How To Tell If The Flowers You're Buying Are Fresh

Have you ever bought a bunch of flowers, taken them home, popped them into a vase and the next day they look sad and wilted? It’s so disappointing. And while no-one expects flowers to be ever-lasting, they should stay looking fresh and healthy for several days - or even weeks.

One of the most important things you can do to make sure your flowers have the longest vase life possible is to get in the habit of inspecting flowers before you buy them. You’ll soon learn to choose only those that are the freshest. Here’s what you’re looking for:

Buds:

The buds should be in the beginning stage of opening. (If the buds are tightly closed, it’s possible they’ve been harvested too soon and may never open.) 

Gently feel the petals and make sure there is a firmness to them - you don’t want them to be limp.

The colours should be bright - not transparent.

Roses  - Check the underside of the bud. If a few petals have been removed, that’s okay. Those were just the guard petals that protected the rose during transport, but if many petals have been removed that indicates someone is trying to hide the fact the flower is old.

Tulips - Most tulips we buy seem to come in a cellophane sleeve. A good indication the tulips are old is if they have grown above the top edge of it.

Leaves:

Check the leaves are bright coloured with no yellowing or browning. The leaves should be firm (not limp) and definitely not falling off the stem as soon as you pick the flowers up.

Stems:

Again colour and firmness are the most important things to look for. If the stem is limp and/or discoloured that flower won’t last much longer.

Fragrance: 

Not all flowers are scented, but fragrance is still important to check. An old flower will smell of decay and should definitely be avoided.

Water:

If possible - check the bucket of water the flowers are being stored in. If it’s cloudy, dirty, or has leaves floating in it, skip those flowers. They’re sitting in bacteria and that will shorten their lifespan.

Being an educated shopper is the first step in making sure your flowers will last as long as possible. The second step is correct care once you get them home. Check out these previous blog posts to learn more:

My Top Tips for Flower Care

How to Make Your Flowers Last Longer

Secrets Revealed - Top Tips for Making ‘Tricky’ Flowers Last Longer

6 Floral Gift Ideas For Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is one of the busiest days in the floral industry - and rightly so. Flowers are a wonderful way to show your love and appreciation. In this post, I’m going to share with you 6 floral gift ideas for Mother’s Day.

1 - A Meaningful Bouquet:

A big bunch of flowers will always be warmly received, but this Mother’s Day why not add another layer to your floral gift with a ‘meaningful’ bouquet.

Every flower has a meaning attached to it. Once you know what those meanings are, you can choose the perfect flower for every occasion. 

For Mother’s Day, try picking flowers with meanings that fit your mum’s characteristics or pick flowers with meanings that convey the message you want to send to her. 

Here are some suggestions:

Tulip - perfect love

Peony - happy life

Lisianthus - appreciation/gratitude

Lily - beauty

Lavender - devotion

Gladiolus - strength of character

Gerbera - cheerfulness

Freesia - friendship

Carnation (pink) - gratitude/mother’s love

Baby’s breath - everlasting love

Alstroemeria - friendship/devotion

You can also combine meaningful flowers, with your mum’s favourite flower, or with flowers in her favourite colour. 

2 - Your Mum + You + Flowers:

Every month has one or two flowers associated with it - their birth month flower. Create a  bouquet with a combination of your mum’s birth month flower and yours. (If you’d like to know any of the birth month flowers, comment below and I’ll let you know.)

3 - Flower Shop Visit:

Instead of delivering flowers to your mum, why not visit a florist together and let her pick out the flowers.

4 - Flower Arranging Workshop:

Many florists now offer flower arranging workshops. Treat your mum to one and at the same time, you’ll be supporting a local business.

5 - Subscription service:

There are now companies who deliver boxes of  locally grown flowers directly to your door. This would be a great treat for your mum. She’d have the convenience of the flowers being delivered directly to her, but still have the fun of getting to arrange them herself. You can learn more about subscription services in my post ‘Flower Delivery - The Easy Way’.

