Friday…with The Flower Arranger Magazine ( and my Granny )

Towards the end of last year I was asked if I’d like to contribute something to the NAFAS Sping edition of ‘The Flower Arranger’ Magazine…

( NAFAS is National Association of Flower Arrangement Soceities by the way )

I was really thrilled as it had been my late Granny’s favourite magazine, having been an avid flower arranger with The Coventry Flower Club since the early 1960’s.

I have held on to lots of her flower arranging bits and pieces ( including the metal frogs and ikebana snips and books in the image above ) as I knew they meant so much to her…little realising how much influence they were going to have on me over the last few years.

She would have been so surprised but also really happy that I had had something published in this magazine, so I wanted to create some arrangements which somehow included her and her work too…I have her sketchbooks, lots of photos of her arrangements and certificates… …she was evidently pretty skilled as these First Prize cards date from 1966 – 1995She had also achieved her advanced diploma in Ichiyo ikebana by 1973……and this is an image I really love as here is Beryl Stanton running what looks like a flower arranging workshop on a lovely wooden table!These were obviously some arrangements she was most proud of…even though they seem rather dated now…She had a beautiful garden too which I spent many weekends running around ( and dodging mud ‘grenades’ my brother would hurl at me from across the lawn! ) this photo is so reminiscent of summers spent there…I can almost smell it I also have a selection of some of her ceramics which she used. The keyhole one is my absolute favourite but they’re all brilliant to work with… …and here is her 25 years of flower arranging badge …and her NAFAS apronIt’s strange, but also quite comforting, to realise the influence someone has had on you during your childhood when you weren’t even noticing…I really wish I could have had a chat to her about it all, or even a class with her in her shed…

However, at least I’m able to share a bit of that history here…even though she’d have been completely freaked out by anything digital!You can order a copy of the Spring Issue of ‘The Flower Arranger’ HERE which is full of really interesting ideas and also a great piece about Japanese Cherry Blossom!