11.11.2014

Super Flowers, for Super Human Powers!

by Craig Davison
When girls are young, and dream of Prince Charming, he is brave, powerful, and kind (hopefully!).

And, as the beautiful image above, by Sheffield born artist Craig Davison illustrates, when boys are young, they want to be… superheroes! 



We also love this amusing little number
by fellow Blogspotter 
Cuyler Smith!
Many of us won’t admit it, but we may, at some point, have been caught wearing a towel as a cape, our big sister’s leggings on, and our pants over the top, jumping from the top stairs, shouting things like Geronimo!, or Kapow!

Some of us seriously considered entering a career that would allow us to become the Superhero’s  human equivalent: police men, fire fighters, ambulance drivers, soldiers. Those real humans with almost super human powers of bravery, compassion and the will and power to carry out heroic deeds, daily. In short, the boys unknowingly wanted to be Prince Charming!

Well, some of us achieved Prince Charming status! And some have chosen a different path in life.

But do you know what, there’s a hero inside all of us. And our new range of fun, novel flowers are designed to inspire you, to call out your inner bravery, and help you bring a massive smile to your loved one!

Exclusively at Lily Blossom Florist
Our arresting floral designs are made in honour of a very real-life, local hero, PC Andrew Duncan. The range includes blooming bouquets of fresh, handpicked flowers, ranging from yellow roses, that symbolise thanks, friendship and celebration, ultra-romantic velvety red roses that mean loyalty, respect and deep love, silky white roses that symbolise pure love, and luscious, plump hot pink roses too! You can choose to give them by the dozen. But if you really want to say something that won’t be forgotten, you simply must go for our fantastic Arresting You bouquet, consisting of no less than one hundred, large, plush deep red roses.

All of our bouquets in this range are wrapped in the instantly recognizable, chequered police motif cellophane, which we have specially printed! You won’t find anything like this, in any other florists. It’s a true Lily Blossom exclusive.

Exclusively at Lily Blossom Florist
And guess what… our Arresting range is guaranteed to help you impress your girl so much, she WILL say yes. And we are so confident, that if she says no, we’ll give you your money back. Honest guv! We really will!

You can purchase a range of extras to go with your flowers. If you are sending to congratulate a uniformed couple on the birth of a child, (as one of our staff recently did), send them our gorgeous Bobby Bear!

If it’s your first anniversary, or you just want to surprise your loved one with a bit of cheeky fun, we have novel handcuffs for you too!
Bobby Bear, waiting for you at
Lily Blossom Florist!

This fun range of fresh floral designs has a more serious side too. You can feel extra good about purchasing them. Because 5% of our profits from your purchase goes to PC Andrew Duncan’s Memorial, and a further 5% goes to the Police Roll of Honour Trust.

PC Andrew Duncan was our real-life inspiration for this exciting collection. On Friday 20th September 2013, this honourable,fun, well-loved father, husband and police officer, was struck by a vehicle, as he motioned for the driver to pull over, during a speed enforcement operation. 

Andrew joined the police force in 1990, and served in Battersea, Hammersmith and Fulham, the south west Territorial Support Group, and finally, Merton.

Known to his friends and family as Andy, this real-life hero was a scouting volunteer, a brave colleague, and an inspiration, who will be greatly missed, and fondly remembered.

We hope we have captured Andy’s almost super human powers; bravery, compassion, adventure and fun, in our unique collection of floral delights! And we’re really pleased to support the two funds, in his honour. The money will then go to the causes he cared so much about.

So follow in the footsteps of a hero: don your best suit, grab a beautiful bunch of roses, and persuade your girl, to surrender! You’ll be her hero, and her Prince Charming. Guaranteed.

Well, it’s got to be more impressive than wearing your pants outside of your lycra leggings. Right?

You can view more of Craig Davison’s fantastic, evocative, playful artwork by clicking here

10.14.2014

No Tricks, Just Treats! Five Festive Flower Craft Activities to do with The Kids…

Halloween is the traditional celebration of the veil between life and death. It originates with the Celtic (or Pagan) festival of Samhain, when ghosts, spirits and fairies were thought to wander the earth, down the ‘death roads’. Seers would sit at the Lych Gates of churches, and look out for the dead of the coming year at this time.

