Welcome to my floral journey

Welcome to my first blog post! Thank you for joining me, whether you're new to my little creative space or have been following my floral journey from the start I’m grateful for your support.

My love of flowers, nature and art are not themes that came about suddenly for me, they have always been my escape into a peaceful, imaginative world full of possibilities. We are each bonded to our natural world and finding ways to seek out that connection in our lives is so nourishing and healing. It's particularly poignant, I find, that flowers often play such an integral role in our most significant life events. Whether marking moments of profound joy and celebration or offering solace and beauty during times of grief and loss, they speak a language that transcends words.

Childhood Influences

I didn’t have much of a garden growing up. It was mostly paved with just a small area at the back of the garden with some shrubs in it (which consequently became a graveyard for a number of our childhood pet hamsters, mice and fish). My mum did love her houseplants, and she had a corner of our lounge dedicated to them. My grandparents also cared for an allotment; they were passionate about Dahlia’s. I have childhood memories of visiting country shows and being fascinated by the great many varieties of flowers that growers would beautifully nurture to compete for the coveted prize of best Dahlia, best gladioli in show. The floristry tent was my favourite to visit, that and the cake tent - I very much love cake, eating cake is perhaps another of my greatest loves.

I didn’t grow up in the countryside, despite our proximity to the North York Moors in England and its rugged landscapes filled with coarse heathers. I grew up in a small town called Guisborough which is famous for its 14th century priory ruins. My fondest memories are of the times spent walking our dogs in the woods, visiting the moors and climbing Roseberry Topping followed by Suggitts for fresh ice cream in Great Ayton. On our Autumn walks we would take a plastic bag and collect blackberries; my hands would be stained with the juice from berries. I often sustained many tiny cuts on my fingers from the thorns, as well as my legs as I reached into the bramble to collect the juiciest ones. We took our bags, laden with our foraged fruit home and washed them to bake apple and blackberry crumble. It is still very much a favourite pudding of mine filled with the nostalgia of my happier childhood memories. I love incorporating this wild and foraged feel into my floral designs, creating organic flowing pieces that could have been picked straight from nature. Following the shifts in seasons and working with flowers and foliage through their natural cycles is where my passion lives.

Art

At school, I always felt a bit like an outlier, excelling in art. This wasn't just about technical skill, but also about a fundamentally different way of seeing and engaging with the world. My inherent curiosity often drew me to explore the deeper layers of artistic expression and historical context. This unique perspective, and inclination to delve beyond the surface, has remained a defining aspect of my personality and continues to influence the way I approach floral design. The years that followed at art college and university were pivotal, offering me the space and freedom to truly nurture self-discovery. It was there that I encountered truly inspiring women and teachers, individuals who were deeply authentic and inspiring. It felt as though an entire universe of possibilities, previously unknown to me, had suddenly opened. I studied at Falmouth University, with the beautiful Cornish countryside as my backdrop. The local area had some of the most beautiful public and National Trust gardens Trebah, Trelissick and The Lost Gardens of Heligan to name a few. During these years my artistic focus centred around the small intimate details of my immediate world, captured in still-life. A favourite artist of mine is William Nicholson. The intimate details can so often reveal the essence of our daily life and passions. Mirroring my artistic process, the collaborative design process can be so vital to unlocking those pivotal, unique, and special details that not only personalise your wedding flowers but also cultivate a setting that genuinely reflects your identity as a couple.

How did I get to the flowers?

It was after my university years that I found myself wandering aimlessly in the world of work and economic necessity. I found myself in an office role in Manchester, a setting that lacked the creative outlets I so desperately craved. I needed to find something that would reignite a fresh spark of curiosity and joy for me. This came in the form of an evening class in Floristry. It quickly became the highlight of my week. As the short course drew to a close, I made the decision to reduce my office hours to pursue studying floristry seriously.

I adored my floristry course and the incredible women I shared it with. It was a beautiful mix of generations and backgrounds, each with their own unique journeys and stories, all connected through the shared act of creating and exploration of a new skill and passion.

During the course we visited Amsterdam, a major hub for flower trading. The Netherlands is the biggest exporter of flowers in the world, often called the "Flower Capital of the World”. We visited Aalsmeer Flower Auctions, the largest in the world and is equivalent to the size of 200 football fields, or 775,000 square meters. This was a phenomenal experience, and the breadth of experience and innovation, as well as the sheer volume of blooms was nothing short of breathtaking. It solidified my understanding that my life would forever be intertwined with flowers.

My life will forever be filled with flowers.

Fast forward to my move to an entirely new continent. My floristry career in Australia began with the sweetest employer in Perth following our move on Christmas 2012. She was not only creative but also incredibly encouraging, understanding that floristry is an art and that her florists were creatives who she empowered to be just that. I am forever grateful for that initial retail role in a brand-new country.

This supportive environment has not been my experience in all retail floristry roles. But that may be a story for another time.

Now 13 years on from my first Australian floristry role, I chose to start my own floral business so I could step out from behind the counter, or desk to take my floral design on the road. I absolutely adore the opportunity to work in some truly beautiful and unique settings – from the dramatic backdrops of epic mountain ranges to intimate family estates and chic rooftop cityscapes. As a wedding and events florist, the unique experiences I've been so blessed to be a part of are a huge perk and a truly beautiful aspect of my work. Most couples naturally secure their venue before seeking out a florist, which makes perfect sense, as the chosen backdrop often goes on to profoundly influence the inspiration surrounding their floral choices and overall design. As a creative, I then have the privilege of taking that vision, along with the couple's own personal influences, to create something that uniquely represents them in that specific place and time.

A new chapter

Almost three years ago, we bought our first home, finally giving me a garden of my own – a blank canvas for my creative brush. This marked the beginning of a new and exciting aspect of my flower adventure: learning the skills to grow my own cutting garden and incorporating some of these pretty blooms in my designs. Sweet peas, cosmos and native strawflower are a few of my favourites. Fragrance, texture and beautifully delicate flowing elements that create magic in a floral design.

My European influences and artistic background, particularly my understanding of composition and colour theory, have beautifully melded with the stunning and unique textures of Australian florals in my design process. This fusion allows me to create something truly special. Embracing seasonality and working in harmony with nature to grow flowers that make my heart sing, has been an especially wonderful evolution. This journey has naturally led to a design process increasingly focused on eco-friendly practices and sustainably sourcing flowers from local growers. Ultimately, it's a joy to collaborate with couples, sharing this passion and crafting lasting memories of their most intimate events through the evocative sensory experience that only flowers can offer.