6 - Vase + Gift Certificate:

Choose a beautiful vase for your mum and give it to her with a certificate saying you’ll fill the vase with flowers every month for a year.

Fresh flowers are an instant mood booster and create memories that last a lifetime. If you’d like to add another ‘layer’ to your floral gift you could consider the following:

•  A card with a picture of your mum’s favourite flower

•  A floral scented bath or beauty product

•  Some floral scented candles

•  A book on flowers or flower related topics. 

Calm Down - How Flowers Can Help

Calm down! Sound familiar? In a busy and stressful life, I think we’ve all felt like there are times when we just need to calm down. The good news is, flowers can help us. 

Scientific studies prove flowers positively impact our well-being in many ways, and one of those ways is by creating a sense of calm and well-being. 

Simply seeing flowers can decrease your stress level

Most of us have ‘our special spot’ at home where we sit to unwind. One of the simplest and most effective things you can do with flowers to decrease anxiety and stress is place a floral arrangement within eyesight of where ‘your spot’ is. Then use those flowers as a place to rest your eyes. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you start to relax.

Try arranging your own flowers for another layer of stress-relief

When you’re arranging flowers your thought process shifts. You’re forced to slow down and connect with the present moment. You start focusing on the flowers and not on work or your busy day.

Don’t make flowers another chore on your to-do list

Keep it simple! A few blooms are all it takes to feel the calming effect of flowers.

Being surrounded by nature has long been known to be healthy for us. In nature we feel calm, stress slips away, and our anxiety eases. Having flowers in our home is a way to replicate that feeling. It’s time we all start to take advantage of the healing properties of flowers.

To note: When arranging flowers no special skills or tools, or any artistic flair is needed. You just need some flowers, some scissors, a container of water, and a few minutes of time. You’ll learn as you go and every time you’ll feel satisfied that you created something with your own hands.

A Dozen Flowers Even Allergy Sufferers Can Enjoy

Allergy sufferers don’t despair. You may have thought you were doomed to a flowerless life, but fortunately, that’s just not true. There are many varieties of flowers you can enjoy without suffering the miserable symptoms of allergies. 

Below is my list of a dozen flowers for you to choose from. I’ve also included what each flower's meaning is.  Every flower has a special meaning attached to it and once you know what those meanings are, you can choose the perfect flower for every occasion. 

Here’s my list of a dozen hypoallergenic flowers and their meanings:

1 - Carnations - Admiration/Affection

2 - Daffodils - New beginnings

3 -  Hyacinths - Dedication/Sincerity

4 - Hydrangeas - Perseverance

5 - Irises - Faith, hope, wisdom

6 - Lilies - Beauty

7 - Lisianthus - Appreciation/Gratitude

8 - Orchids - Refined beauty

9 -  Peonies - Happy life

10 - Roses - Love

11 -  Snapdragons -  Graciousness/Strength

12 -  Tulips - Perfect love

*A special note about lilies: Lilies have a strong scent which has made many people (myself included) assume that they are an irritation to allergy sufferers. They’re not. Lilies are a hypoallergenic flower.

PS: If you’re giving flowers as a gift, and you’re not sure if the person you’re giving them to has a flower allergy, err on the side of caution and choose flowers from my list.

Celebrating April Birthdays With Meaningful Flowers

Do you know someone with a birthday in April? Are you planning on giving them some flowers? An easy way to make your gift extra special is to choose flowers that create a meaningful message.

With knowing just a few things, your floral gift can be personalized specifically for someone with an April birthday.

Birth month flower:

Every month has one or two flowers associated with it - its birth month flower.

The flowers for the month of April are:

Sweet peas: meaning ‘blissful pleasures’ and ‘thank you for a lovely time’

Daisy: meaning ‘innocence’ 

Zodiac:

Every zodiac sign has a flower that represents it.

Aries (March 21-April 19):

Honeysuckle: meaning ‘pure happiness’

Taurus (April 20-May20):

Poppy: meaning ‘remembrance/restful sleep’

Colour:

I’ve chosen colours for this month that are a reflection of its birthstone and that represent this time of year.