In other cultures there are similar festivals, such as the Day of the Dead in Mexico. To look at it another, more seriously spiritual way, Halloween can be interpreted as the time to honour our loved ones who have passed away, and invite their spirits into the home, to be warmed by the hearth, and be with family.

The fun side of this tradition is of course Trick or Treat, where children will dress up in ghoulish costumes, and come knocking on your door seeking sweets and other delights.

We’ve trawled the bowels of the world wide web, to bring you the best 5 flower-themed Halloween arts and craft ideas, that are the perfect half-term activities to do with the kids, on what looks to be a rainy holiday!

 Forbidden Rose













Blood red roses and deathly Dahlias, placed in a tall black vase, and covered in cobwebs (which can be bought in any craft store, or made by teasing white nylon- so get out your old tights!), makes a frightful floral display for your Halloween dinner! Try these Elegant Red Roses, (above left) complete with vase from £49.99 at Lily Blossom Florist. With black and red glass paint pens, like these (above right) from Yellow Moon on Amazon for around £10, and a little imagination, you and the kids can turn it into a glamorous treat! We’ll deliver straight to your door. 

Alternatively, this west German black and red vase (right) from Vaseomania on Etsy.co.uk, makes the perfect substitute.

         Halloween Bride

Equally striking, white roses delicately covered in sparkling black glitter makes a lovely Halloween treat. You can try black spray-on glitter for older children, but make sure you open the windows. Or a tiny brush with that gloopy old PVA, dabbed onto petals and then sprinkled with ordinary black glitter, means the little ones can have fun too!

This lovely bouquet (above), of fresh white roses teamed with fluffy gypsohpelia, imaginatively called ‘Six Stolen Kisses’, is £24.99 from Lily Blossom. Again, delivered straight to your door.

Pumpkin Brains!

Scoop out your large pumpkin, and fill with rich red and orange flowers until it is overflowing. Try these from our Autumn Gift Bag, which starts at £22.99.

Or, paint your pumpkin black, with blackboard paint from Amazon, for around £5 per tin. Draw a face on your pumpkin with chalk- if it goes wrong, you can just rub it off! Fill with black and orange, black and red, or black and white flowers. Or spray your pumpkin a lustrous gold, and fill with cream roses.

Trick or Treat

A simple skull, on a ‘silver platter’ filled with vibrant, fiery autumn flowers conjures up more exotic celebrations of life and death, such as the Mexican Day of the Dead. We like this skull (below) from Fairtrade gift shop Evolution.


It is around  £10.00. It’s actually a money box! Ask your guests to throw a £1 coin in the box, for a Halloween themed fundraising dinner ,and a novel twist on the tradition of Trick or Treat!

 Creepy Crawly Calla Lilies

Ask us to deliver you thirteen luscious, mango-coloured calla lilies. Place them in an elegant tall, black or orange vase. Then get out your glue: a dab on each silky petal, and the kids can place a plastic creepy crawly onto the leaves and petals. Voila! A striking, yet elegant Halloween display.

You can buy big bags of creepy crawlies on Amazon, or your local Pond Shop will do plenty this time of year!


 Honouring Loved Ones Past

For a more deeply spiritual homage to the tradition of Halloween, try sticking black butterflies (a symbol of transcendence and transformation), to these beautiful white calla lilies, which symbolise ascension and purity, and are used all over the world to mark the passage between life and death. Frame pictures of your loved ones who have passed away, in white or black frames, and place these around the vase of flowers, at the centre of the table, with a white candle. This is a lovely centrepiece, which invites the spirits of your loved ones to come and be with their family at the dinner table, for the night, and over the festive period. The candle is supposed to guide them home from the spirit world.

This is a lovely way to open up a conversation with your children about a loved one who has passed away. It’s a very therapeutic activity. Perhaps you’ll find yourself making it a yearly tradition.

Again, on Amazon, you will find black clip-on butterflies, stickers and wafer thin butterfly cake toppers for your crafty activity. And this White Calla Lily and Palm Vase from Lily Blossom,(left)  makes the perfect tribute. 

For more information about the traditional ‘Death Roads’, try Paul Devereux’s informative and interesting book Spirit Roads, which you can purchase here. And if you fancy, take a spooky ghost walk, or a night time family fairy hunt down the roads it talks about this half term. The book comes complete with GPS references.

