They are making a come back!! Bringing back the Gerbera
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Floral Acts of Kindness
Recently Yvette along with Bloom Graduates ran a charity flower arranging event by Floral acts of kindness. Bloom College graduate Isabelle De Solier came up with the idea for Floral Acts of Kindness last year when her synagogue (TBI) was holding its annual “Mitzvah (Good Deed) Day”, Isabelle said “I wanted to run a volunteer activity that would share the uplifting power of flowers with others. I thought there might be the opportunity to run an initiative with flowers, to rescue those that might otherwise be thrown out and use them instead to bring a smile to someone’s face”.
“I did some research and modelled the event on the charity Random Acts of Flowers in the USA, who were kind enough to share their advice with me”. My wholesaler Mr Fresh generously donated a trolley of open flowers for the event, which TBI volunteers arranged with guidance from myself and two of my Bloom classmates Lindy Dorne and Helen Patrikios, before volunteers hand-delivered the bouquets to residents at Montefiore nursing home”.
For this year’s Mitzvah Day on November 19th we were lucky to have another wholesaler partner with us, Van Gogh Flowers, and the volunteers at TBI watched a demonstration by Yvette before making their arrangements with the assistance of four other Bloom graduates, Lindy Dorne, Lou McLaughlin, Liz Wise and Lyn Scott. In total, our 20 volunteers made over 120 bouquets, which were hand-delivered to residents at Central Park nursing home.
Following the success of these annual events, Yvette and I are keen to hold more regular events in 2018, partnering with further florists, wholesalers, community organisations with volunteers who’d like to arrange flowers, and health organisations with people who’d like to receive flowers. If you’re interested in donating your time or flowers, please email us at: floralactsofkindness@gmail.com. Good feelings guaranteed.
Dr Isabelle de Solier (The Doctor’s Flowers)
With special thanks to Reuben Urban for the photographs
Emily Dwyer fulfilling the need for creativity through flowers
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
October is the month of giving at Bloom College
Create and contribute in October
“The secret to living is giving”, Tony Robbins
Ever wanted to create beauty using gifts of nature and contribute to the lives of others all at the same time? YES…. Then join us as we ‘create and contribute’
October is the month of giving here at Bloom College & we have a range of options for you to choose. From as little as $20 you can learn a new skill.
‘Petal it Forward’ in the USA is on October 19, It’s were flower lovers create bouquets and give them away. We love the idea and it just so happens that it coincides with the our annual creation of the table centrepiece for the pink ribbon breakfast. Join us at the Pink Ribbon workshop – create a table flower design for the National Breast Cancer Foundation biggest breakfast event on the calendar – donate your time and $50 to this cause that is literally close to all our hearts. (BOOK NOW) You might also like to join us at the breakfast $55 per head. (Details- link to pink ribbon breakfast booking page)
‘Blooming Business’ – Business start ups session perfect for those starting a floristry business, newly commenced or need to make changes to an existing floristry business. All proceeds go to Supporting women in business & business start ups in Uganda. Creating sustainable communities is the answer to world hunger and women have the power to make it happen – ‘The Hunger Project’ Minimum donation $20 (BOOK NOW)
‘Care & Share’ – create Bespoke designs, get guidance support and network with other likeminded florists. Workshop is designed for those with intermediate to advanced floristry skills. Perfect for Career Change Course graduates.
All proceeds go to Supporting women & children in Uganda. Creating sustainable communities is the answer to world hunger and women have the power to make it happen – ‘The Hunger Project’ Minimum donation $20 (BOOK NOW)
You can choose 1 or attend all, the choice is yours and what makes it even more fun is sharing it with friends
Create & Contribute Events
OCT 19 -‘Petal it Forward’ – Pink Ribbon workshop
OCT 22 -Date- ‘Care & Share’ – Bespoke designs
OCT 24 – ‘Blooming Business’ – Business Start Ups
Valentines Day: Tales from a Florist
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we were sure that the Bloom College floristry school teachers would have some great tales to tell from their many years working as florists.
They didn’t disappoint – and here are their most romantic or memorable Valentine’s Day stories. They’re what we’ve called ‘Valentine’s Day: The Best…and Worst’!
