DIY Guide: Floristry

Everyone loves a nice bunch of flowers (except Winston Churchill who apparently said that he also liked children but didn't cut their heads off and display them around the house). 

Fresh flowers bring a lovely fresh scent and spruce up a space instantly. But... sorting out the flowers for your own event can be pretty intimidating. We're all ok with stuffing some supermarket flowers into water, maybe adding the supplied sachet of plant food. Sourcing, transporting and displaying flowers in bulk is rather another matter, even for the most intrepid host.

Never fear! We can't promise to turn you into Martha Stewart overnight but we hope that this short guide will help to answer some of your most pressing questions: 

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How To Do Your Own Flowers Without Ending Up In A Pickle.

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1. Make a plan (and know you may have to compromise)

Obviously, the first - and most fun - stage is deciding what you like. Have some fun on Pinterest picking out the colours and styles that appeal to you. Try to keep it loose: colour ranges rather than specific shades, broad decorative themes rather than particular arrangements. This gives you some wiggle room, which is useful creatively and will also help avoid being backed into an expensive corner. The looser the brief, the more freedom you have to be pragmatic in your choices.

Here are some of our favourite florists for inspiration:

- Saipua
Glorious, loose, painterly flowers from a US based florist (flowers shown above by Saipua).

- Euphoric Flowers
Epic, classic event flowers.

- Nicolette Camille
Super pretty, romantic floral arrangements.

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2. Refine your plan

Now you need to be practical, which means thinking about how everything will get done... and by who.

Things to think about include (but are not limited to):

- Which flowers will be in season
Seasonal flowers are cheaper, because they are abundant and they haven't been shipped for miles. It's a good idea to drop non-seasonal flowers from consideration (or plan to use them sparingly) but don't assume that all seasonal flowers will be available. If growing conditions have been bad a particular variety may be in short supply, and therefore expensive. So it's a good plan not to set your heart on any one flower. You can find seasonal flower guides like this one online.

- Who will be making up the displays
Flowers are best arranged the day of the event. If your event is a wedding, for example, you probably won't be available to do this. So whether you're delegating or not, make sure that the look you're aiming for matches the skill level of the person doing the arranging. 

You can find an incredible array of How-To guides and videos online, these are some of our favourites:

- 10 second how-to: Tying handheld floral arrangements 
- Enormous selection over at Wedding Chicks
- DIY Project: Hanging Floral Chandelier 
- Buttonhole DIY
- Make your own: Valentine's day flower arrangement 


- Transport and storage
Buying wholesale isn't the same as buying retail. Florists will buy flowers in bulk a few days before an event to give them time to reach their peak, and you'll need to do the same. So you will need somewhere reasonably cool and dark to store your flowers. You will also need to plan transporting your flowers from storage to your venue. Consider this when you're planning how much you will buy.

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3. Sourcing containers

You can't do much about your flowers until a few weeks before the event, but you can get a head start on sorting out your containers. You should already have an idea of the style of container you're looking for, now you need to think about how many you need, and in what sizes. The best way to do this is to walk around your venue, making a note of where you think the flowers should go. You should end up with a shopping list - if it's super long and you're worried you've over done it, then separate it into a priority list and a 'wish' list. Get through the priority list and start on the 'wish' list if you can afford it.

There are three ways to get hold of containers: Buy, hire or loan.

- Buy
It is often cheaper and easier to buy your own containers. Lots of people buy them and then sell them on post event, so the end cost can be very low. If you're going to the New Covent Garden Flower Market to buy your flowers, you will find shops there which stock all sorts of containers around the edges of the square. If that's a bit too far away check out sites like Ebay and Preloved, which have section specifically for the sale of used wedding kit. And shops like Ikea and Dunelm also offer great value, simple containers which can be purchased in multiple.

- Hire
It's actually pretty difficult to find vases to hire. We offer some at The Stylists Cupboard, and there are various prop/furniture hire companies, such as Invisible Blue Direct and Greathire which also have a vase section. But you may find that the selection isn't huge and the delivery/collection costs can be high.

- Loan  
If you're going for an eclectic theme, you may be able to borrow glassware from friends. This is a great way to save money but do remember to pay extra attention to planning how the loaned items will be looked after as they will need to be cleaned, packed and returned to their owners with care.