We would love to see your pictures and photos of your Halloween themed displays, that you have made with your children. Send them to us at: info@lilyblossomflorists.com

10.06.2014

Wedding Rituals and Customs 2: A History of the Wedding Arch and the Chuppah

Welcome to part 2 of our exclusive guide to the history of wedding rituals and customs.

Arch- picture c/o Lady Pinkie on pinterest.com
If you've read our introductory blog A Guide to Wedding Rituals and Customs, you’ll know why it is beneficial to understand the history and symbolism of the rituals and customs you choose to use on your very special day. Whether it’s the traditional white bridal gown, the page boy or the flower girl, or the exchange of rings, each ritual has its own unique symbolism, and is steeped in rich and, sometimes surprising, history. Today, we’re looking at the wedding arch…

Not only is it a lot of fun, but passing through a wedding arch, somehow conjures an aura of elven magic, fairytale enchantment, and knightly valour. If you are having an outdoor Handfasting Ceremony, or wedding ceremony, it is a fantastic and fascinating substitute for walking down the aisle. And you and your bow beneath the arch, looks absolutely beautiful in photos.

Did you know, that the Bride and Groom used to pass through an arch of swords to ensure safe passage into their new life together? 

Chuppah- picture c/o marthastewartweddings.com
As romantic as this might seem, doing that today might be a little kitsch for some, and a little dangerous for others!! The modern interpretation is the gorgeous wedding arch, often seen decorated with flowers, fairy lights, ribbons, balloons, and gorgeous fabrics. One of our staff members even chose to represent the wedding arch, with two flaming torches, their stakes decorated with beautiful flowers.

Similar to the arch is a Jewish Chuppah- a canopy strung on four poles: the four poles are held by four people that have special significance to the bride and groom: it is an honour, and a wonderful way to include four special people, in your wedding ceremony.

Ideal for a beach wedding, a Chuppah can provide shade for your ceremony to take place under. And it looks stunning in photographs.

Nets of Lights strung on trees
Picture c/o saveoncrafts.com
If you have a lot of guests, the Chuppah can be self-supported, which means people can join you beneath the canopy. We've seen Chuppah’s made of tye-dye and batik, great for an alternative, festival-loving couple, innovatively formed from nets of lights (similar to left), for those who love a little glamour and night life, and even camouflage, for army couples! It is a lovely Jewish tradition that can be an inspiration for non-Jewish couples alike.

Whether the Chuppah, or the wedding arch, both structures represent the new home that you and your partner will build, and the new family and life you will be building as well:

Your wedding arch is the doorway to the passage of your new life. Like stepping through a gate onto an unknown road, it has archetypal resonance with your guests, adding intrinsic meaning to your wedding. It represents a rite of passage, and the opportunity to physically embody this moment, for you and your partner. You go into the arch, as two single people, and are born, through the arch, out into the world again, a united force. The symbolism is similar to a baptism. It represents change.

If the idea of a wedding arch takes your fancy, and you have an eye for a bargain, included in Lily Blossom’s exclusive Forever Wedding package, is the exclusive hire of our gorgeous wedding arch for your special day. Consider having your arch decorated with seasonal flowers and lights for a magical feel. See the leaflet (right), and give us a call on 0208 979 5656, or email us for details.

Check out our guide to the history and symbolism of the lovely Flower Girl here, and subscribe for updates.

10.03.2014

Make Your Office Client Friendly

It may seem like a small thing, but a welcoming reception area is key to a business’ success. The effect of a well-placed, beautifully designed floral display, may be subtle, almost subliminal. But it is crucial. And here’s why…

Attract Success

You want to put forward the image of success, and abundance: success, attracts success. The clients don’t need to be aware that your fresh flowers were a perfectly reasonable price. They will be aware, though, that your company is obviously successful enough, to be able to indulge a little, in the luxury of aesthetic beauty. And if you are already successful, then that is more reason to want to work with you.

Beautiful flowers will also help to put your client in a more positive frame of mind. The flowers will provide a gentle scent to welcome your clients.

You may not yet be able to afford swanky new offices gleaming with light and marble-tiled floors. So, a beautifully designed bouquet, will draw your client’s eyes away from a well-worn interior or bland office space. It is an inexpensive way to add a colourful vibrancy and a bit of life to an otherwise dead space, and brings a little of the outside in.

