Back in April, I was lucky enough to travel over to Hampshire to spend a week with the wonderfully lovely, and talented, Jay Archer, at her Jay Archer Flower School. Jay had spent a week with me back in February focussing on botanical illustration, so I was already looking forward to catching up and filling a week full of laughing until your belly ached and your face couldn't take any more... oh, and four days of one to one tuition, picking her creatively genius brain and working with the most gorgeous blooms, of course!
One of the things I was most excited about exploring when I was over was the access to amazing, and world renowned, Covent Garden Flower Market.
Although Jay had warned me it was 'totes amaze' and overwhelming, nothing had really prepared me for how incredible it was to see whole birch trees, enormous branches laden with cherry blossom, magnolia, the FRESHEST flowers I had ever seen and the biggest variety... things you just struggle to get here. Everywhere. It was, beyond incredible.
I have to admit, I was really emotional, and had welled up at stand one - which was just greenery and branches!! I struggle not to cry every time I think about it, it was just a beautiful experience for me, and one that I'll treasure... much like my trip to the NY flower market last year.
All the traders were just amazing, too - chatting to us, giving us a cuppa upon arrival, and couldn't have been more helpful. There's no cold shoulder, everyone is really helpful and want to know who you are, and how they can help you. Really great banter, which makes the 4am start completely worth it... there's something so magical about being up when no-one else is, chasing the sunrise and driving back with a car-full of the MOST AMAZING loot that feels like you've won the lottery.
Huge thanks to Miss Archer for sharing this with me. XO
