Business is unpredictable these days, and sometimes you need a change of direction. The average person will change careers 6 times in their life, so this week’s episode discusses when and how to change directions. We delve into how to effectively market while in unfamiliar circumstances and the appropriate steps to ensure your businesses success.
TNB Tulips are one of if not the largest growers of Tulips in Victoria for the commercial cut flower industry. Els Bakker is the lady who runs the very impressive high tech facility in the Dandenongs just outside of Melbourne. Els comes from a long lineage of flower growers in Australia and the Netherlands, which is where her precious bulbs originate. Each year we visit Els and her team with our Floristry Career Change course students and each time we are blown away by her dedication to bringing the industry new and even more exquisite varieties of tulips.
See below for more information on Tulips on images from our time with El at TNB Tulips
Common name Tulip
Botanical name Tulipa hybrida
How to tell it’s good quality..
Choose well coloured buds and flowers that are partly open
Look for strong stems and glossy leaves with no signs of damage or yellowing
Avoid drooping or wilting leaves or flowers
Products or arrangements it’s suitable for, stem length..
Stem length 30cm–80cm
Mostly suitable in vases but can be used in foam
Conditioning, care and storage needs..
Split the bunches and strip the lower leaves, then wash the ends of the stems well
Cut 2cm–4cm from each stem with secateurs and put the stems in cold water with NO preservative
Replace the water daily
Keep them cool
It is suggested not to bucket them with daffodils or jonquils unless you have had the daffodils or jonquils quarantined in their own water for a day first
To prevent tulips turning to the light and becoming bent, wrap them in paper for support and put the wrapped paper and tulips in cold water for 3–5 hours. Once displayed in a vase they work beautifully in a well lit room with windows on both sides of the room.
Colours they come in..
White
Red
Yellow
Cream
Purple
Orange
Pink
Roses
Roses are one of if not the most popular of all flowers. Their immense beauty and intoxicating scent are some of their greatest qualities but what we know now is that they have deeper powers we can not see but only feel. Roses are the most powerful of all blooms. Scientists have been able to rate their vibrational energy levels at over 300+mhz with some of the Red varieties rating at over 320mhz. To put it in perspective healthy human beings rate somewhere between 60-80mhz and an organic apple rates at 15mhz. No wonder roses make us feel so good. These guys are also ancient with the oldest Rose fossil found to date is over 300 million years old. Middle Eastern belief says the energy of God can be found in a Rose, which I thank my Uber driver for sharing with me. Roses are one of the best healers too, once cut from their source they immediately start to seal over forcing them to preserve any water they have within their stems. With this knowledge florists and flower lovers must ensure they re cut the stem just before placing water, best practice is to cut the stem under water. We are so fortunate in Victoria to have so many wonderful Rose growers of both indoor and outdoor grown roses. We are honoured to be creating a display on behalf of The Australian Rose Growers Association at this years Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show,
Yvette x
1. Are the teachers qualified Florists and qualified teachers/facilitators?
2. Can I take my flowers and materials home?
3. Will I get a full range of seasonal high quality flowers to learn with?
4. Is there a limit on class sizes or are classes allowed to be overfilled?
5. Are step by step guides and text books available?
6. Is online content available?
7. Are all learners types accommodated? Audio,Visual, Kinaesthetic
8. Is their a peer group or community set up to support my learning?
9. Do I have direct access to support by the teachers outside of class time?
10. Are class times flexible? Weekday, weekends & evenings
11. Are the classrooms well set up, maintained and follow good OH&S practices?
12. Is the course well recognised by industry?
13. What is the outcome for students?
14. Is work experience/ internships available and organised by the school?
15. Do the teachers stay up to date and continue to develop their skills in teaching and floristry?
16. Is the course content flexible and up to date? i.e.: will the school add content quickly as it becomes relevant to the industry?
17. Will I be supported by the school even once the course ends?
Get a YES to all 17 and you have found the right Flower school
Meet Emily Dwyer an enthusiatic Bloom student with a focus on a bright future….
What did you do before studying floristry?
Before studying floristry, I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Sociology at the University of Melbourne. I had the privilege of travelling to Mexico City to study immigration and human rights.
Tell us a bit about you, where did you grow up, where do you live now, what are your favourite things?
I am from the small seaside town of Inverloch in South Gippsland where I enjoy going home to spend time with family and friends and swim at the beach in summer. I moved to Melbourne when I was 19 years old to study at university and now live in Hawthorn with my partner. My favourite things are travelling to new places, being creative, getting lost in a good book, cocktails with friends, having a good laugh and of course, big bunches of beautiful blooms!