Express Your Creativity

For a Creative Office, floral displays that change with the seasons, and keep up with high fashion trends, will demonstrate your creative flair and suggest industry knowledge. You can afford to be a little different with your designs, so choose a florist that will create eye-catching, vivid displays that use textures and fabrics as enhancements. Talk to your professional florist about your company’s branding: your florist can then ensure that your floral displays reflect the colours and message of your branding. This won’t go unnoticed by your potential clients.

Let Them Know You Care

Floral displays are particularly wonderful for those working in the wedding industry: aesthetics will be on your bride’s mind. If you are a wedding planner, venue or service, your bride-to-be will want you to have good attention to aesthetic detail. Flowers express this perfectly.

If your clients come to you with difficult and complex issues, for instance, if you are a law firm, hospital, psychotherapy practice, charity, or even a pupil referral unit, flowers can help to lift an atmosphere, just a little, and enable your client to feel more at ease. Simple, classic flower arrangements are a tasteful way to let your client know you are human, and will work to get them the most positive outcome, to a difficult situation. Flowers can set us up for a more positive day.

Shake Up Your Team

Flowers are a fantastic way to add vibrancy to board meetings, conferences, events, retirement do’s, training session and team meetings. Place them as table centre-pieces, to awaken the senses.

Promote Diversity

And if you’re very, very clever, you can express your company’s commitment to that all important Diversity and Equal Opportunities, through simple, timely flower arrangements: request a Diwali, Eid, Yom Kippur, Christmas or Dharma Day-themed display. Ask your florist to make sure their designs keep up with the important cultural and religious festivals throughout the year.

Get Your Flowers Delivered

There is no need to send your lovely receptionist out for a fresh bunch of flowers every morning! Choose a reliable florist that will deliver, regularly, to the doors of your office. Take out a contract, to ensure that flowers are one less thing to worry about.


Flowers are a simple, cost-effective way to energize an office space and engage your clients and employees. Lily Blossom Florist offer contracts tailored to your business, and will deliver beautiful, fresh floral displays straight to your door. Contact us here, for a free, no obligation quote, or call us on 0208 979 5656 to discuss your needs.  

If you are an online business, check out our blogs on Net Neutrality, and subscribe for regular updates

The Fight for Net Neutrality: What’s the Score?


“We have a duty—a duty to protect what has made the Internet the most dynamic platform for free speech ever invented.  It is our printing press.  It is our town square. It is our individual soapbox and our shared platform for opportunity. That is why I support network neutrality ... We cannot have a two-tiered Internet with fast lanes that speed the traffic of the privileged and leave the rest of us lagging behind."

This was a statement given by FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. It is being hailed as the strongest statement of support for an open web thus far in the campaign.

The update from campaigners Fight For the Future, is that they now need three out of five FCC commissioners to vote ‘yes’ on their proposal to re-instate real net neutrality.

They then need the full support of President Obama, and Congress, so that the proposal won’t be overturned once it reaches their gates.

So it seems, a lot of activity is going on in the US.

But what about us here in the UK? How will the ruling affect us directly?


Well… in April of this year, the EU set about stating its position regarding net neutrality. There is a draft law on net neutrality protections on the EU buffet table at present.

The new EU digital commissioner, Oettinger, has been criticized by some, for not fully understanding the concept of net neutrality, and its implications. He states, though, that he has ‘no problem’ with the draft proposals. So far, so good?

Meanwhile, European mobile phone operators seem to have got the jitters about this whole net neutrality business, and the scare tactics have begun…

The Register stated seventeen or so hours ago, that they have seen a document from the global mobile phone operators association, which reveals dirty tricks: a campaign strategy that taps into people’s concerns about child protection and identity theft, in an effort to negate legislation in support of net neutrality and the removal of roaming charges. Check out The Register for more information.  It seems that the campaign, due to launch in September, was never put into action. Interesting that they thought about it though, eh?

Here’s the rub…


Yes, the EU has stated its position in support of Net Neutrality, IN PRINCIPLE. However, that is not the end of the issue, for the UK. A bill, must be passed into law, by each EU member state, to be effective. And among the EU member states, there is one, small island, proving very obstreperous.

 You guessed it… it’s us.

The Conservatives have stated their position against net neutrality. Only in favour, of big Big BIG business then. Nothing unusual there. The next UK General Election is due in May 2015. And Chris Merriman of The Inquirer states:

"...the voting public is largely unaware that as well as deciding the attitude to the economy, housing and social care- their votes could well decide the future of the internet."