Birthstone:

Diamond: colour ‘white’. An array of flowers come in the colour white. A few are roses, carnations, alstroemeria, tulips, daisies, sweet peas.

Seasonal Colours: 

Pink: symbolizing the buds in bloom. Flowers - tulips, sweet peas, spray roses, gerberas.

Pale blue: symbolizing the spring sky. Flowers - hydrangea, delphinium, tweedia.

Seasonal Flowers and their meanings:

Year-round availability:

There is an abundance of  flowers that are available all year long:

Roses (love), carnations (admiration/affection), lilies (beauty), alstroemerias (friendship/devotion), gerberas (cheerfulness), lisianthus (appreciation/gratitude), chrysanthemums (cheerfulness), and snapdragons (graciousness/strength)

Seasonal flowers:

Combine flowers that are available all year long with those that are in bloom during the month of April:

Sweet peas (blissful pleasures/thank you for a lovely time), tulips (perfect love), freesia (friendship), daffodils (new beginnings), and anemone (anticipation)

Personal touch:

Consider the person you’re giving the flowers to. Try adding into your bouquet flowers in their favourite variety or favourite colours.

Top tip:

You don’t need to include all these options. Pick what works best for the message you want to send and you’ll have created a unique and meaningful gift for that lucky April birthday person.

My Suggestion:

If I were to give flowers to a friend with a birthday in April, my bouquet would be a big bunch of seasonal blooms.

White freesia to represent friendship, white anemone for anticipation for the year ahead, and pink and white sweet peas to wish a year of blissful pleasures. The white represents April’s birthstone and the pink a seasonal colour.

Happy birthday to everyone with a birthday in April! x

PS - If you’ve ever wanted to get a tattoo of your birth flower (like I have), check out THIS article.

Bloom - You Won’t Want to Miss This

I’m very excited to introduce ‘Bloom’ - a series of workshops hosted by my two daughters and myself .

These workshops are designed to give you low-effort practices that will help you to flourish.

Our first workshop will focus on how to practice stress relief and resilience through three different avenues of wellness - holistic nutrition by Olivia, mindful movement by Rochelle, and the healing power of flowers by me.

A bit about the workshop:

Rather than offering stress-management techniques and tasks, we’re going to teach you how small tweaks to your diet, mindful breathing and movement practices, and the healing power of flowers, can support your body through stressful times so that you continue to pursue optimal health.

A bit about each of us:

Olivia - “I’m a Registered Holistic Nutritionist specializing in postpartum wellness and women’s health. I primarily work with moms in the early stages of motherhood to help them build nourishing diets that fit into their busy lives stress-free.”  www.livwell.love | @oliviakelava.  | liv@livwell.live 

Rochelle - “I’m a yoga teacher and certified Life Coach offering practices of mindful movement, breath work, and reflective inquiry. I support clients in times of transition and growth to find clarity and ease, creating space for more of what they love.”  https://www.fjaka.ca | @ro.kelava |   rochelle@fjaka.ca

Mary - “My first career was an early childhood educator and my second career was a florist. I now combine my love of teaching with my knowledge of flowers to share all the ways flowers have a positive impact on our daily lives.” www.thefloralprescription.ca |   @thefloralprescription   | thefloralprescription@gmail.com

The three of us, working together, are excited to share the tools we have in our back pockets to help you be proactive and learn intentional practices to help your body cope with stress in a way that limits its long term effects.

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WORKSHOP DETAILS:

SATURDAY APRIL 17

10:00-11:30AM PST

ON ZOOM

RECORDING AVAILABLE

COST $35 CDN (Can be paid online through Rochelle’s website: www.momoyoga.com/fjaka/ )

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This will be a restorative morning that we hope will give you some lessons and tools to walk away with, as well as some space to breathe and reflect.

We hope to see you there.

