Hello, I’m Michelle from Love in Bloom in Rothwell.
This is my third blog post. The first was same-day delivery. The second was a funeral flowers guide. This one is simpler: how to look after the bouquet once it is through the door.
I am often asked how long the flowers will last. A well-made hand-tied, given a clean vase and a bit of care, should look good for about a week, often closer to two. That is what customers tell me, and it is what I aim for. Supermarket bunches are built for a price. Mine are built to last a bit longer than that.
No two houses are the same. A hot windowsill or a vase that is never topped up will shorten the life. The notes below are what I would do if the bouquet were sitting in my own kitchen.
When the flowers arrive
Leave them in the wrapping for a few minutes while you find a vase. Fill the vase with cool, clean water.
Unwrap them, cut about 2cm off each stem on an angle, and put them straight in. If I have sent flower food, use it. If there is no sachet, clean water is still the main thing.
Take off any leaves that would sit below the waterline. Leaves in the water rot and make the whole vase smell before the heads have faded.
Each day
• Top the water up. Flowers drink more than people think.
• If the water looks cloudy, change it and recut the stems.
• Pull out any stem that has gone first so it does not spoil the others.
Where to stand them
Somewhere they will be seen, but not:
• on a radiator or sunny windowsill
• next to a bowl of ripening fruit (the gas from fruit ages flowers)
• in a draught from an open door all day
A cool room overnight helps more than people expect.
What is normal
Lilies may open over a few days. That is them doing what they should. Roses can droop if the stem has sealed — a fresh cut under water usually brings them back. Foliage often outlasts the blooms; you can strip tired heads and keep a greener arrangement going.
If something arrived already tired, call me. That is not “how flowers are.” I will put it right.
If you want them to last as long as possible
Do the recut on day one. Change the water midweek. Keep them cool. That is most of it.
And if you want another bunch when this one fades, you know where I am. Order online or call 07715 843585 / 01536 237647. Weekday same-day is still before 2pm
Thank you for reading.
Michelle
Love in Bloom, Rothwell
Hello, I’m Michelle from Love in Bloom in Rothwell.
This is my second blog post. The first one was about same-day delivery. This one is for families who need funeral flowers and are not sure where to start. You do not need to know the names of every tribute. That is my job.
Arranging a farewell is hard enough. Flowers should not add to the worry.
What I can make
The traditional circular tribute. People often choose these for the service itself. I can keep them classic white and green, or use colours that felt like the person.
Sprays
These sit on the coffin or beside it. A single-ended spray is smaller; a double-ended or casket spray is larger and reads well in a chapel.
Letters
Spelling MUM, DAD, NAN, or a name. These take more time, so please do not leave them until the morning of the service if you can help it.
Hearts, cushions, posies and sheaves
A heart is a clear “we loved you.” A posy or sheaf is a kind choice if you are a friend or colleague rather than the immediate family.
Bespoke
If they loved sunflowers, their football colours, or a quiet all-white arrangement, tell me. I would rather make something that feels like them than sell you a picture that does not.
How far in advance
As soon as you have a date and a funeral director, get in touch. I will always try to help at short notice, but letters, large casket sprays and busy weeks need a bit of time.
Same-day is sometimes possible for a simpler sympathy bouquet to the family home. Formal tributes for a service are safer ordered ahead.
Where I deliver
I take funeral flowers to funeral directors, churches, chapels, crematoriums and family homes in:
• Rothwell
• Kettering
• Desborough
• Corby
• Market Harborough
• and the villages between
If you are unsure of the venue address, the funeral director’s name is enough. I work with local firms regularly and can check the delivery time with them.
What to have ready when you call
• Date and time of the service
• Funeral director or venue
• Who the flowers are from (the card)
• Colours you would like — or “florist choice” if you would rather I decide
• A budget, even a rough one
There is no silly question. If you only know “something kind, not too big,” we can start there.
A note on the card
Keep it short. “With love from John, Sarah and the boys” is enough. I will write it by hand.
How to order
Call me on 07715 843585 or 01536 237647, or use the funeral page on the website.
If you are standing in the kitchen at 8am and the service is tomorrow, phone. Do not try to work it out alone on the shop.
I will treat the order with care, get it there on time, and let you get back to the people who need you.
Michelle
Love in Bloom, Rothwell
Hello, I’m Michelle from Love in Bloom.
This is my first blog post. I’m happier with flowers in my hands than with a keyboard, but a few of you have asked how same-day delivery actually works, so here it is in plain English.
I design and make every bouquet from my studio in Rothwell. If you order in time, I can often get flowers to someone the same day — not next week, and not from a warehouse at the other end of the country.
What “same day” means here
Order before 2pm, Monday to Friday, and I will do my best to deliver that day to:
• Rothwell
• Corby
• and the villages in between
Saturday is a shorter day in the studio, so please call if you need Saturday delivery rather than assuming the weekday cutoff.
Same day depends on the diary, the distance and how busy funerals or weddings are that morning. If I cannot make your time, I will say so. I would rather be honest than promise a slot I cannot keep.
How to order
• Online at loveinbloom.co.uk
• Phone 07715 843585 or 01536 237647
If it is a last-minute birthday, a hospital visit or you simply want something there this afternoon, calling is often quicker. I can tell you what is looking lovely that morning and whether I can get to the address today.
Please have ready:
• the full delivery address, including postcode
• a phone number for the recipient if you have one (useful if I cannot find the house)
• any card message
• a time window if it matters (before they leave for work, after school, and so on)
What I will not do
I will not send tired flowers just to hit a deadline. If a particular bouquet on the website is not looking its best, I will swap in something as close as I can, in the same colours and feel. That is what “florist choice” is for.
I also cannot always deliver to every ward or office reception after a certain time, so if it is a hospital or workplace, tell me when you order.
A small ask
If the flowers arrive and they made someone’s day, a Google review mentioning the town — Rothwell, Desborough, Kettering — really helps a one-woman florist get found by the next person who needs flowers today.
Thank you for reading my first post. If you need flowers sending today, order before 2pm or pick up the phone. I will take it from there.
Michelle
Love in Bloom, Rothwell
Create an account