Oopsie Daisy Flowers & Gifts, Carlisle

  Every year in spring time the majority of us will buy our mums a present to celebrate Mothers Day. Traditionally flowers are given to Mums and Grandmas but have you ever stopped to think how this tradition came to be?    Laetare Sunday (the fourth Sunday of lent) was traditionally a day of relaxation from normal Lenten rigours; a day of hope with Easter at last within sight, also servants were released from service for the day to visit their mother church (home/local church) When young people in service were given this rare day off just as the wild spring flowers were beginning to bloom, they would be collected as they waked home and given to their Mother's whilst they were home to attend church. This would become an annual custom and would eventually be what we know as Mothering Sunday/Mothers Day.    Other countries would come to adopt this practice but most European countries and the United States celebrate in May. However Great Britain has stuck to our heritage and it remains a religious holiday - which is why it changes date from year to year, unlike father's day which is always the third Sunday in June. So treat your...

Some of you may have already heard that Oopsie Daisy Flowers is going to be relocating in the next week or so. Although we won't be in the shop anymore, we are certainly still in business. The reason we are relocating is due to the vast majority of orders coming online, over the phone and via Facebook with just a few coming through the shop. All orders can still be placed on our website oopsiedaisyflowers.co.uk or you can call us on 01228 317270. We now offer FREE DELIVERY on all orders for Carlisle and surrounding areas, as we now have fewer overheads. Also if you need a delivery at a specific time we will be more likely to accommodate you as we don't have the shop to keep fully staffed. Collections can still be made from our new workshop. The service we offer will be unchanged, we will still provide beautiful bouquets and arrangements with the freshest flowers with a delivery service. We love what we do and endeavour to keep all our present and new customers happy. Here at Oopsie Daisy Flowers we have become very popular for wedding flowers with a massive 34 wedding bookings so far for 2016 with lots...

I was interviewed by Debbie Whitfield www.creativepropertyshots.wordpress.com/about-me about how flower arrangements could be used to enhance interiors for a property photo shoot. Debbie is a professional property photographer based in Cumbria with qualifications in Interior Design, Art and Photography, so property photography brings all her interests and expertise into one vocation. Debbie's  photography can empower advertising of any property to its full potential whether a premises is for rent, resale, commerce or retail.  Could you describe how flower arrangements could be used to enhance the particularly style of a property for a property photo shoot?  A floral arrangement displayed for a photo shoot can enhance the style of the property if you choose the right flowers and display in the best way possible for that property. For example a contemporary apartment could display a modern linear display using strong bold flowers like gerberas and calla lilies to give the room that extra edge and style. Whereas a country cottage would need something completely different. Perhaps a vintage jug to display garden roses with other wild looking flowers mixed with various foliage for a natural look which will emphasise the properties surroundings.  How can flowers be used to create a focal point in a...

  Seasonality – I would always recommend using blooms when they are in season. Although a lot of flowers are now available throughout the whole calendar there are still some that have seasonal restrictions. So it’s best to check which flowers will be available at the time of your wedding before you set your heart on particular bouquet. Some flowers which are usually seasonal such as peonies can be sought outside of their using blooming period, however the quality will not be same as during their peak so bear this in mind when envisioning your bouquet. Pictured below is a beautiful tulip bouquet perfect for a spring wedding.   Colour – when selecting the colours for your wedding flowers don’t be afraid to introduce different shades from your colour scheme or even introduce another colour. Often brides request the exact shade of the bridesmaids’ dresses for the flowers, however using the same colours can often end up looking quite bland. So I usually suggest using light and dark shades of a particular colour to add depth and texture to the overall look. Or introducing a different colour that will contrast against the bridesmaid’s dresses, but also compliments the overall colour scheme...

