Floral pets

Quite a few florists have dogs. I imagine the companionship of a faithful pooch in your shop or studio can be hugely welcome at stressful times. I adore dogs and Dave and I talk almost on a daily basis about having one, but at the moment our lifestyle isn't suited to it. However, we do have two much-loved guinea pigs who keep me company when I'm creating: Angus (left) and Lizzie (right). Both came from the RSPCA, though separately- Lizzie in February 2013 and Angus in April 2016 to keep her company when the last-but-one of our once numerous tribe (seven at its largest) passed away. Guinea pigs are hugely social animals who need company from their own species, and Angus, who'd lived previously on his own, has really flourished since they met.

Some florists and dog-lovers adorn their pets with flowers (check out #dogsinflowercrowns on Instagram), producing some adorable shots, so I decided to make mini flower crowns for Lizzie and Angus using home-grown flowers freshly-cut from the garden. What could be cuter?

Well, it would be fair to say they didn't make the most willing of volunteers, even with bribes of food (their number one main motivation in life). Scroll on for a selection of the outtakes.

Thanks as always to Dave for the photos. It's fair to say we had quite a giggle taking these.