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4. Buying flowers

The two easiest options are purchase from a wholesaler at New Covent Garden Market in London or ordering online. Though it's definitely worth checking for local wholesalers in your area, there are nurseries across the country who supply cut flowers and plants.

- New Covent Garden Market

The flower market is wonderful, somewhat discombobulating and best viewed as an adventure. You need to arrive around 8.30/9.00am to see the best of it, ideally by car. You drive up to the entrance and pay a small fee for entry. You can then park and find your way to an entrance - the market is square and has multiple entrances on each side. Try not to go through a goods door to avoid being mown down by a forklift.

Inside the market are thousands of flowers, plants and sundries, displayed on competing stands. The first thing to understand is the scale of the thing. It's wholesale, so bunches of roses come in 50s rather than 10s. The second is that VAT will be charged on top of any prices quoted.

Ideally, you need to do a visit to check things out ahead of purchasing. Walk around and check out the stock each stall has: do you like the selection, is it in good condition? When you've found a stall you like, approach them and get some contact details. If you have any questions about lead times or varieties of flowers, these are the people to ask. They will also give you useful tips on how to care for the flowers you're buying. For example hydrangeas need spritzing with water to keep them fresh because they absorb water through their petals as well as their stems.

If you want a particular variety, check that they will be stocking it. Most stalls will order things in for you if you ask. If you're buying a relatively small amount of flowers it's ok to just turn up on the day and pick them out. But if you're buying a lot it's best to avoid disappointment by emailing over an order a week or two before you need to collect. That way you will definitely get what you want.

Be prepared for the fact that prices fluctuate constantly. The stallholder won't be able to give you a final price until you collect on the day, but they will be able to give a good estimate of your spend. Most stands take cash and cards, so payment is easy. Flowers generally come boxed for transport so you'll want to pick up some cheap buckets so that your flowers can stand in water until your event.

- Online
Online ordering has the benefit of being super easy, but carries a bit of a cost premium. Some wholesalers will only sell to trade but there are several who will sell to anyone, for example Triangle Nurseries - we particularly love their David Austin scented garden roses.  As with flowers from the market, they will come boxed so make sure you have some buckets to stand them in. 

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... And those are the basics of DIY floristry. 

If you're a DIY host in need of a little help, why not try our new hire-by-the-day event manager service. Create your own event - and stay in control of it's design and budget - with the benefit of a professional to answer queries, recommend suppliers and run things on the day so you don't have to.

Raspberry rumble

Teatime recently produced our first ever paint fight, for Kopparberg, in celebration of the launch of their new raspberry flavour. Paint powder - and fresh raspberries - filled the air in an explosion of colour and flavour. We were SO GLAD we had a jet washer afterwards.

Marrakech: Shopping the Souks

Team Teatime went on an extremely important fact finding mission *AHEMHOLIDAY* to Morocco this month. As part of this we spent a few days in Marrakech and fell face first into the inevitable spiral of BUYING EVERYTHING. You may not think it's inevitable, but believe me, it is.

Having done zero real prep or research we had quite an interesting learning curve and are therefore able to offer the following (by no means definitive) advice in our guide to: Shopping the Souks

1. Before you go....

Get a decent map. You can get free ones but they're rubbish and weirdly distort things so the shop that sponsored them looks like it's close to everywhere. You will only use the map occasionally, as wandering is the best part, but it will make you feel better about things.

Pack a notebook and a pen. Most traders speak enough English to get by (some in hilarious accents, due to the popularity of TOWIE and Eastenders) but in the worst case scenario it doesn't hurt to have a bit of paper and a pen to write down numbers or illustrate what you're trying to say.

Sort out your phone plan. It's super easy to forget that despite the short flight and being in the same time zone you're not in Europe and it will cost the same as a designer kitchen to do all the stuff you usually use your phone for, if you haven't sorted out a plan (and probably even then - I'm looking at you Vodafone).

Book a riad in the Old Town. Sure, the new town has shiny identikit hotels with pools and is a lot more like a foreign version of home (i.e. semi-recognisable shops) but the Medina is where it's at and there are way too many adorable riads offering excellent value to ignore.

If you're doing a short trip, splash out. The value for money at luxury riads is INSANE. We spent our last night at El Fenn in a room which cost us £160 but would have sold for three times that in most European cities. Palatial doesn't even cover it.