We may yet, end up with a two-tier, Haves Vs Have-Not’s internet, where those corporations with big money, are favoured by the Internet Service Providers, and the little guy; the self-employed trader, the small to medium-sized business, will be unable to provide the online service its customers have now come to expect.

For more information on the fight for net neutrality, check out our blogs, Flowers of War: Net Neutrality and the Online Florist, and The Fight for Net Neutrality here.

If you run an online business, subscribe here, to keep up with developments. 

Lily Blossom is a boutique wedding and online florist with a social conscience, based in London.

9.30.2014

The Fight for Net Neutrality- Latest

So… for those of you who don’t know yet, the Fight for Net Neutrality is on, and has been, for a little while. But the Cable Company Lobbyists, have just stepped up their game.

Here’s a brief summary:

Net Neutrality is the state of fair and objective distribution of content across the world wide web. Internet Service Providers (or ISPs) have, up until now, had a duty to treat everybody’s content equally, and provide the same service to content providers, regardless of affiliation or money. In straightforward language, this means- if YOU are a small, online retailer, you are entitled to the same service from your internet provider, as, say, a massive corporation like Comcast.  

But this may all be about to change, meaning smaller online retailers will risk not being able to provide a good enough service to your customers. This, of course, means you may lose business, and become less competitive.

The £1.5bn UK florist industry is becoming increasingly competitive, and moving online. This means that, if you run a florist in today’s UK market, the outcome of the war for Net Neutrality, may have a massive impact, on your business:

At retail level, the UK Floral industry represents £2.2bn according to the Flowers and Plants Association. In real terms, that means, each of us in the UK are spending on average, a mere £36 on flowers and plants per year. £8 of that is spent on plants.

Let’s see it from the customer’s perspective: if it takes me, the customer, 15 minutes to load the information on your site, because your server has decided to prioritize someone else’s content, I WILL get bored, and I WILL go and spend that sum of money somewhere else, or just go to Tesco and buy my flowers (though perhaps, not for much longer!).

In an increasingly rushed society, I don’t have time to wait endlessly, for your website to load on my screen. And it’s frustrating. Let’s face facts: In the grand scheme of things, to me, the customer, in that moment, flowers just aren’t that important.  

That is why the issue of Net Neutrality is so important to forward thinking business owners. To find out more about the fight for Net Neutrality, check out our earlier blog, Flowers of War.
So far, the main organisation responsible for leading the fight for Net Neutrality, have managed to cause quite a stir amongst congress. Fight For the Future.org ran a mass ‘Internet Slowdown’ earlier this month, to which many, many large online retailers signed up to.

But the fight continues. FFTF report that President Obama had said, as part of his campaign promises, that he would ‘take a back seat to no-one’ with regards to Net Neutrality, and promised to make sure that the commissioners he appointed to the FCC would ‘act accordingly’ to re-instate Net Neutrality. However, we all know how hard it is, to get politicians to make good on their promises.

The Internet Slowdown shook up the cable company lobbyists, who have now reportedly been ‘tag-teaming’ both Congress and the FCC in the hopes they will not have their god-like powers to control what content we have access to, removed.

Fight For the Future are now rallying more support, and asking individuals and business owners alike, no matter what country you are based in, to petition Obama to keep his promises.

We’ll keep you updated, as promised.


If you would like to know how you and your business can get involved in the fight for Net Neutrality, or simply find out more about this important issue, check out www.fightforthefuture.org

9.22.2014

A Guide to Wedding Rituals and Customs




 From the old adage, ‘Something borrowed, something blue’, to the exchange of wedding rings, rituals and customs have always been a highly important part of weddings, globally. Each custom and ritual has its own history and symbolism.

Often, we employ these rituals and customs, without giving much thought, to why they exist, and how they benefit us.

So, this new weekly series of blogs from Lily Blossom Florists, will help you to understand the history and symbolism of each wedding ritual and custom; and help you to think about how you can, and why you should, personalize each one, to make your wedding day a unique, meaningful experience.

What is a Ritual?

A ritual is a performed series of actions including words, gestures and objects.

