A Chat with Simon Townsend

Recently we at Emmett had the opportunity to catch up with Simon Townsend the founder of Bulbous Flowers, our neighbour here on Jermyn Street. You can find him and Bulbous just outside St. James Church, across from Duke Street since 1996.

We arrived to Bulbous just before the morning rush with coffees in hand and found him wearing our Purple Linen shirt from this season. While we had the time to talk, his regular clients and ours of more than two decades were popping by to say ‘Hello!’. Just proof that the Jermyn Street family is a large one.

There can be a lot of crossovers in our love for colour and the florist industry, often taking inspiration from natural beauty in designing an Emmett Shirt. So we thought we would share some of the conversations we’ve had with Simon.

E:              Seems busy here, what would be your best floral selection for Spring and Summer?

S:              Popular spring flowers - Tulips, anemones, hyacinths and ranunculus (especially butterfly ranunculus).

                  Popular summer flowers - definitely peonies, everyone loves it when these come into season and this year they have already started. Delphiniums are always a winner in summer, mixed with gelda rose and cow parsley creates the perfect English country garden display.

E:              Those all sound and look beautiful here. How do you approach colour coordination in arrangements and with your Emmett shirts?

S:               I spend a good amount of time coordinating with Mo at Emmett on the seasons influential colour palette - as always there is a wide range of colours in the collection, so I feel it’s best to pick just one colour for the flower displays this way the flowers do not fight with the shirts. Instead, they can add to the overall ambience of the look.

E:              Wedding season is quickly approaching especially now that we are all getting back to normal. White shirts are a classic for weddings and made to measure specifically. What kind of flowers are most popular with your clients for the wedding season?

S:               Wedding flowers - most people like to keep their flowers seasonal, but I would say, that again peonies come out on top. They are soft, romantic and blousy. Lily of the Valley and Sweet peas are also hugely popular.

E:              We often do a few floral designs every season. Has there been a favourite of yours?

S:               The summer linens are beautiful. But, personal favourites - for me it’s the ones in autumn and winter. Same with the flowers too! Hydrangeas, Sanguisorba, Rose-hips, Lichen covered branches and the huge variety of wonderful winter foliage.

It was wonderful to have the chance to chat with Simon, and we will definitely be back soon to put our order in for the Christmas wreaths too. Wedding season really is on the horizon. Visit our made to measure showroom on Jermyn street to design your perfect wedding shirt with one of our tailors soon! Or any shirt for that matter we have 1000’s of fabrics and over seventy collars and cuffs to make your shirt something special. 

For more information or just to chat email us at JermynStreet@emmettlondon.com