I can’t believe it was over a year ago that I did a one to one workshop with Vervain! However what’s even more surprising then that is that I haven’t got round to blogging about it, until now! As mentioned in my previous post, once maybe even twice a year I like to attend a flowery workshop. As part of my own personal development but also I think it’s always good to go and spend some time learning from someone else. When you work alone you can sometimes become stuck in a rut. Sometimes a day spent in a different environment can be just what you need to re-ignite that creative spark! India is one talented florist and it was such a pleasure spending the day with her. Much like my own one to one workshop Vervain’s classes are completely bespoke.

We spent the day creating a large scale mantle piece design along with bridal bouquets and it was such a fun day! The evening before I was due to visit India I turned to Steve (my husband) and said “where’s Tenbury Wells?” He turned to me and said apprehensively “why?” (my Geographical knowledge is shocking!) to which I responded “I have a one to one flower class tomorrow so need to work out how to get there).  He then proceeded to look at me in disbelief and say “you are joking aren’t you? It’s not far from Wales!  How exactly were you planning on getting there?! That’s when I realised I probably should have planned a head and organised myself a bit better. Nothing like last minute, hey! Luckily Steve had the following day off so was able to drop me to the train station, at 5am!

A story that when I mention it now, we laugh but at the time… not so funny! Do you have any funny moments like that? It wasn’t my finest hour I shall admit! However I really enjoyed the train journey, it gave me a chance to catch up on my book I was reading at the time and it felt like a bit of an adventure too! India’s workshop really is every florists dream! A gorgeous rustic barn that was draped in the most glorious natural light, perfect for capturing images of your creations. The barn is set on a flower farm with idyllic views of the countryside that you can see for miles, I did say it was the stuff of dreams!

The day started off with coffee (of course) and India showed me the wonderful selection of goodies she had for me to get creative with, there was gorgeous Blossom, Ranunculus, Lilac, Hellebores, Tulips, Lilac and Garden Roses to name a few! We created a large scale installation, using mixed foliage’s and blossom to create the initial shape before adding the flowers.

Adding those finishing touches to the design, for the flowers we incorporated the most amazing red double headed tulips along with narcissus and butterfly ranunculus. I adore the way the design trails up the beam and has an asymmetric feel to it.  The overall design has a natural and organic feel which I adore. It works so well with the rustic style of the barn but equally it would compliment an ornate fireplace too.

After devouring a delicious lunch that India had prepared we then moved onto bridal bouquets in the afternoon. It was great to use a mix of twiggy textures with the blossom and catkins as I wouldn’t normally incorporate these into a bouquet but I think they work really well, would you agree? The bouquet was created using a front facing technique, which I think gives the bouquet a more natural shape. As opposed to it be being perfectly round which isn’t really my bag. For the flowers I chose beautiful Cappucino Ranunculus (one of my favourite varieties) luscious burgundy Hellebore’s, Lilac, Narcissus and those stunning Caramel Antique Garden Roses. The soft muted tones compliment each other beautifully and with the hints of blossom create a romantic and delicate design. We used sumptuous nude silk ribbons to finish off the bouquet which we left long and trailing for the photographs.

It was the most fun and enjoyable day and one I look back on fondly. It was wonderful to learn from India but also to natter about all things flowers and business related, as I mentioned before working alone can be lonely so it’s great to bounce ideas off each other. I usually find that the challenges we face are often the same.  It’s great to know that we are not alone!

If you would like to find out more about our one to one workshops, check out the website.