Weddings are a rite of passage, and as such, contain many rituals and customs, such as, walking down the aisle, getting married under an arch, having a flower girl and page boy walk before the bride and groom, the exchange of wedding rings, wearing a bridal gown, and the wedding breakfast.

But why do we perform these rituals?

The Psychological Benefit of Ritual


Isn’t it funny: we goal-set for our career, employ visualization techniques, and give preparation to events such as interviews. We define the terms of ‘success’, in board meetings, with measurable outcomes and targets, so that we know exactly what ‘success’ means to our team, and can recognise it when we attain it. But we don’t do this, when entering into a potentially life-long marriage!

The more we prepare for a goal, the more committed we are to the process, the more we are able to influence the outcome. Recent studies, show that when rituals are performed with specific outcomes in mind, the result is much more likely to be favourable.

So often, we enter into marriage with a wooly, unclear idea of what we hope and expect. However, there is a new (or some would argue-  resurgent ) school of thought, to suggest that the more explicit we are, with our partner, about what exactly we want and expect from a marriage, the more likely a successful marriage becomes.

How to Use Rituals on Your Wedding Day



Complementary with Lily Blossom's Forever Wedding Package
Your wedding is a day-long ritual. We would go further to suggest that, the more preparation, thought, detail, and emotional significance that you attach to the aesthetics of your wedding, the clearer you will be about what you are signing up to.

For instance: choosing your wedding colours because they are ‘nice’ or fashionable, is well and good. But choosing purple, because of its spiritual or cultural significance, or blue, because it represents water, and therefore, the importance of emotions, is by far a more informed, conscious choice.

Choosing white roses to represent the peace and tranquility that you desire for your new home, while you strive in the outside world for success, and making sure that you openly declare the significance of the white rose, is a more sensible strategy, than simply choosing white roses ‘because you like them’.

By personalizing and engaging in ritual, we are committing on both a conscious, and more importantly, subconscious level. It is the thought we give to the details of our wedding, and the symbolic significance that we consciously attribute to those aesthetic details, that are important.

Choosing colours for particular reasons, is like visualizing what you want for your married life. By selecting these things together, you are in fact, stating your subconscious (or conscious) wishes and desires, and actively visualising them.

By far the easiest, most beautiful, and most popular way to make visible your goals for married life, is with flowers. After all, they have their own language!

How to Choose a Wedding Florist


Your partner and yourself are getting married because you love each other, you want to achieve things together, and because together, you are stronger.


Before choosing a florist, or employing any other type of wedding planning service, think together, about what it is you want to achieve. Would you like children? Is romance important to you? Do you insist on honesty? Is emotional strength a non-negotiable? Do you both long for that quaint little house by the sea? Is it important to you both, that you bring your own culture and customs to your union and future family?

Once you have discussed this, and have a clearer idea (which by no means has to be finite), our guide can help you to understand which flowers, colours, wedding rituals and customs can best represent your shared goals.

With the average spend on wedding flowers reaching £450, it is of course vital you give thought to who you choose as your wedding florist. They must be, what we like to call, ‘The Three P’s’:

Personable, Passionate and Professional.

In order to be able to create floral decorations that represent your highly personal desires for your new life, your wedding florist will have to be trustworthy and non-judgmental; you have to feel that you can talk openly with them, that they will take your desires seriously, and translate your perhaps initially unclear desires, into more concrete, visually stunning floral creations.

If you don’t feel your florist is taking your desires seriously, walk away. Knowledgeable florists will be able to combine what is fashionable, with what is meaningful. Wedding floristry is very different from other types of floristry. Your wedding day will be one of the most meaningful days of your life, if the right attention to detail is applied.

Put Your Best Foot Forward!


Psychologists and social scientists are finding that rituals may well make for better emotional adjustment to a new situation. In other words, creating and engaging in highly personal rituals on your wedding day, allows you to demonstrate your commitment to your shared goals, and go into your marriage with your best foot forward.


Professional wedding florists, Lily Blossom, have an excellent wedding flowers deal, which will see you receiving a free bouquet of fresh flowers, every year, on your anniversary, for twelve years. The exclusive package was featured in popular men's online wedding magazine The Groom List, in 2013, and has been riotously popular since then! It makes a beautiful engagement gift. 

The package effectively means that, if you spend a minimum of £400 on your wedding flowers (including buttonholes, table centrepieces and the important bouquet), you will have got your wedding flowers, for free, with a whole host of other benefits. In this financially difficult time, it is an extremely good deal.  

