We are sure that many will agree that when you have pets, they are not “just an animal”, they are part of the family. No matter how big or small, our furry family members become a special part of our lives. For many people, their pets are their companion, their confidant and quite often a unique and special bond is established between owner and pet.
As such, keeping our fur family safe is hugely important, and in this blog post we focus on how to keep cats safe in the home when it comes to plants and flowers.
Image: A customer's cats sat with their new purchase - our Mystic Summer Artificial Flower Bouquet.
Many people love to have a bouquet of beautiful flowers on display in their home, but how many people consider the types of flowers within the bouquet, and whether they are pet-safe or not? Quite often when a new object is introduced to the house, our feline friends have an over-riding urge to investigate, and their inquisitive nature can lead to them being exposed to potentially harmful plants and flowers.
Image: Cats are naturally inquisitive, as seen here investigating our Happy Orange Artificial Flowers Bouquet!
Ascott’s range of Artificial Flower Bouquets – all our artificial flowers are pet-friendly, but we wouldn’t recommend you let your pet chew them anyway to help them keep looking their best!
Live Plants and Flowers that are cat-friendly
Slightly poisonous plants to cats
If these live plants are in your home, they can cause an upset stomach or skin irritation to your pet, so it is best to keep them away from them. If your pet eats any of these plants or flowers, or shows signs of irritation, contact your vet straight away.
Very poisonous plants to cats
Some parts of these live plants are very poisonous to cats and can even be fatal, so keep your cat well away from them. If your pet eats any of these plants or flowers, or shows signs of irritation, contact your vet straight away.
It is worth noting that these lists are non-exhaustive, so if you are not sure on if a plant or flower is safe to have around your pet, you are always best to research it, or check with your vet practice.
Artificial flowers would be a safer alternative if you’d like these flowers in your home.
Two useful sources to refer to are The Cats Protection - Dangerous Plants and The Blue Cross – Plants Poisonous to Cats
]]>This is one of the most frequently asked questions we get asked by customers when they have bought or are looking to buy an artificial tree.
Fear not, Team Ascott are here to help! We offer potting up as part of our bespoke service, so get in touch if you'd like to find out more, or keep read to discover how to pot up your own tree.
So, how do you pot up an artificial tree!?
The answer to the question really depends on the final look you'd like for your room, but there are a variety of options to suit the style that you're going for. From slate to hessian sheet to small artificial plants added to the base, there's really no limit to how you pot up your artificial tree.
Once your order has arrived and you've unwrapped your artificial tree, you'll see the real wood trunks are cast into a pot of their own.
You can place this pot directly in your own planter. Depending on how big your planter is you may need to add some padding around the casting pot, using readily available packing materials such as bubble wrap or scrunched up newspaper.
Image above: Tree trunks in the casting pot, how your artificial tree will arrive.
Blue slate is one of the most popular finishes for our artificial trees, and it is one of our team's favourites too, but plum and green slate work equally as well, depending on the interior design of the room. You can purchase slate from most garden centres, and we recommend using the small chip slate.
Other alternatives that can be used include pebbles, cobbles, stones and shells; the possibilities are endless!
Image above: Glazed blue slate
Image above: Un-glazed blue slate
Small artificial plants are great to use as base planting. We have a range of artificial plant options to suit the different styles that can be achieved.
Our Artificial Grasses are a great addition to the base planting of artificial trees, if you're looking to add extra greenery.
Image above: Artificial Grasses base planting for artificial tree
As an alternative to artificial grasses, our artificial boxwood bush are another great way to add greenery to the base planting of your artificial tree.
Image above: Artificial Boxwood Bush base planting for artificial tree
For a rustic, country finish to your artificial tree, the addition of hessian sheet adds a subtle decorative finish.
Image above: Hessian wrapped to the base of an artificial tree
If you'd like to discuss how best to pot your artificial tree up, just give a member of Team Ascott a call on 01789 330 525 or your can message us using our contact page.
If you're looking to purchase an artificial tree already potted, we can source and supply a huge variety of planters, so contact us to find out more!
