I took myself on a little field trip this week. A new florist opened in town and I was excited to see what they had to offer. I also needed some birthday flowers for a friend.

It was such a beautiful store and the walk- in cooler was stocked with the most amazing looking flowers. As she was arranging my purchase, I explained my learning project to the florist, who also happened to be the store owner, and I ended up with an unexpected and impromptu interview.

Me: What made you decide to get into floral arranging?

G.G: As a little kid, I always loved gardening with my Grandma and Mother. From a young age, I had a really solid knowledge base on growing flowers, not so much design, but I knew many planting tricks and species. After high school, I just planned to do it as a hobby and then the opportunity came up for me to open a shop and I went for it. Now, here I am, in a new city, doing what started as a hobby and has become my career!

Me: Did you take any courses?

G.G: I am originally from the Toronto area, so I completed a one-year floral design certificate program at the Canadian Academy of Floral Art.

Me: What is your favourite part of the job?

G.G: I get such a thrill from people coming in and asking me to mix up a hand tie, with no specific requests. I get to mix what I want, and no two bundles are ever the same-I try really hard to make sure of that. It is also a relatively stress free job. Obviously, some days are wildly busy, but even so, it is satisfying to see arrangements flying out of the shop.

Me: What are some tricks for floral arranging the perfect arrangement?

G.G: Balance and symmetry. Ensure that you don’t have a bunch of heavy flowers together. Mix some smaller with some larger, and fill in with greenery. Trim your stems at different angles so that you have some variety and depth. And, also I am a huge fan of wildflower bundles. Using rustic ties and things like wheat or eucalyptus are extremely popular right now!

Me: What is your favourite flower?

G.G: I love Peonies and Spirea together. I also like to add Silver Dollar Eucalyptus whenever I can.

Me: What is your best advice for this rookie arranger, who wants to explore this as a hobby?

G.G: Have fun! Seriously, just don’t overthink it. Don’t even worry about colours because honestly, everything goes. Pops of colour with subtle backgrounds are important though. 

She then proceeded to tell me that she has some classes in the works! Which means that I will be signing up! I am a visual and hands-on learner, so even though I have gained a ton of knowledge through online sources, having the opportunity to learn in person will only benefit my skill-set.

Check out this little IMovie video for a quick scan of the shop.