If you're doing a longer trip, splash out at the end. Morocco is hot and tiring, make your last couple of days as relaxing as possible.

Don't bother changing money at the airport. If you can get a good rate somewhere then by all means do it beforehand, but otherwise cashpoints offered us a better deal. 1000 DHM cost us £100 at an airport exchange booth but only £75 via cashpoint.

Pre book a taxi from the airport with your riad. Yes, it's more than local fares but it's much, much easier and it's still not very expensive. Write down the number and address of the riad in your notebook, in case you can't find the driver, or your driver is an idiot. No, you can't look it up on your emails when you get there if you're trying to not use data roaming. Yes, that's the voice of experience.


2. When you arrive...

Go for a wander. When you first arrive, having unpacked and decompressed, the best thing to do is go for a wander around the local area and suss out the route from your riad to the main landmark: Jemaa el Fna, the main square. When you get to the square, pick a landmark building to orient yourself by - it's a square space so it's easy to forget where you came in.

Stay hydrated. Hydration is important somewhere as warm as Marrakech, particularly in Spring and Summer. Riads will charge you between 1 and 4 Euros for a big bottle of still water, but the small shops that fill the Medina will sell you one straight from the fridge for between 6 and 10 DHM. Worth the effort of learning 'une bouteille d'eau s'il vous plait'. NB: you won't find these shops in the souk, so pick up water on the way.

Mind where you walk. The Medina is a constant riot of cars, motorbikes, bicycles and donkeys, all moving like the clappers. The trick is twofold: stay to the side of the road and don't hesitate. You will see vehicles moving down crowded, narrow alleyways at speed. The reason they can manage this without squashing someone is that pedestrians know to stay out of the way as far as possible and the drivers anticipate what the crowd will do (i.e. get on with it). If you suddenly stop in the middle of things, you'll be the one making trouble.

The locals aren't trying to rip you off. You will hear lots of stories about 'helpful' locals offering to take you to places then asking for money. Firstly, the locals are a friendly bunch who see a lot of lost people and will often offer directions with no expectation. Second, if they ask for money 10 dirhams is about 75p. You're not breaking the bank, even if you wildly over tip. 

But you don't have to follow them to be polite. We nearly got dragged off to a Berber market we really weren't interested in by a helpful local on the first day. It's really easy to end up politely following someone as they take you to some place they recommend for whatever reason. Once there you'll be plonked down and given a sales pitch, at the end of which you'll be urged to buy. The whole thing is easily avoided with a good natured smile and a firm 'Non, merci'. If you want to find a specific shop ask for it by name - there are lots of berber pharmacies in the souk, for example. If you do end up following someone but don't really want to, it's ok to just stop. Tourists are seen as walking cash machines by locals, in the sense that they believe that you are here to spend. All the leading about is often a good natured attempt to ensure that you don't spend your money on what they think are crap goods. They see it as helping you to get something nice and the people they like to make some money. So don't be grumpy about it, that's the only sure fire way to turn things sour.

You don't really need a guide if you have a map. That's just you paying someone to take you to his mates' shops for the endless pitch about something you don't want. It also instantly marks you out as a high spender, which doesn't help with bartering.


3. Now go shopping...

Do more wandering. Shopping guides like Secrets of the Souks are brilliant, but if you've got the time it's really nice to wander in the areas you're particularly drawn to before you start to get too focussed. This allows you to make some discoveries of your own, and it's worth remembering that the souks change all the time so there may be places that have arrived since your guide was published.

Don't start buying straight away. The souks break down into specialised areas: metalworking, leather, textiles etc. etc. In each of those areas there are lots and lots of stallholders selling very similar things. In some cases it's a traditional item and there are lots of them available because they're made and used locally, so they're all of a similar standard. But in some cases there are huge differences in quality, finish and materials. There are plenty of products that have been bought in from China and India, and they will be sold to you as Moroccan. So take the time to look around before you decide to purchase.

Buy it because you like it. Once you've had a look around, you'll be pretty sure you can buy an item without finding one that's loads better round the corner straight afterwards. So pick the version you've seen that you like best - or in the case of identical goods at multiple stalls, the stallholder you like best - and buy that one. Don't overthink it beyond that. If you like it, and you'll use it, it's a good choice.