Almost everyone loves to receive flowers, or treats themselves from time to time to a lovely bunch, so we’re going to make sure you get the most of out of your cut flowers, ensuring they last as long as possible. Here are some simple yet essential tips for the longevity of your flowers. By doing this with every bunch you’ll get the best out of your blooms.   Select an appropriate vase for the amount and length of the flowers, it must be clean as bacteria is a flowers worst nightmare! Once you unwrap your flowers cut the stems to size, preferably at a 45 degree angle, as this will ensure maximum exposure to the water so they can drink more. Add the flower food to the specified amount of water and add to the vase, this will really help preserve your blooms. Before placing your flowers in the vase, make sure there will be no leaves below the water line, this will keep the water cleaner for longer. When finding a suitable place for your vase, out of direct sunlight is always best. Some cool and shady will help them to last longer. Also don’t them near fruit as it can...

It's usually around this time of year that most florists start to begin their Christmas preparation. As one of the busiest times of the year in a florists calendar we have to be well organised. On Monday 5th October I was invited along to The Flower Bank Wholesaler, located just outside of Carlisle, for their annual Christmas open evening. Florists and designers from all over the North of England and the South of Scotland attended this event as The Flower Bank showcased their Christmas items.   I have attended this event previously as an employee of another shop, but was excited to represent Oopsie Daisy Flowers and Gifts for the first time. This time I was able to select items to be able to sell in the shop and use in my arrangements, this was really fun but I had be careful not to buy their entire stock as everything was so lovely. The Flower Bank offers a huge selection of sundries and gift items as well as daily deliveries of fresh flowers. I was able to pick out some lovely gift items plus some beautifully festive containers and ribbons to design some lovely Christmas pieces.   I also took this opportunity to...

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Solway Flower Club in regards to doing a demonstration for them in 2016 as they were organising their calendar. I was pleased they had asked me to agreed to be contacted to arrange this, however a couple of days later I was contacted by their secretary Maureen to see if I could fill in at the last minute for their September demonstration. To which I said yes as I thought it would help promote my new business. First of all I had to pick a theme for my demonstration, this time of year would usually depict an autumn theme or a harvest festival theme, but I wanted to mix things up a bit so chose an 'Indian Summer' theme, in hope we may actually get some decent weather! So I began researching Indian culture and native flowers so that my arrangements were authentic. For my first arrangement I did a modern square design using bright orange and cerise pink flowers. My inspiration for this came from the gardens of the Taj Mahal which conforms to garden design of its era which were split into four sections. My next arrangement used sliced oranges and...

    Here at Oopsie Daisy Flowers & Gifts we are super excited to be displaying giant illuminated letters on behalf of Northern Love Letters. These are great for displaying at weddings and parties! Shine a bit of light on your event and have something different. We think they look great in our window and they're bringing lots of attention to the shop. You can hire these for your big day at www.northernloveletters.co.uk or enquire in store at 135 Botchergate, Carlisle. Oopsie Daisy Flowers & Gifts also offers vase and prop hire which will be uploaded on the website very soon! Why not choose Mr & Mrs or have your initials. Plus a selection of coloured bulbs to choose from.

  On Sunday 23rd August Oopsie Daisy Flowers & Gifts exhibited at the Anvil Hall in Gretna for the annual wedding fayre. The Anvil Hall was a former catholic church built in 1917 which its current owner rebranded into a wedding venue for anyone who wished to be married in one the countries most romantic locations.   Before attending the event I had to decide what kind of designs I wanted to show, I usually like to present a mixture of styles and designs. As it was located in Gretna I knew I wanted something with a Scottish focus. So I designed a bridal bouquet with red roses and gerberas with blue thistles finished with tartan ribbon! It got lots of attention and lots of admiration.   I also designed a colourful bouquet to contrast the Scottish bouquet, using peach roses, pink gerberas, purple alliums and lilac asters. When it came to creating table decorations I mixed modern, simple arrangements with traditional country styles, such as a tall modern lily vases, a rustic jug of flowers a simple wine glass display and a jar of flowers for the 'just picked' look.   It was lovely meeting other exhibitors as well as talking...

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