What inspired you to make the change to floristry?
I was feeling unhappy and unfulfilled creatively in what I was doing at university so when I reached my final year of university I knew it was time to look for something that was going to give me the freedom to be creative everyday. Since I was a child I have always enjoyed doing crafty projects with my mum, who is creative herself, and I always enjoyed art at school and actually completed my year ten work experience with a local florist. Apart from just loving the beauty of flowers I have always enjoyed putting arrangements together for a friend’s birthday or for family occasions. I always loved the enjoyment of putting a smile on someone’s face when I gave them a bunch of flowers that I had the joy of creating myself, so floristry just seemed like the perfect way to express my creative side.
Why did you choose Bloom College?
I found Bloom College in a Google search when I was desperately searching for something that would satisfy my inner creativity! Bloom provides you with a hands-on, interactive learning experience and a supportive community of like-minded people that I know will be life-long flower friends! The course is also structured in a way that allows you to learn the most up to date techniques and trends in the industry right now. I loved the excursion to the flower growers because supporting your local growers is such an important part of being a florist and having an understanding of where your flowers come from gives you a great appreciation for the love that goes into growing every bloom.
What do you want working with flowers to give you that your previous career/s did not?
Floristry gives me the freedom to be creative everyday! Not only does it make me happy it’s also my way of bringing happiness to another person’s day. When I was unhappy in what I was doing my mum used to send me bunches of blooms from my favourite florist and it always cheered me up! I like to think that I can do the same for other people. My interest really lies in floral design and styling for weddings and events so I look forward to meeting wonderful new people and being able to bring their visions to life. My future in floristry truly excites me!
Do you want to have your own floristry business? If so what will you specialize in?
Having my own floristry and event styling company is my long term goal, specialising in weddings and events. Right now, I still believe I have a lot to learn and skills to gain from working with other florists in the industry.
What is your vision for the future of your business and or the industry?
I would really like to see sustainability become a priority within the floristry industry with a strong emphasis on supporting local growers and maintaining environmentally friendly practices such as choosing sundry materials that have minimal impact on the environment.
Who inspires you?
There are many florists and companies that inspire me. I continually look at the beautiful work they do and it truely inspires me to reach my long term goals! They make me realise just how much opportunity there is in this industry if you work hard, are motivated and have a real passion for what you do. My family and friends are a huge inspiration for me. They continually encourage and support me. They could see I wasn’t happy in what I was doing and so always encouraged me to find something I really loved. My mum is really creative and so has always encouraged and supported me to find my creative passion. She helps me condition every flower and is always there to talk through my ideas. My partner puts up with me turning our house into a florist studio, is often my personal photographer and comes along with me to transport or set up flowers. I’m so grateful to have their amazing support!
What is your preferred design style?
I love creating big bunches of luxe, whimsical, wild blooms and I love playing with different colour and texture combinations.
Instagram: @thistleandtwig_
Email: thistleandtwig@outlook.com
On my recent trip to the US, I stopped by Flower Girl NYC in New York. Owner and renowned florist Denise Porcaro and I broadcast live online from her shop to share insights into the Floristry industry and to create their signature arrangement, Flower Girl. You can watch the recording below.
And here’s a few of my favourite photos from my time there.
MEET CATHERINE MC GRATH,
Catherine joined the Bloom College Career Change Course in March 2017 and has been creating beautiful results. Here’s an insight into Catherine’s journey so far. You can follow her on social media to watch her progression into her new career.
Before studying floristry I had been a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at the Alfred Hospital for about 12 years.
I’m a mum of 3 (6yrs, 2yrs & 1yr old), I have been living in Point Cook for 10yrs now & living in Melbourne for 17yrs. I grew up in a very small rural town called Gerangamete – in between Colac and Apollo Bay. My parents house is on acreage and my mum was always a very keen gardener, so I was lucky enough to have grown up surrounded by a large garden and lots of flowers! My mum has also been an amazing cake decorator for as long as I can remember – her cakes with icing & fresh flowers have always been an inspiration for me, its fair to say that my family have always been on the arty side. I had always loved art subjects throughout high school, but changed in a science direction when going to Uni. Having been down the science path & no longer being so happy to go into my job everyday – I had just felt the need to get back to my creative side, so after a few years of thinking about it, I decided to make the change. The thought of working with flowers everyday just makes me very happy!
I first looked into Bloom College as I was originally planning to study in Geelong – upon looking into the course, it looked great & just felt like the right fit for me.