Give Lily Blossom a call on 0208 979 5656, or email them, and ask about their ‘Forever Wedding’ package, for full details.


Subscribe for special offers, full access and updates to our ‘Guide to Wedding Rituals’, and more.



9.16.2014

FLOWERS OF WAR: Net Neutrality and the Online Florist.

"Rage" Copyright- Banksy

Now we are a boutique florists, nestled away in a pretty part of London. We don’t really do politics. However, Net Neutrality is under serious threat. And this is very bad for business.

That’s why a little florists in East Molesey, is getting political, and why it matters to you

What is Net Neutrality?

Net Neutrality means that Internet Service Providers (or ISPs) are obliged to treat all content providers the same, providing them with the same service, regardless of their affiliations, or lack of, with the ISP.

Net Neutrality is under threat, because since an FCC ruling in 2002, ISPs can give preferential treatment to the content providers of their choosing. Comcast have already done it.

This situation was not the intention of the FCC, and is in fact, counter to their vision for the Internet. It was an unforeseen by-product of the ruling. The FCC are now trying to reverse their ruling.
Whether they will be successful is questionable: the big boys of telecommunications, such as Verizon and AT& T, got a teensy bit upset, about having their newfound freedoms and god-like powers taken away.

In short, the Battle for the Net, is ON.

What does it have to do with small business, such as online florists?

Getting rid of Net Neutrality means that ISPs will be able to provide preferential treatment, to those with the most cash. ISPs will be able to regulate your search results and direct your queries. But this regulation will be done in favour of whoever is paying the ISP to provide them with preferential treatment.

You will not be getting a clear picture, or an honest, neutral answer to your query then, but a sponsored result. Choice becomes an illusion. It’s a kind of ‘you can choose to do whatever we tell you to do’ situation.

“Small businesses are potentially at risk with the loss of net neutrality. Not having the deep pockets of the larger content providers, they may not be able to afford preferential treatment by the ISPs, potentially losing customers who have come to expect fast service.”

         Kassner, for techrepublic.com, January 14th 2014

In essence, saying goodbye to net neutrality may mean that businesses such as ours, may not be able to provide adequate service to you, the customer. Independent businesses may be unable to compete with larger, richer corporations and mutli-nationals. The service we will be able to provide for you, online, would be incredibly slow, and extremely frustrating. You will stop coming to us, in favour of a company with deep pockets, who can provide a faster online response. We will lose valued customers, and revenue. Many small businesses whose main income is from online sales, may be forced to close their doors. Eventually, this will mean less real choice for the consumer. It’s bad for our businesses. And bad for the consumer.

So, why won’t the FCC just reverse the decision?

Well, the Republicans don’t want them to, because it means less power for the big corporations, and less opportunity for them to monopolise and control what online content you have access to. They, and the corporations who favour the ruling, are putting massive pressure on the FCC not to reverse the ruling. If you were 2 years old, and someone gave you a huge packet of sweets, and then told you that you had to share them, what reaction would you have?

Image from www.parentdish.co.uk

Which businesses are fighting FOR the reversal to net neutrality?

This issue is so important to both business owners and the consumer, that 12 of the world’s largest internet sites have chosen to join the fight FOR Net Neutrality. These include Etsy, Kickstarter, Wordpress, Vimeo and Mozilla. And more will join.

Fight for the Future are an independent organisation leading the campaign for Net Neutrality. On September 10th, they organised a mass protest (of which the aforementioned companies took part).
These companies (and many others) pledged to run a ‘slowdown’ widget across their sites, designed to help you, the user, experience what the Internet will be like for you, if Net Neutrality is shattered forever by the big corporations and their Republican brothers.

Well the Internet Slowdown was a ‘resounding success’, according to FFTF, with more people taking action to defend net neutrality than ever before in history. More than 40,000 websites took part, and at its peak, the protest resulted in more than 1,000 calls to congress, per minute! To see the result of this monumental online protest, check out this infographic.

There are several ways that small business can take part in the campaign, that will not affect our profit margins. Click here for more information.

And just maybe we should be asking if, in the long term, we can afford not to participate?

We need YOU to help us.

As a business with a social conscience, whose main source of income is generated through online orders, and for whom, the majority of marketing, is done online, we of course, have to ask ourselves, if we should be joining the fight for net neutrality. So we thought we’d test the waters, and put it to a vote.