Register by April 9 to be entered to win our door prize

‘Bloom - (verb) - to come into or be in full beauty or health; to flourish”

Top 6 Flowers for Easter and Their Meanings

Every flower has a meaning attached to it. When you know what those meanings are, you can make flower choices that are perfect for every occasion. Here are six meaningful flowers for Easter:

1 Lily:

A white lily is a very traditional flower for Easter. They represent hope and love.

2 Daffodils:

As one of the first flowers to bloom in spring, daffodils have the meaning of new beginnings and rebirth - very symbolic for Easter.

3 Crocus:

When crocus bloom in early spring you can’t help but smile, the meanings of gladness and mirth are a perfect fit.

4 Gerbera Daisy:

Gerberas, with their daisy-like faces blooming in an array of colours, are considered a happy flower. Gerbera's meaning is cheerfulness.

5 - Iris:

An iris has three main petals. Their meaning has three parts - faith, hope and wisdom.

6 - Tulips:

The general meaning of tulips is perfect love, but every colour also has it’s own meaning: red - declaration of love, pink - caring, purple - royalty, yellow - joy; white - purity.

Suggestion for Easter bouquet:

My Easter bouquet would be a mix of simple, seasonal, spring flowers. Tulips and daffodils plus a few pussy willows - like little bunny tails.

To note:

Daffodils contain a sap that leaks into the water and clogs up the stems of other flowers causing them to wilt quickly. To avoid this happening, cut the daffodils stems and place them in a bucket of water. After several hours, take the daffodils out of the water but do not recut the stems. Place them straight into the vase of mixed flowers.

The Floral Prescription - What It Is, What It Isn't, and What’s Coming Next

I began The Floral Prescription blog in November 2019.  I wanted to create a place where flower-lovers could go to find information and inspiration about all things floral. Things like, how flowers have a positive effect on our well-being, exploring the language of flowers, learning about edible flowers, introducing flower-filled travel destinations, and delving into flowers in art, music, and literature. 

One topic I’ve always stayed away from is gardening. I purposely did this for two reasons: 1 - there is already so much information out there about growing flowers, and 2 - not everyone who loves flowers is also interested in gardening (myself included). 

Now sixteen months have gone by since I started The Floral Prescription, and along the way, something changed for me. While I still want my blog to be the ‘go-to spot’ for all things floral that’s not related to gardening, I DO want to learn to grow my own flowers. 

More and more lately, I’ve been wishing I had my own readily available source of local, seasonal flowers, and organically grown edible flowers, and I knew the best way to have them would be to grow them myself. And as fate would have it, as soon as I made that decision a community garden plot became available in my neighbourhood and I was lucky enough to have it allocated to me. My plan is to plant half of it as a cut-flower patch and use the other half to grow edible flowers.

This new venture I’m starting will not have much impact on my blog. I still believe there should be a place for flower lovers to go to get floral information that is not garden-related, so the majority of my blog will still have nothing to do with gardening. 

However, I do plan to document my ‘learn to flower garden experience’ on my Instagram stories. I hope you’ll enjoy following along with me as I try to grow cosmos and sweet peas, nasturtiums, and calendulas. I’m expecting to learn a lot along the way, hoping for not too many mistakes, and will be delighted if at some point this summer I have some flowers to cut and put in a vase, and others to sprinkle over a salad. 

This project is meant to help me learn and grow in new ways. I’m not switching from sharing about ‘all things floral, all year long’ to ‘how to start a flower garden’, but I am ‘practicing what I preach’ by finding ways to incorporate flowers into my life on a daily basis.

In other news, I want to let you know that I’m busy working away on my next issue of The Floral Prescription Magazine (April/May/June issue). I’ll be emailing it to all my blog subscribers during the first week of April. This is my way of thanking you for being part of The Floral Prescription. If you’re reading this and haven’t subscribed to my blog yet, all you need to do is fill in your email address in the ‘subscribe’ box on my website.

I appreciate each and every one of you who has supported me over the past 16 months. I love what I’m doing, I love what I’m sharing, I love what I’m learning along the way, and I love the plans I’m making for The Floral Prescription in the future.