Eventually I would like to have a floristry business of my own, However until the kids are all in school I will probably look at working in a shop or for someone else whilst I build up my confidence and floristry knowledge – I’d like to feel like I have a really solid base before jumping in on my own. I also don’t think that I could fully commit to my own business until the kids are all at school.
I love bits and pieces of lots of different floristry styles, so haven’t settled into my own yet & am still very open to the direction that I will take – I’m hoping that that will all just fall into place when its right!
Some more of Catherine’s beautiful work so far;
INSTAGRAM: cath81mcgrath
FACEBOOK: Catherine McGrath
Email: catherinegarraway@hotmail.com
We had the pleasure of getting to know Carly in our classroom during 2016. Her caring nature that so perfectly suited her to caring for animals has been translated into the Floristry industry and is now being experienced by her fortunate customers. Enjoy learning more about this special lady and florist, as we introduce you to Carly Young..
What did you do before studying floristry?
I have always been fascinated by the natural world and grew up in country Victoria where my spare time was spent hanging out with our numerous pets (Dad was a local vet), playing in the garden, visiting the beach and horse riding through the countryside. This upbringing led me to study Zoology, Botany and Environmental Conservation at university. I then spent the next decade advocating and caring for both native and domestic animals, working mainly within the animal welfare industry.
What inspired you to make the change to floristry?
My Mum was a keen gardener and also into handcrafts. From a young age, she taught me and my siblings to make and value handmade items and gifts. I always enjoyed art and creative activities but never thought it was something I could legitimately make an income from. At the beginning of last year, my husband and I found an opportunity to move from Melbourne back to regional Victoria. At this time, I felt I was ready to embrace a possible career change and floristry seemed like the perfect way to explore my creative side.
Why did you choose Bloom College?
I compared lots of different floristry courses but Bloom offered the most flexibility and also seemed to be a lot more up to speed with current trends and styles. I started out doing some workshops and then signed up for the Flower Basics course. I was hooked! When the five week course ended, I really missed going to class each week and knew I wanted to learn as much as possible about floristry. At this point, signing up for the Floristry Career Course was a no-brainer and one of the best decisions I have made. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was entering into a community offering ongoing advice and support, access to expert teachers and mentors, plus I have made some wonderful new Flower Friends.
What does working with flowers give you that your previous career/s did not?
Floristry perfectly links my love of nature with creativity and a chance to make people happy every day. I get to explore different colours and textures, look forward to the constantly changing seasons and enjoy working with clients to make their floral concepts a reality. I also have the flexibility to work from home which means I get to hang out with my fur kids a lot more!
Tell us about your business, what are your core products?
Currently I enjoy making and delivering weekly posy jars, visiting the fresh flower markets, or local growers to choose seasonal and Australian grown flowers. I aim to provide high quality products, while making things easy for my customers, offering three sizes to choose from plus a range of luxury, locally made add on gifts. I also specialise in making terrariums and kokedamas (moss balls) as a unique way to display indoor plants. This year I will be offering bespoke wedding and events services, customised to each couple’s distinctive style and relationship.
What is your vision for the future of your business and or the industry?
I would love to see the floristry industry move towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. This is something I strive for in my own business. I also enjoy partnering with other local businesses, with a strong emphasis on supporting locally made products.
Who inspires you?
I was so fortunate to have scored one of my floristry idols as a teacher while at Bloom College. Alice from She’s a Wildflower does beautiful work and has built her business on the strength of her talents and social media profile. I was thrilled to be offered an internship with Alice at the end of my course and was privileged to work alongside her and my classmate Prue (aka Miss Thistle) to produce florals for several weddings – including one I’ll never forget, which had a grungy, carnival theme! The additional skills and confidence I gained from completing the internship were invaluable.
I’m also inspired by my Nan’s gardening skills, but unfortunately I seem to have missed out on the green thumb genes. Luckily she lets me raid her garden whenever I like.
What is your preferred design style? or flowers?
I love natural, loose and flowing styles, although my tendency towards perfectionism has made this a challenge to master. I enjoy foraging for unusual foliage or other botanical pieces to add to my designs. I also like to get a bit crafty and add personal touches to my work. For example, I recently handmade around 70 tiny toadstool figurines from glow-in-the-dark polymer clay, to use in my terrariums.
My favourite flowers change with the seasons, but right now I am obsessed with dahlias. I’ll look forward to the beautiful foliage in Autumn, then hellebores in Winter, poppies and ranunculus in Spring.
Contact details
Blue Wren Floristry is based out of my home studio in Ballarat, Victoria.
hello@bluewrenfloristry.com
Instagram: @little.blue.wren
Facebook: Blue Wren Floristry
Pinterest: @bluewrenflorist