Most romantic:
With only 1 story in this category – it had to be a good one! And it is…
A little boy (around 8 years old) got his Mum to bring him in to the florist to help him buy a flower for his ‘valentine’ at school!!
So cute…and we’re sure she loved it! Isn’t first love sweet?
Most memorable:
These are great – and definitely not easy to forget…
Like the wife who ordered a dozen roses for her husband – with the heads cut off…and a note to say she wanted a divorce!
Or the guy who ran in the front door of the florist in his pj’s! He had snuck out the back door while his partner was in the shower, because he had forgotten to get her something and she had presented a lovely gift for him. He was in a desperate hurry, quickly bought the biggest made up arrangement in the shop, then ran out the front door and down the road to sneak in the back door before she got out of the shower!!
And finally – the husband that ordered 2 sets of flowers. The first set (from him) was to be delivered first. Then the 2nd set to be delivered afterwards (from a ‘secret admirer’). The husband then waited to see if the wife told him about the second delivery…
We’re not sure how these stories ended, but we can probably take a good guess!
At Bloom College Flower Design School we create Floristry Courses and Flower Workshops for beginners, the hobbyist and those wanting to pursue floristry as a career.
Our classes are a place where participants have fun, meet new friends and find their inner creativity. No prior experience is necessary, and we have a range of Courses and Workshops available across our three locations: Port Melbourne, Collingwood and Geelong.
Flowers In The City
WOW WOW WOW!!
Flowers in the City…and by ‘City’ I mean the one and only Big Apple – New York City. Whenever I travel I am always drawn to check out the local flower industry – in particular seeing the difference between regions and how they trade. When I visited New York City in 2014/15 it was no exception to this.
One of the glaring differences between how we trade here in Australia as compared to New York, is the very convenient way that all the wholesale flower suppliers are in one area. So much so that the block is actually known as ‘The Flower District’. Most of the flowers available are imported from The Netherlands and are of impeccable quality, and there is a huge variety to be found. Not only are all the suppliers within one area, the streets are also amass with flowers, plant material and potted plants. As my trip coincided with Christmas and New Year, fresh Holly with stunning red berries and spruce were available on mass along with many other Northern hemisphere goodies that we can only dream about down here in Australia!
What I found most interesting is that after 9am the wholesalers are open to the public. The Florists have been in from around 4am onwards, and have snapped up all they need (at wholesale prices). They then take it to their studios or (less commonly in Manhattan) stores. I found that the majority of florist studios are within the flower district and are not open to the public.
Florists are aware that what they do best is to arrange flowers and that this is where their money is to be made. I met florists with contracts for many hotels and restaurants. In fact – one floristry business (with a team of florists) services just one restaurant each week. They have so many arrangements in this particular restaurant that it takes 7 florists to fill it each week! I was in awe of their work, with one section of the restaurant ceiling being covered in hanging pomanders of all sizes. While another area had hall stands covered in arrangements, and walls had wreaths with the diameter of 2 metres. It was just spectacular!
The few Floristry stores that are in Manhattan are pure treasures. One of my favourites was in a book store that leads into Club Monaco clothing store. It is small by our standards, but very sweet. They sell mostly pre arranged flowers rather than cut bunches.
I did come across one very clever lady with the most sustainable business (which I love) called ‘Petals on Pedals’. The owner travels out to the farms each week and only sources locally grown flowers and materials, then the arrangements are delivered by push bike around Manhattan. This would be a great idea (and very possible) for an enterprising florist back here in Australia (in either Melbourne and Adelaide in particular).
So – if you are thinking about a trip to NYC my recommendation is that you DO NOT MISS the Flower District.
At Bloom College Flower Design School we create Floristry Courses and Flower Workshops for beginners, the hobbyist and those wanting to pursue floristry as a career.
Our classes are a place where participants have fun, meet new friends and find their inner creativity. No prior experience is necessary, and we have a range of Courses and Workshops available across our three locations: Port Melbourne, Collingwood and Geelong. For further information (and Course Schedule), head here.