Meaningful Flowers for Anniversaries

Anniversaries are important moments in life, and what better way to celebrate a special day than with a big, beautiful bouquet of meaningful flowers. 

Traditionally when we think of anniversaries we think of marriage; but you can also celebrate anniversaries of friendships, years in business, or any other important milestones in life. 

Whatever the anniversary is, flowers are a wonderful way to acknowledge it, and choosing flowers that have specific meanings will make that acknowledgment even more special.  Here are my suggestions for anniversary flowers.

Flowers for first ten anniversary years:

Every anniversary year has a flower assigned to it. This is a great place to start when choosing flowers.

1st - Carnation - Affection; 2nd - Lily of the valley - Return to happiness; 3rd - Sunflower - Adoration; 4th - Hydrangea - Perseverance; 5th - Daisy - Innocence; 6th - Calla lily - Magnificent beauty; 7th - Freesia - Friendship; 8th - Lilac - Memories of first love; 9th - Bird of Paradise - Magnificence; 10th - Daffodil - New beginnings

Flowers with special meanings:

Next think of what the anniversary is for, and what message you want to send. Here are flower suggestions for four types of anniversaries: 

Marriage: Celebrating your anniversary is a way to remember one of the most important days of your life and to reflect on your life as a couple and the individual attributes that you love and admire about each other. Roses, with their meaning of love, are always popular for a wedding anniversary bouquet, but there are plenty of other choices.

Ranunculus - Radiant charm; Carnation - Affection; Sunflower - Adoration; Calla lily - Magnificent beauty; Freesia - Friendship; Lilac - Memories of first love; Stock - Lasting beauty; Alstroemeria - Devotion

Years in business: Only half of new businesses survive the first five years, so every year you are open deserves to be celebrated. You can also use the day to thank your employees, customers, and family and friends who have supported you.

Allium - Prosperity; Peony - Good fortune; Hollyhock - Ambition; Alstroemeria - Devotion; Pink roses - Appreciation; Hydrangea - Perseverance

Remembering the passing of a loved one: Recognizing the passing of a loved one on an annual basis gives us a chance to remember everything we loved about them, keeping that connection between past and present.

Forget-me-not - Memories; Poppy - Remembrance; Cosmos - Peacefulness; Pink Carnation - I will always remember you; Zinnia - Thoughts of an absent friend

Success in stopping an addiction: Stopping a harmful addiction is no easy feat. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and is something worth acknowledging each year.

Chamomile - Energy in diversity; Borage - Courage; Clematis - Mental beauty; Aster - Patience

Whatever anniversary you’re celebrating, I hope you’ll be inspired by this list of meaningful flowers for anniversaries when deciding what flowers you’ll choose for the occasion.

If you would like to know the flower for an anniversary after 10 years, or like a flower suggestion for a specific type of anniversary, please let me know in the comments below and I’d be happy to help you.

Have Your Own Readily Available Source Of Fresh Edible Flowers

There’s nothing like the addition of fresh flowers to your cooking or baking to take it from something ordinary to something extraordinary. A sprinkling of colourful petals on a salad suddenly makes it look gourmet, and a few carefully placed blooms on a cake makes it look like a professional decorated it. The problem is, (at least where I live), fresh edible flowers are not readily available. 

However, there is a simple solution - grow your own. I have done very little gardening in my life, but the thought of having a readily available source of edible flowers has spurred me on to learn how to grow them.

There is an almost overwhelming amount of information out there about growing edible flowers. It’s a lot to sift through, but in the end, I narrowed it all down to three easy to grow choices. Here’s what I’ve learned about them:

Nasturtiums:

Nasturtiums became my first pick as soon as I read the words ‘Very easy to grow, they thrive on neglect’. (Not that I would ever be neglectful, but it makes it sound like a pretty fool-proof flower to grow!)

