Flourishing in Sussex
Back again with a little update on what I’ve been up to this month…
I’ve mainly been away on a lot of training and workshops to build my skills and confidence with fresh flowers after the last while of only working with dried. So first up a little trip down south, and an update on when I stopped over in Brighton for a week long course with @flourishsussex.
This was a fantastic week, which was filled with so many beautiful flowers and a proper escape from lockdown (finally). The week was structured to cover off a variety of practical skills, but also some business know how and the fundamentals of design theory. And I loved it!
Find out more about what I did below…
My Dutch masters inspired urn arrangement
5 Day Foundation Course
The workshop covered so much, here are just a few of the highlights… weddings, sympathy, flower crowns, table centres, hand tied bouquets, costing, ordering wholesale supplies, inspiration, confidence, bowl arrangements, and much more.
The variety kept things super interesting, and the quality of the blooms was top notch. Alicia who runs the school was a wedding florist in the industry for several years and she is so generous with sharing her knowledge. I really enjoyed the level of detail offered in this course, the opportunities to ask questions & share our thoughts, and generally build so much confidence in our capabilities.
Visiting the local flower growers
Flowers from the Farm!
For me the highlight of the week was a trip out to Pitfield Barn Flower Farm - this was a wonderful opportunity to connect with a local grower and see first hand the sort of work and time that goes into providing British blooms to florists.
Emma was so kind and knowledgeable, sharing her insights into working as a flower grower in England, and I pulled this lovely summary from their website:
What’s different about Pitfield Barn Flowers?
We grow seasonal flowers rarely found in supermarkets
Our flowers are hand-picked and freshly harvested to order
We work with nature and grow using organic principles
Our flowers have charm, selected for their movement and beautiful scent
Locally grown, they have few air or travel miles
Flowers from the farm celebrates and showcases local growers so you can always look for one closer to home, or if you’re lucky enough to be based near Sussex, you can visit Pitfield Barn’s website here.
#grownnotflown #britishflowers
The most incredible women
Lucky to have met you all!
Liv, Camilla, Anna, Ebony, Maria, Melissa & Bridie - you guys are so talented and I loved meeting and working with you all over the 5 day workshop. Wishing you all the best with your flowering adventures x
The Gallery:
And a highlights video:
Interested to know more?
Flourish Sussex was an incredible spot to build my confidence and Alicia was a lovely, caring and considerate teacher. The group of 7 other women on the workshop were so giving and lovely, which meant that my experience was even more special. There are a variety of workshops available with Flourish, and I would definitely recommend checking them out if you’re interested in learning more about floristry.
Keep your eyes on Instagram for the latest daily updates, and to stay in touch with the next few workshops I have lined up.
Chat to you all soon,
Jenna x