Get a good price. Don't be under the illusion that you can buy all of Marrakech for a tenner. It's not that kind of cheap. It's the kind of cheap where you can get something that's handmade from good materials for 1/4 of what you'd pay in the UK. But in the UK there's always a cheap version made in China. You're not going to get the good quality item in Marrakech for less than you'd pay in the UK for the crap item. You aren't in Moroccan Primark. Which brings us to....

Haggling. Do it. Apparently the rule of thumb is to expect to knock off 1/3 from the initial quoted price. We generally started at offering half and ended up paying around 60%. Don't be combative, there's no need. The stallholders work across a range of prices, based on assessing their customers (and their pockets) and part of that is whether they like you. So if you come over all stern in an attempt to control the process you'll be shooting yourself in the foot. Smile, be nice and if anything be honest. You'll have an idea in your head of the price range you're prepared to pay, start a bit below that and don't go above your comfort zone. 

Be prepared to walk away. Because, quite apart from not running your bank account into the red, walking away will often get you the price you want. And if it doesn't, you couldn't afford it anyway.


4. Eat...

An army marches on it's stomach, and so do you, so it's essential to stop and find something to eat, preferably somewhere nice and cool  while you sit out the hottest hours of the day. There are loads of options in Marrakech, but this is our top three:

Terrace des Epices. The Terrace is well signposted, but if you're lost just ask stallholders for directions. 

El Fenn. Non-guests can book in for lunch and dinner if they call ahead. The rooftop terrace is shaded and breezy, and the menu is pleasant, simple but not particularly cheap. However well worth it for the fact you have to walk through most of the hotel to get to it, excellent for nosing around.

Street food. The street food doesn't even start to kick in until late afternoon, by the evening there is a dizzying array available. However, as with the souks, you quickly realise that a lot of it is basically the same. Head for the smaller stands where people sit in a square around the chef to find something really interesting. Although you may end up sitting next to someone eating a goats head (grand tete, moyen tete, demi tete....) so not for the feint hearted.


5. And shop some more...

No rest for the wicked. Now is the time to aim for specific shops, specialists who sell items you can't find elsewhere in the souks. Our favourites include:

Atelier Moro. This is where you can find the berber towels invented by Viviana Gonzalez - soft towelling stitched to decorative berber fabric and edged with colourful mini tassels. Super practical and stylish.

Maison du Caftan. An amazing spot for hand embroidered fabrics, particularly curtains and bed linen. Cheap for the labour that goes into making the items, but not cheap in the grand scheme of things. Well worth a visit if you want to invest in something amazing for your home.

Miloud El Jouli. There are a few 'gallery' style shops in the souk and everyone raves about Mustapha Blaoui but this is my favourite spot for beautifully hand worked, stylish takes on classic Moroccan designs, from inlaid wood to statement lighting. Ask for the charming, soft spoken Abdel, who can arrange for your purchases to be posted to you if you don't want to trail them home in your luggage.


6. Have some time out...

Visit the Jardin Majorelle. A verdant green oasis shot through with signature Majorelle blue features... and of course that amazing house. Jardin Majorelle also has a lovely cafe, a bookshop and a gift shop selling expensive but lovely bits and bobs. It is a little way out of the old town, but there's a massive taxi rank outside ready to take you back when you're ready. 

*A note on taxis: everyone says you should agree a price before you go anywhere. But the best thing is to first check whether the cab has a working meter - the proper ones should. The meter price will give you an absolute bargain. So only negotiate if the meter 'isn't working' (usually a sign of an unlicensed cab, but who cares for a ten minute two quid ride....).

Have a Hammam. We had a wonderful time at Les Bains De L'Alhambra. I knew we were onto a good thing when the two happiest, most relaxed people I'd seen in weeks fell out of the doorway grinning as we were going in. They've also won various awards and polls, so it's super clean and they're a nice bunch. Not much English but it doesn't really matter. Would merrily go once a week if I could afford the air fare.

Edible Cinema: Grosse Point Blank

We've spent some time with the Edible Cinema team this week working on the upcoming screening - Grosse Point Blank! The July event will be taking place in the lovely setting of the Electric Cinema in Portobello, truly the lap of luxury, and where better to much on explosive devices and lightly grilled French hitmen?