About growing:

• Grows quickly from seeds or can be bought as bedding plants;

• Grows well in containers;

• Prefers full sun, but if in a really hot area can tolerate afternoon shade;

• Consistent moisture, but not damp is best;

• Do not fertilize as it will cause more leaves than flowers to grow.

About eating:

• Peppery, spicy flavour (cross between a radish and watercress);

• Full of vitamins A, C, and D;

• All parts are edible (petals, leaves, seeds);

• Come in reds, oranges and yellows;

• Used in dishes whole, or torn into pieces.

Calendula:

Calendula is a summertime favourite with gardeners.

About growing:

• Easy to grow from seed right in the garden;

• Regular watering is preferred, but they can tolerate drier conditions;

• Plant in nourishing soil - no extra fertilizing needed;

• Dead-head plants and they will continue to bloom from early summer to late fall.

About eating:

• Flavour can be spicy, bitter, tangy, or peppery;

• Comes in various shades of yellow and orange;

• Adds a yellow tint to food;

• Pull the petals off the centre of the bloom to use in salads, or to decorate baking;

• Dried calendula can be made into a tea, or added to soups or stews to calm an upset stomach.

Lavender:

While very popular as an ingredient in beauty products, lavender is also edible.

About growing:

• Grow in a well-drained area, a raised bed, or in containers;

• Prefers full sun;

• Very little watering required (most people over-water);

• No fertilizer is necessary

• Harvest lavender when the first few flowers are opening on each stem.

About eating: 

• Can be used fresh or dried;

• Distinctive floral taste mixed with a hint of rosemary and mint;

• A little goes a long way - use sparingly;

• Use to make tea, infuse sugar or honey, make herbed butter, or decorate sweet treats.

These are the first three edible flowers I’m going to try and grow as they all seem very forgiving to beginner gardeners. But remember - these flowers are for eating so make sure to grow them organically. For other important safety tips when consuming edible flowers read my post ‘Top 3 Rules for Using Edible Flowers’.

If you have any tips or advice to give a beginner gardener about growing flowers please put them in the comments below. They would be much appreciated.

PS - A little something I thought I’d share with you. I live in an apartment, so I was imagining I would need to grow flowers in pots out on the balcony. But, two days after I’d made the decision to try growing edible flowers, one of those weird coincidences in life occurred. I was out for my morning walk in the neighbourhood and I passed a place with a sign saying there were a few community garden plots available and if interested to apply. So I did - and I was accepted to be allocated one of the plots this year! So now I will have my own little patch of soil to work in. Thank you Pacific Spirit Community Garden!

Meaningful Flowers for March Birthdays

Do you know someone with a birthday in March? Are you planning on giving them some flowers? An easy way to make your gift extra special is to choose flowers that create a meaningful message.

With knowing just a few things, your floral gift can be personalized specifically for someone with a March birthday.

Birth month flower:

Every month has a flower associated with it - its birth month flower. The flower for the month of March is the daffodil. The meaning for daffodils is ‘new beginnings’.

Zodiac:

Every zodiac sign has a flower that represents it. The signs and flowers for March birthdays are:

Pisces: February 19 - March 20: Your flower is the water lily. The meaning for water lilies is ‘purity of heart’.

Aries: March 21 - April 19: Your flower is the honeysuckle. Honeysuckle is a symbol of ‘pure happiness’.

(Water lilies and honeysuckle would be difficult to give as a gift, but perhaps you could incorporate them into your gift by getting a card with a picture of a water lily or honeysuckle on it.)

Colour:

Aquamarine: March’s birthstone - a light bluish-green colour. To create a flower arrangement that reflects an aquamarine birthstone, choose light blue flowers mixed with greenery.

Flowers you could use: Hydrangea, tweedia, eryngium, delphinium, and hyacinth.

Yellow: Yellow is another great colour choice for March. It’s a cheerful colour and you’ll easily be able to represent it with March’s flower, the daffodil. (Bonus - a mixture of blue and yellow flowers make a striking combination.)

Seasonal:

March is abundant with flowers that are available all year long, (lilies, alstroemeria, gerberas, lisianthus, roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, snapdragons), as well as with spring flowers that are just beginning to burst into bloom.

