Robed in snowy white

As I see it, there are two kinds of successful people: people who climb up a ladder and then ignore the ladder and the people who are still on it, and people who climb up a ladder but turn around and give other people a helping hand. Tobi Hannah is the second kind.

As an innovative wedding dress designer, she provides a haven for brides who want a wonderful and varied selection of shorter wedding dresses. Her latest collection was inspired by the Pink Floyd album, The Wall. I swooned at the lot of them, but I especially like the Hattie dress. There's something about a dress with a collar that makes it smart and pretty.

Her sister company, Lara Hannah, makes stunning and ethereal-looking long dresses, many inspired by Waterhouse paintings. Her latest campaign for her new Magic Circle Collection includes a dreamy photoshoot inspired by the painting of The Lady of Shalott. This is the Infinity dress.

All of Waterhouse's Lady of Shalott paintings are amazing, but the one on the boat is one of my favourite paintings...and after it came first in the Art Everywhere poll, it's clearly many people's favourite! I took this photo of the Art Everywhere poster at Regent's Park station.

And I have to include a photo of some David Austin Lady of Shalott roses, which grace the rose garden in Regent's Park.

Getting back to Tobi. She learns about up and coming people in the wedding industry and supports those whose paths have crossed with hers. I've had some fantastic chats with her over the last year about everything from Coco Chanel's impact on the fashion world (her wedding dress was short!) to the highly underrated film, Elizabethtown.

I dropped in to see her this week and left some flowers for her, her team, and her visiting brides to enjoy: cosmos, phlox, sweet peas, salvia and 'Blue Dress' flax in a pretty Tiptree jar. The sweet peas, salvia and phlox smelt gorgeous!

Photos from David Austin

I took plenty of photos during my recent trip to the gardens at David Austin. The first roses I saw in the gardens were Lady of Shalott. I'm fond of the poem by Tennyson, the painting by Waterhouse, and have been curious to see what this rose would look and smell like. It didn't disappoint me - it is beautiful and sweetly scented.

Queen of Sweden is a pale pink rose which is supposed to be good for cutting. Usually, florists advise against leaving flowers near radiators. In this case, these incredible, frozen roses might appreciate the warmth!

Winchester Cathedral is a pretty, white rose.

There were lots of yellow roses. I'm not sure whether they can tolerate the cold better, or if they are especially late flowering. One of the most gorgeous is Charlotte.

And another is Golden Celebration.

Another Lady of Shalott rose bush on the left, and tall, Alice in Wonderland-style Molineux rose bushes on the right.

Tea Clipper is a pretty apricot colour. And, like many roses, it has a great name!

Charles Rennie Mackintosh is quite a striking rose, as lilac roses are not a common sight in gardens.

Maid Marion is a pretty pink - the sort of colour that you might call 'rose pink'.

Noble Antony is magnificent; a really vibrant, neatly-formed rose. And I'm a sucker for a Shakespearean hero!

One surprise in the gardens was the peacocks. As my boyfriend and I were the only people visiting the gardens, we hoped they might display their feathers if we were quiet and patient enough. Sadly, they didn't. Maybe next time!

Jude the Obscure roses

I was so excited when I discovered Jude the Obscure roses. I bought a rose bush, developed by David Austin Roses, earlier this summer, and some new buds have developed in the last week. The roses are a delicate apricot yellow colour, neatly formed, and they have a gorgeous, heady scent. I'm hoping more will open up in the next few days and I'll be able to use some in small posies at the Chinbrook Meadow art and craft fair this weekend.

We read Tess of the D'Urbervilles at school and the Mayor of Casterbridge at college, but even those tales of woe didn't prepare me for Jude the Obscure. Thomas Hardy writes such evocative, epic tales, but man, does he like his mis-lit! Jude himself has a pretty unfortunate life, suffering from heartbreak and social discrimination. But the scene where Jude's son takes his destiny into his own hands, with devastating consequences, will haunt me forever. It’s my favourite Hardy book, but not one to read if you’re already feeling blue.

I almost wish that garden roses flowered in February so that I could do an Unrequited Love arrangement for Valentine's Day, with Jude the Obscure, Lady of Shalott and Ophelia roses!