Yvette was recently asked by Wellness Daily to offer her top 5 favourite stress relieving creative hobbies. Follow the link to read on; https://www.wellnessdaily.com.au/balance/5-creative-hobbies-help-alleviate-stress-busy-career-woman
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
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
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.
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
From School teacher to Florist, meet the lovely Alice founder of Love Alice & Co. An inspiring person with a big heart and a vision to match.
Floral Stylist: Alice Hall
Love Alice & CO.
What did you do before studying floristry?
Before studying floristry, I worked as a Primary School Teacher within multicultural schools across Melbourne. I had the privilege of facilitating an environmental program for children on Heron Island and have also worked in Recruiting and Business Development for leading organisations in the Health Sector. I have always enjoyed working with people and the opportunity to create hand crafted designs.
What inspired you to make the change to floristry?
My childhood is filled with an abundance of fond memories of the flowers growing at our family home. We had the most beautiful garden window in the kitchen, which looked out on to an arch in the front garden, with miniature pink roses cascading and meandering over it. The intricate detail of each petal and the vibrant colours that Mother Nature displays is breath taking. My Grandfather is a spectacular water colour artist and often paints various types of flowers. My family, are a very large and special part of my journey in launching Love Alice & CO.
I was inspired to make the change to floristry because I see flowers wherever I travel and am continually brainstorming new and exciting colour combinations and textures. When I personally deliver a bridal bouquet to the bride and see the look on her face, when I facilitate a workshop and hear someone say, “I can do this” and when the whole team stops for a moment, after we have set up for a wedding or special event, it is the best feeling, knowing we have made such a positive impact in the lives of others.
When people walk in to the Love Alice & CO. store, they say, “This is my space of zen,” or “It is so relaxing and I feel so calm in here.” “I am so happy we have something this beautiful within walking distance, they say with a big smile.”
Why did you choose Bloom College?
I chose Bloom College as I had called many leading florists across Melbourne and all of them had spoken extremely highly of Bloom College. I knew I was very passionate about weddings and events and they highly recommended gaining contemporary experience at a private college such as Bloom, as the course is structured in a way that allows you to learn state of the art techniques that are relevant and up to date with what is happening in the industry right now. I also liked that you can take your floral creations home with you to practice with and learn about their vase life, what flowers are suitable for corporate arrangements, etc.
What does working with flowers give you that your previous career/s did not?
Working with flowers gives you the freedom to be creative every day. Flowers nourish the soul and there are so many areas you can be involved in such as weddings, events, consultations, creating corporate arrangements, shop management, accounting, business development, marketing, ordering, selecting from the local markets, travelling to beautiful destinations world wide and learning about the meaning of each flower, interior design, the principles of colour, texture, line, composition, movement, shape, balance, mood and meeting so many extraordinary people.
Tell us about your business, what are your core products?
Love Alice & CO. specialises in weddings and events. Our store focuses on creating a personalised experience for our customers, where people can choose their favourite wrapping paper and the colour of ribbon or lace. We are a bespoke floral design studio so our clients can pre order their favourite types of flowers or colours of their choice and we will order them in especially.
What is your vision for the future of your business and or the industry?
My vision for the future of my business is to gain government funding for a school based incursion so children can learn the art of floristry as part of their curriculum.
I am also very passionate about supporting our Victorian growers in the floristry industry as the quality is superb, the flowers are not in transit for long so customers are able to enjoy their flowers for longer and it promotes a healthier work environment without the nasty chemicals.
Who inspires you?
Family are my inspiration. My amazing partner will often assist me in conditioning every single flower and remove all thorns from roses. Our family have donated vintage furniture made curtains for my store and often assist with deliveries. My Uncle made a custom water trough and also a beam across the ceiling of the store to attach garlands to. My Mum is an absolute angel. She comes to every single wedding to help set up, pack down and is an inspiration!
My family have instilled the values in me that I hope to pass on to our children one day: “Everything and anything is possible if you dare to dream, believe it can happen and take steps each day towards that goal”.
What is your preferred design style?
My preferred design style is wild and rambling, as though freshly picked from the garden, featuring textures which are unique and unexpected. I enjoy foraging across Victoria to hand select each individual bloom to ensure the highest quality and include elements which are special to my clients, such as the flowers their grandmother wore in her hair on their wedding day, or the flowers which symbolise the two cultures of the bride and groom. Love Alice & CO. is all about the details and creating from the heart.
When I was researching different fonts for my logo, the font I loved the most stood out due to the beautiful ampersand. I checked the name of our logo font and it is actually titled ‘Alice.’
Instagram: @lovealiceandco
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lovealiceandco
Phone: 0478 808 292
Email: create@lovealiceandco.com.au
Store address: 18 / 37-39 Albert Road, Melbourne 3004
Introducing some the Bloom College Career Change Course Alumni, check them out & their beautiful floral creations on Instagram
Pretty Wild – Singapore
Flo & Co –