March flowers: Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, iris.

Top tip: You don’t need to include all these options. Pick what works best for the message you want to send and you’ll have created a unique and meaningful gift for that lucky March birthday person.

Suggestion:

If I were to give flowers to a friend with a birthday in March, I would create a very cheerful and seasonal bouquet with a mixture of daffodils (to symbolize the start of a new year) and tweedia (to represent the aquamarine birthstone). 

(You can learn about meaningful flowers for February birthdays HERE.)

Learn How to Arrange Flowers From the Comfort of Your Home

One of the easiest ways to brighten your environment and boost your mood is with flowers. While you can always get arrangements from the florist, why not learn how to arrange flowers right from the comfort of your own home?

In this article I’ll share:

• The benefits of learning how to arrange flowers;

• Resources for learning flower arranging from home (I learned of a new one while doing my research);

• Sources for inspiration;

• National Floral Design Day.

Benefits of learning how to arrange flowers:

• Can be learned at home;

• Low cost to get started;

• No special space required;

• Relaxing and stress free;

• Gives you a creatives outlet;

• Produces something beautiful for your home or for a gift;

• Something all ages can learn;

• The whole family can participate;

• Learning even a little will give you great results;

• Learning even more will expand your skills;

• A hobby that could turn into a business if desired.

Resources for learning flower arranging from home:

There are many fantastic flower schools which provide in-person courses and workshops, but my focus today is on learning flower arranging from your own home. The resources I list cover all skill levels.

Youtube: There are tonnes of floristry videos on Youtube. Here’s what I recommend you do to find the tutorials that will work for you:

• If you’re just starting out, search ‘learn to arrange flowers’. Many choices will be available to you. I like to watch videos from several sources as they all have their own style and offer tips from their own experience.

• Once you’ve learned the basics, be more specific with your searches. For example: ‘how to arrange a dozen roses’, ‘how to create a meadow-like arrangement’, or ‘ikebana for beginners’.

• Be sure to check out Bloomtube on Youtube. They have tonnes of step-by-step tutorials on arranging flowers and are a great resource.

Skillshare: Skillshare is new to me. I have no idea how I’d never heard of it before, but I’m loving it.

• Search ‘floristry’ and you’ll find tutorials for every level of experience.

• If you’re just starting out I recommend trying the videos from ‘Floristry 101’. Their videos cover everything from ‘tool kit essentials’, to ‘processing flowers’, to ‘is floral design the career for me’.

• Once you’ve learned all the basics, scroll through all the floristry videos on Skillshare and start learning from the ones that appeal to you the most.

Books: As with resources for learning online, there are a multitude of books available on the subject of flower arranging. Here are three of my favourites:

• Flower Arranging - The complete guide for beginners. Judith Blacklock

• The Flower Recipe Book. Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo

• On Flowers - Lessons from an Accidental Florist. Amy Merrick

Sources for Inspiration:

Instagram: I would say the number one place for floral inspiration is instagram. You can follow people from all over the world who are creating with flowers in every style imaginable. 

Flower shops: I never walk past a flower shop without looking in the window. If you do this on a regular basis you’ll soon learn what flowers are in season, and different ways they can be used in arrangements.  

Books: While there are a lot of books about flower arranging, there are even more books that are about a specific topic related to flowers. Here are three of my favourites:

• Vintage Wedding Flowers. Vic Brotherson

• The Romantic Language of Flowers. Davies Gill

• Cooking With Flowers. Miche Bacher

National Floral Design Day:

National Floral Design Day is February 28. It’s a day to recognize the art and history of floral design. You could celebrate this day by visiting a flower shop, walking through a garden, reading a book or poem about flowers, or admiring some floral artwork. I also think this is the perfect day to start learning how to arrange flowers. Who knows, it might just become your new hobby. 

If there’s any other information you need that will help you in your pursuit of creating flower arrangements, please don’t hesitate to contact me.