Blog
Retrash
Retrash is a soft cover book, which showcases the work of over 80 artists who are reusing waste in creative and innovative ways. The 3-year collaborative project is complete but the creators need to raise funds for printing and distributing it. They’re launching Retrash on kickstarter.com in November 2013. You can help spread word byRead more
To preserve or not to preserve
At Bloom College flower school we’re all about helping people have fun whilst learning about the art and craft of flower arranging. Design and technique, though, are of little use if the beautiful flowers you’re arranging wilt and die before your very eyes. Professional florists often sell or give customers a little sachet ofRead more
The many faces of Chrysanthemum continued…
Chrysanthemums and Mothers’ Day Last week’s blog on ‘The many faces of chrysanthemum’ seems to have been chopped off before we got down to answering why chrysanthemums are associated with Mothers’ Day in Australia. The period around Mothers’ Day is one of the year’s busiest for Australian florists who sell enormous quantities of gift-wrapped cutRead more
In season: Gymea lilies, magnolias and buttercups
Gymea lily or Spear lily (Doryanthes excelsa) is in season now. With red flowers up to 50cm in diameter, stems that can be over 5m tall and well-formed spear-like leaves around 1m long, the Gymea lily is perhaps the grandest of all flowers we get to use in floral arrangements in Australia. The GymeaRead more
The many faces of chrysanthemum
With Fathers’ Day on our minds, we found ourselves thinking of Mothers’ Day and chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums could be said to be a more interesting thing to think about than socks, drills or golf balls. Native to Asia and north-eastern Europe – with most deriving from China – chrysanthemums are now grown all over the world.Read more
Do daffodils kill other flowers?
Do daffodils kill other flowers? A most robust discussion is taking place amongst us all here at Bloom College HQ. The topic is whether daffodils and jonquils should be allowed to inhabit the same bucket of water as freesias, tulips or other spring flowers when all are freshly picked. We know the toxic sap fromRead more
Profiling our pots!
At Bloom College we try to reduce the amount of stuff we consume in our workshops and courses. Many containers we use are ‘repurposed’ or ‘rethought’ plastic, metal and glass containers that originally came into our lives holding household food items. It’s amazing how useful an ex-yoghurt or ex-soft-drink container can be. And, what’s more,Read more
Trending Tuesday – flower crowns
This spring’s hottest fashions on the field will be flowers. Our tip is they will be mostly worn as flower crowns. These babies are back, and bigger than ever. Of course they are making their way back into weddings too… Next week we begin profiling the flowers and colours of spring…….
Fridays friend – Rosemary: A friend to all
Rosemary: A friend to all A participant in one of Bloom College’s first Herb and rose posy workshops was a keen gardener, craft enthusiast and home cook. Having never applied her eye for design or creative instincts to the ‘formal’ art of flower arranging, she came along to add another dimension to her skill set,Read more
Flower growing….where do our flowers come from?
Don’t ask, don’t tell: what’s the true price of our flowers? An Australian wholesaler told me a few years ago that the roses I was admiring in their warehouse had been imported from Kenya. The reason the roses’ bud form persisted during the flight and other supply chain stages involved in getting them to theRead more