]]>If you didn't manage to speak to a member of the team at the show, it's not too late! Drop us a message or call us to get the ball rolling.
With so many options available, from beautiful flower arrangements, elegant boxwood hedging, trailing wall planters to huge bespoke trees, the team picked out just a few of their highlights from the show below…
Our Artificial Magnolia Tree proved to be a real showstopper, standing at a huge 4 metre height with a 3 metre canopy width! Countless visitors and fellow exhibitors were drawn in to admire the beautiful pink-white foliage delicately adorning the real-wood stems, gently finished with our Artificial Boxwood Bush as base planting. Many couldn't resist touching the wooden stems and authentic artificial foliage!
We can bespoke make almost any tree to the size required, so do get in touch to find out how to collaborate your project with Ascott.
A brand new addition to our range, which we really do love, is our handcrafted coffee table with feature planting.
Handmade from scratch in our workshop, the table was made bespoke to the exact size we wanted. The frame was welded in-house and finished in a soft black matte-sheen, and the tabletop made using reclaimed Oak wood, with a smooth seared wood-grain and waxed finish.
However, the pièce de résistance is the bespoke planting, sunk down into the table featuring a range of our beautiful artificial succulents, preserved bun moss and decoratively finished with black stone. Many were tempted in by this innovative and unique table, and more bespoke furniture commissions are already underway!
Tables and feature furniture can be made to any dimensions, with a variety of metalwork, colour finishes and wooden tops, and an even bigger range of artificial plant or floral finishes! From coffee tables, side tables, dining tables, reception desks, bars and more, let us know what you're looking for.
Ascott also offer stand-out, unique signage. All of our business signs were custom made in our brand colour with lettering bursting out in a bright spring-green reindeer moss.
Available in a range of moss, foliage and floral finishes, contact us to discuss how we can bring your brand signage to life.
Understated and elegant - our Artificial Bay Trees are a real classic, but a forever favourite of the team. Often featuring either side of an entrance for that sought after kerb appeal, Bay Trees are a firm favourite among many – from homeowners, to interior designers and landscapers, to business owners adding elegance to their premises. Shop online today.
Here’s the summary list of what we had on our stand...
Would you like a copy of our brochure?
Download it here or contact us to request a copy in the post, or give us a call - lets get creative!
]]>Ascott are back at the January Furniture Show between 19 - 22 January 2020 at the NEC in Birmingham, and you’d be out of your mind not to visit our stand!
It’s the UK's must-attend furniture and interiors event; and we invite all visitors from Architects and Interior Designers to Exterior and Interior Landscapers and beyond looking for some 2020 inspiration to join us in Hall 3 Stand M62. Our high quality products always steal the show in the Interior Accessories Hall, but this year, prepare to be wowed...
Inspired by ‘The Coperaco Café’ in Jersey, US, our JFS stand will be an ‘Urban Oasis’. Designed by Amsterdam based architects – Concrete – this stunning café is located inside the Harrison URBY, an ‘urban living oasis’. Boasting cool design features over two floors the café combines lush greenery, stylish lighting, multicoloured tiled flooring, and wooden structuring coalescing to form a green getaway in an area of urban regeneration.
No longer will our exhibition stand merely ‘host’ our high quality artificial trees, plants , flowers and professional team; this year our stand will showcase the ambience that our faux creations deliver. Leading with the space as the objectives and goal in mind, we started to look at how our stand could epitomise an ‘urban oasis’. With focus on the space, out our ideas were built out with faux greenery at the heart of the design.
You’ll still see everything from huge handmade trees, showstopping flower displays, to exotic plants and green walls, but you’ll also ‘feel’ the effects of what our artificial trees, flowers and greenery can bring to your space. Experience our collections in a setting which will ignite and inspire your creativity.
Stay tuned on our social media for some sneak peeks of our stand evolving and throughout the show!
We invite you to come and experience Ascott in Hall 3, Stand M62. You’ll also get a flavour of what you can achieve when working with our experienced and knowledgeable team.
If you’re going to the January Furniture Show, we’d love to meet with you. Pop along to our stand or join us on social media for updates throughout the show..