Vases, Vessels & Foam
Choosing your vessel or vase is another area of floristry that you can really let your creativity soar. Just about anything goes, and the choice of vessels available for arranging flowers is wide and varied. From jars, to cans, bottles, tea cups, or baskets…re-using and recycling is a perfect way to put new life into something old.
Rummage through your cupboards, op shops and garage sales for anything varied and different. Save glass jars, tins and plastic food containers of all shapes and sizes. Even the most unattractive of containers can be used to line a basket or vessel that would otherwise not be waterproof.
Materials like hessian, banana leaves and dried or fresh lotus leaves can be used to cover unsightly or damaged containers. Use sticky tape to make grids across the top of containers to hold the flowers in place.
Just be sure to use clean vases or vessels, and choose the appropriate size and weight to balance you arrangement physically and visually.
A common question we get in our floristry courses and workshops is what the best method of soaking foam is. Simply add water to a sink (the height of the water should be slightly lower than the height of the brick), then place the foam brick with the branding facing up. Gently rest the brick in the sink (do not cover the brick with the water). Allow the brick to soak and absorb the water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
We love showing our floristry students the many varied vessels and vases they can use to make their arrangements. Now that we’ve given you some ideas, it’s over to you to see what you can find. Happy hunting!
At Bloom College Flower Design School we create Floristry Courses and Flower Workshops for beginners, the hobbyist and those wanting to pursue floristry as a career.
Our classes are a place where participants have fun, meet new friends and find their inner creativity. No prior experience is necessary, and we have a range of Courses and Workshops available across our three locations: Port Melbourne, Collingwood and Geelong. For a full list of upcoming floristry courses and flower workshops, head here.
This week at Bloom College
With our Career Change students in their final week this week, it’s been a sea of colour and beautiful blooms in the Port Melbourne classroom…take a look and see what we mean!
It’s been so great to see the progression of these students since they started last month. We wish them all the best and look forward to seeing what they do next.
We still have so much on offer in 2015 at Bloom College in all 3 of our locations. From Flower Basics and Flower Therapy Courses, to Christmas themed Floristry Workshops (including Hampers and Gift Wrapping), and our super popular Event Styling Workshop this weekend – we aren’t slowing down just yet! For the full schedule see here.
Flower Crowns at MMA
On the 15th October, Bloom College hit the road, and travelled out to Epping, where we held a series of short Flower Crown Workshops at Melbourne Market Authority (MMA).
Flower Crowns are so popular right now (think: Spring Racing Carnival, Weddings, Events – anything!), so participants were keen to learn how to create their own.
The results speak for themselves…
Do you LOVE Flower Crowns? Well you’re in luck! We still have space at our Flower Crown Workshop at our Port Melbourne classroom on Friday November 13th. For further information, and to book, head here.
Fields of Fun at Tesselaar Tulip Festival
Tesselaar Tulip Festival is now on!
In it’s 62nd year of being held, this festival is back again – bigger and better than before!
What you can do while there:
- Get up close and personal with half a million tulips on display across 25 acres of farmland.
- Enjoy the LIVE entertainment, market stalls and tempting foods on offer.
- Have your photo taken in the world’s biggest clog.
Special events for you to enjoy:
- September 21st – 24th & September 28th – October 1st are Children’s Weeks (kids are free entry).
- September 25th – 27th you’ll be treated to Food, Wine and Jazz Music.
- October 2nd – 4th is when you’ll be able to enjoy the music, pipes and dancing (and see the Leprechauns!) during the Irish Weekend.
Tesselaar Tulip Festival is open 10am until 5pm daily from 10th September until 6th October, 2015, and is being held at The Tulip Farm, 357 Monbulk Rd, Silvan, Victoria.
For tickets and further information head to their website.
[Image Credit: http://tulipfestival.com.au/]
At Bloom College Flower Design School we create Floristry Courses and Flower Workshops for beginners, the hobbyist and those wanting to pursue floristry as a career.
Our classes are a place where participants have fun, meet new friends and find their inner creativity. No prior experience is necessary, and we have a range of Courses and Workshops available across our three locations: Port Melbourne, Collingwood and Geelong.