Clare Florist Blog

Holidays with a difference

Having lots of work on always makes me daydream of holidays and while I was indulging in such dreams with a little internet research I discovered that the Wildlife Trust runs some lovely sounding flower-themed holidays. Their ‘alpine flowers and photography’ holiday experience takes place in the Valle d'Aosta, in the Italian Alps from the 20th–27th of July. Daily excursions involve easy walks to natural meadows and rockgardens where, among other flowers, wild gentians, pulsatillas and soldanellascan be seen. Other recent and upcoming wildflower holidays include: ‘flowers and history’ in The Burren (western Ireland) (5-12 June), ‘gardens and wild flowers’ in Prague & the Czech Republic (20-27 June), ‘autumn Mediterranean flowers’ in Peloponnese (Greece) (28 Oct-4 Nov), and if you want to go somewhere further afield, there’s ‘wild flowers and natural history’ in Chile, which runs in November (though it looks like it’s sold out for this year!).

The Wildlife Trust works to support conservation and ensure that we continue to live in a world rich with a diversity of wildlife. In addition to their wildflower holidays, they offer a variety of natural history holidays around the UK, Europe and worldwide. Click here for a full list and more information.

Isle of Harris

Polly our amazing creative florist has just come back from her Summer holidays way up in Harris.
How fabulous does the scenery look?
Some great Summer images including one of Polly with her boyfriend Chris having a fantastic time.
The first two images are of Scarista Beach which looks more like the Caribbean.
Then the lovely Polly and Chris with matching sunnies!
The great standing stones at Callenish http://www.eyemead.com/stones.htm

Lastly a great sunset view of the Isle of Taransay where the BBC filmed their social experiment of people living on an Island. http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/taransay.htm

Musical Plants?!

After learning about the Botanic Gardens Midsummer events I just had to see the ‘music playing plants’ for myself. “An interactive sound installation in which living plants ‘play' Chinese musical instruments as they react to human movement.” The music is generated through an interaction between people, plants and robots which alter the composition according to noise, movement, and moisture. I loved the strange combination of different elements, the juxtaposition of modern technology and organic nature. There were also some nice orchids and other flowers in full blossom and scent in the glasshouses, and outside there was more music, with live musicians dotted around the gardens continuing the Chinese theme. A lovely way to spend the first day of summer, despite it being cloudy and the rain that descend in the late afternoon.

Happy first day of Summer!

— Lucy

Here are a few pictures from the glasshouse. Can you spot the bamboo and robot instruments in the second picture?

Summer Solstice

June 20th is Midsummer’s day, the longest day and shortest night of the year, when the sun reaches its yearly zenith.  This is also known as the Summer Solstice and marks the official beginning of Summer.

For thousands of years this date has regarded as spiritually significant and duly celebrated. The Celts lit bonfires to mirror and amplify the sun’s energy; Christians celebrate the feast of St John the Baptist around this time and the Chinese hold the festival of Li, the Goddess of Fire and Light.

Today, neo-Pagans have revived the midsummer festival of Litha, celebrating the power of the Sun and the life force of nature. In Pagan mythology this marks the time at which the Goddess is at the height of her power and fertility and some Pagans view the solstice as the marriage of the God and Goddess, from which the force of life brings forth the harvest’s fruits.

Ancient religious sites like Stonehenge and Avebury hold huge festivals at this time but people around the country hold smaller celebrations, in gardens, parks and woodlands. 

The exact time of the Solstice this year is 23:59 on the night of June 20th.

A Wiccan prayer for Summer:   

    As the sun spirals its longest dance
        Cleanse us
    As nature shows bounty and fertility
        Bless us
    Let all things live with loving intent
        And to fulfill their truest destiny.

Edinburgh Moonwalk

The moonwalk took place in Edinburgh on Saturday night / Sunday morning.
Well done to all you lovely ladies and men who took part. Although I didn't do it - I did sponsor some friends who did, well done to you both!
I did however get up at 7.30am in the morning and cycled to see them finishing it. Here are some great pictures of loads of lovely ladies at the end - see if you can spot yourself.
Afterwards I cycled up Arthur's Seat and had my breakfast, what a gorgeous morning it was. All the colours of the trees and plants coming out for Summer.

Bally and Louise - well done !

Can you see yourself at the finish line ?

Arthur's  Seat 

Welcome to Nora !

Nora joined us in February after doing some travelling.
Originally from Hungary, Nora travelled with her boyfriend Donat to USA and worked in the hotel industry whilst improving her English.
Nora and Donat married in Vegas and have now settled in the UK.
Nora has realised she has a natural artistic flair and has picked up how to make beautiful bouquets easily.
She enjoys the fresh flower environment and working as part of a young team.
Here is Nora with one of her special bespoke bouquets.

Midsummer's eve in the Botanics

If you’re looking for something special to see-in the summer, how about taking advantage of the year's longest day by spending an evening in the Botanics. The Edinburgh Botanic Gardens are staying open till 11pm on June 21st, with the café open until 9pm and there are a number of special events being held, including a plant auction; a musical promenade performance called ‘Dialogues of Wind and Bamboo’ and, continuing the Chinese theme, ‘Talking Trees Stroytellers’ around the garden telling Chinese tales. There’s also a late evening walk, ‘Roaming in the Gloaming’ and art installations involving bamboo and music playing plants which respond to human movement!

Sounds like a midsummer night’s dream to me, and over in the Glasgow Botanics you can actually enjoy a bit of Shakespeare over midsummer with ‘Bard in the Botanics’, a rare opportunity to see live Shakespeare performed outdoors in Scotland’s only annual outdoor Shakespeare festival. The festival runs from the 25th of June to the 2nd of August and this year they’re showing ‘The Merchant of Venice’, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘Love’s Labours Lost.’

For more information on the Edinburgh Botanics midsummer events see here.

The Flowers of Shavuot - June 9th

The Jewish festival of Shavuot marks the occasion of the Jew’s receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. It runs for two days and takes place seven weeks after the first day of Passover, this year making it the 9th of June. It is the origin of the Christian festival of Pentecost and is also referred to in the Bible as: Yom ha Bikkurim, Day of the First Fruits (Numbers 28:6) and Hag ha Kazir, The Harvest Feast (Exodus 23:16), as it marks the end of the barley harvest and beginning of the wheat harvest.

During Shavuot, homes and synagogues are decorated with flowers and plants in remembrance of spring and of the legend in which Mount Sinai became covered with greenery and flowers, including roses, when God gave the Torah to Moses.

Children also wear hair-bands of flowers, and carry baskets of fruit and flowers, forming a procession on their way to the synagogue, singing, dancing, and playing tambourines, recorders and other instruments. Prayers are recited, thanking God for his law, as set out in the scrolls of the Torah, and special dairy foods are prepared, like cheese blintzes and cheesecake.

Happy 60th Birthday Barry !!

Ssshh !
Don't tell everyone but it was Barry's 60th birthday last week.
Here is a picture of him with his cake before we all ate it.

May Prize Winner

The Clare Florist prize draw winner for May was Mary Cameron from Banff.
Mary was delighted with her fresh Summer Bouquet worth £50 which was delivered to her with our very best wishes.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is post back our comments card when you receive flowers and you will automatically be entered into our monthly prize draw.