T
the garden gate flower company
Guest
Teaching at J W Blooms captured by Holes in the World Studio
It would be fair to say that this year saw me take a back seat from the teaching side of my business. There were many reasons for this; an already flooded market and a move from one garden to another so I felt this year was a good time to just take stock.
Market Place
In the last ten years this floral world we are in has quite simply boomed, interior designers are turning to floristry, photographers are turning to floristry, art students are turning to floristry…. It has without a doubt raised the bar on the end product and I believe challenged people to find creativity in something they didn’t really consider once. For me this was certainly the case, flowers gave me a creative outlet that I had struggled to find.
However there is more to just successful floristry and making bouquets look pretty - there is an entire business that needs to be built behind the brand. Focusing simply on the end product will undoubtedly lead to some tears at some point and they might not even be yours! It is for this reason that I think when looking at floristry classes you need to also consider why you are doing this and what do you really need to learn? For the teachers out there in the industry it is our job to also provide an honest account of life as a floral designer and ensure our world is not seen through rose tinted glasses.
Finding the Right Fit
It may well be that attending multiple classes and or learning from different designers can help develop different aspects of your career. Historically I have taught a number of different topics from social media group sessions to setting up a table top businesses to creating floral istallations without floral foam. Being a self employed florist, well in fairness any self employed person, requires a great deal of cross skills and it is important to grasp this before heading out into the field. Do your research and find a teacher that works for you, as I said we are in an industry now with a lot of choice, but ensure that what you are learning is going to add value to you and your business.
Floristry Class
This year I focused on just two classes and one was at J W Blooms - having only just said I might not teach this year, my mind was changed by an offer to attend Jan’s garden and be a guest teacher. The class was attended by a mix of beginners and experienced florists who came together to share their knowledge of the industry. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - there isn’t a course I teach and don’t come away without learning something new and THIS is what I’m talking about we are all always learning.
I wanted, in this course, to focus more on colour as a topic than anything else. I wanted to stretch students to consider why they were choosing each flower to sit next to each other. It’s interesting how individuals coped with this exercise and if you’ve been on one of my classes you’ll know I’m a bit of a stickler for making people remake their bouquets!!! I won’t name names but one lovely student was a real sport, an experienced florist, who took my challenge of colour and having striped her ingredients of everything that was comfortable to her made her remake it. In that moment though I could see her being challenged and I honestly believe that whether she adopts this way or not that day she learnt something new.
My Learning
For me 2019 has been about learning to adapt to a new garden. I’ve gone from fields of space at the farm to a really limited area and the processes, crop rotation has been key to ensuring I have product through the year. Often I’ve thought back on times I’ve spent with Rachel from Green & Gorgeous her classes are amazing by the way. I’ve had to remodel my business plan and focus on different ingredients. All of this has been a challenge and I’ve loved it!
What’s Next?
Well so my rant about classes wouldn’t be for nothing and I often find coming here and blogging about topics actually clears my mind - is it fair to say it’s a bit like therapy?!
Next year I will be offering my 121 day classes again and these will be tailored to individuals needs. I will also be teaching a few (I’ve not worked out how many yet) one week “So You Want to be a Florist” classes. Like my day classes these will take place at Duchy of Cornwall Nursery and be tailored to individual needs. The week can be scheduled with gardening and floristry practicals or just floristry but will cover a substantial amount of ‘building a business’ sessions. This class can be taken as a 121 or if you are a team of up to four I can teach you as a small group. Prices for the week start at: £2925 per person. If you are interested in hearing more please click on the button:
So I want to be a florist
Finally I can be prized out of Cornwall and love taking my teaching on the road so if you are a group or a business that would like me to come to you please drop me an email with your idea.
Email me your idea
Thank you
Huge thank you to Jan of J W Bloom and the lovely students that attended our autumn class in Taunton. Also the great Holes in the World that came with me to capture all the lovely magic that happened. If you live in the Taunton area go check out Jan’s lovely garden, it may be closed now but wait till you see it in Spring!
Jan from J W Blooms in the cutting garden - captured by Holes in the World Studio
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