Do you think that we should take part?

Leave a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in the comments box below please. Your extended views are welcome. 

We will issue the results on this blog, and our Facebook page, at the end of the month, and keep you updated on the progress of the fight for Net Neutrality. Subscribe to this blog for updates.


If you would like to find out more about the protest, and get involved, check out www.fightforthefuture.org

Written by: Kyra Hall-Gelly

9.02.2014

A Day in the Life of a Florist.

Available at Lily Blossom

The expert florists at Lily Blossom in East Molesey, describe why the humble craft of floristry, is far from the ‘daily grind’. 

“It’s like giving colour to your words. Flowers have their own language” says Nicholas, Lily Blossom Florist’s business owner, sifting delicately through the flower market’s morning offerings, “And the words they express can heal, let someone know you love them, celebrate successes, and wish good luck. They encapsulate the essence of so many life events; they can sometimes say what words can’t. And they last a while. So your message lasts too.”


A customer's 'Thank you' note 2014


Available at Lily Blossom
Nicholas explains, that when his florists get a phone call from a partner in the proverbial dog house, a blushing future bride, or a mourner who has lost a treasured loved one, the first role of a florist is to lend an empathetic ear. Choosing the right flowers for the current wedding trend, or season, is important, certainly. But understanding the customer’s situation is the most important thing:



Available at Lily Blossom
“If we understand what is happening for the customer, and a little about how they are feeling, we can help them to express with flowers, what they want to say, within their budget. Some customers say this is a little cathartic. Especially when it comes to funeral and sympathy flowers.”

Knowledge of floral symbolism is what can set the passionate florist apart from those who simply view the craft as a day job. So too does design, and knowledge of current trends. Both these skills are equally important when designing floral displays for weddings. After all, your wedding day, is one of the most emotional days of your life, and the most photographed, making flowers a key aesthetic in your wedding.

The quality of fresh blooms, is paramount, and will immediately, and visually, differentiate the leading florist from the less quality ones. As Nicholas says, and any woman will tell you, she can tell a petrol station bunch of carnations, from a hand-tied boutique florist’s bouquet.


But what of the practical side, of becoming a florist? What skills are needed, and how do you take the first steps to realizing such a career?

“The first skill a florist needs is creativity. You must be able to combine flowers to form beautiful displays, taking into account colour, texture, height, fragrance, and often symbolism. With weddings especially, we like to help our brides-to-be, to develop their own ideas, no matter how vague, to produce something unique and special for each bride.”

Buttonhole Available at Lily Blossom
Nicholas points out, that although his florists want to work with a bride-to-be, or any customer, to develop their ideas, it is just as important, to let the customer know, if they feel something will not work visually:

“Your wedding day is an extremely important day. The last thing we want to do, is have you walk away with a bouquet that will not help you and your venue to look at your very best, even if we have to (delicately) explain that a part of your idea will not work in practice.” 

Design by Lily Blossom for Ben & Joo's Wedding 2014

Design by Lily Blossom for Ben & Joo's Wedding 2014


In this way then, an expert florist will safely guide you towards the most beautiful floral products obtainable within your budget. To achieve this, people skills are a must, as is tact and diplomacy.

One the more practical side, a florist’s day begins very early. The staff at Lily Blossom Florist begin their day at 8am, when they check the inbox for orders that have come in from the Internet. They begin crafting these orders from Lily Blossom’s bounty of beautiful blooms, and the London florist usually opens at 9am.

“The benefits of the job far outweigh the cons” says Nicholas, “the morning starts are not too early. There’s bags of room for creativity, plenty of contact with lovely people. It can be done on a part-time basis quite easily, and you’re surrounded by the gorgeous scent and sizzling colours of beautiful flowers every day!”

Rose & Aspidistra Cross
Available at Lily Blossom

 Not the best career choice for Hay Fever sufferers then! But with the average florist earning between £16000 and £25000 a year, a chance for a good work-life balance, and opportunities to show off your artistic flair, Floristry is a valid career choice. A common way to start a career in floristry is to get a job in a florists, and learn on the job. However, if you would like to train first, you have a few choices: floristry apprenticeships are available, as are B Tech National Diplomas in floristry, throughout the UK. See the National Careers Service website for more details.