farm shop double cream for pudding - all pinks to fit the theme of course.
After lunch we made centrepieces and styled a tablescape using an array of lovely props. Soft draping fabrics, Ester & Erik candles in pastels and a ceramic candleholders, stoneware crockery, vintage French cutlery, etched champagne saucers and little decorative shells and petals adorned our pretty Rococo table.
This flower class was really wonderful, we listened to jazz, drank champagne at teatime, ate delicious summer foods, our guests were immersed in flowers all day and created such stunning bouquets and arrangements.
Thank you to all our lovely guests for coming and well done for creating such beautiful work!
We now have our new Autumn/Winter classes live on the website! If you’d like to join us, we would just love to have you! If you have any questions or would like to find out more about a class, do let me know, I’d love to hear from you!
In the meantime, here’s the recipe to my roasted beetroot, feta and almond salad:
For the salad:
8 Beetroots cooked, peeled and chopped into chunks
Feta
Handful of thyme
Two handfuls of rocket
Handful of almonds, gently roasted and roughly chopped
Salt
Pepper
For the dressing:
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Honey
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
Pinch of fresh thyme
Salt
Pepper
Preheat the oven to 180c.
In a baking tray, toss the chopped beetroots, a generous glug of olive oil, large pinch of salt, lots of pepper and the thyme together. Roast for 20 minutes.
Whilst that cooks, make your dressing. In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, honey, vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper with a fork until smooth. Taste to check. If it’s not quite right, add a little extra to taste.
Roughly chop the rocket.
Once the beetroots are cooked and sticky let them sit to cool. Once cool, add into the big bowl and toss together with the rocket and half of the feta in the dressing. Spoon onto a pretty ceramic plate.
Crumble over the remaining feta then sprinkle the almonds ontop. Bon Apetite!
So I suppose until our next class, enjoy your delicious salad and the lovely September sunshine! I’m hoping for another Indian summer…
Poppy x
