5 Questions with Brigitte Girling of Moss and Stone

Hot, hot, hot, that’s all I can say of this week. I have kicked home schooling to the curb for my six and nine year old, that was relief and instead we chose the beach, water fights and I had a few G&Ts in the sun, bliss.

Once again Saturday has come upon us and I am delighted to share my 5 Questions with the ever so talented Brigitte Girling of Moss and Stone. As you can imagine I follow a lot of floral designers but there are certain accounts that I can not get enough off and one of those is Moss and Stone. I think it is the perfect account of floral elegance and takes you to a place of such beauty with every image.

So sit back and grab yourself probably a cold beverage if this heat wave continues and enjoy my chat with the lovely Brigitte.

Alicia: Thank you so much Brigitte for taking the time to answers my five questions. Firstly can you tell the reader a little bit of information about how Moss and Stone came to be?

Brigitte: I began Moss & Stone around five years ago now after about seven or eight years as a freelance florist. I loved freelancing – I loved working with amazing teams of people on incredibly glamorous jobs and learning all the time. The beauty of freelancing is that you learn new skills, ideas, ways of doing things or not doing things every day. But its also incredibly hard work, ridiculously long hours and I used to say yes to everything which meant no days off for weeks sometimes and being away from home for days on end. Eventually, I longed to spend more time in my garden – a passion I have had since forever – and to go back to a more sympathetic, seasonally led way of working, inspired by my garden and the countryside around me. I suppose Moss & Stone Floral Design became inevitable at this point and I am so happy I took the leap although it felt utterly nerve wracking at the time!

Alicia: When I look at images of your work, I feel like I'm walking through the most delicious English countryside full of seasonal blooms and natural swaying foliage. Is working with seasonal and British flowers important to you and why?

Brigitte: Oh, I am so delighted that my designs make you feel this way. I always think of my work as recreating little gardens in a bowl, urn or in someone’s hands. I only use what is available from the fabulous and hardworking local artisan growers near me plus the few bits I manage to grow in my garden. In this way I can ensure my work is truly seasonal and has an integrity and authenticity that I feel is terribly important. I am continually questioning how I can reduce the environmental impact of my art which is why working foam free is also integral to my designs alongside using locally sourced British flowers. But this is no hardship. I find it’s such an exciting way to work. The seasons constantly overlap in different ways throwing up unusual and unexpected combinations and then there is the added joy of the anticipation of waiting for a particular flower to come back into season. Waiting and longing for peonies, roses, dahlias, lily of the valley, poppies, bracken, blossom, hellebores, honeysuckle…well let’s face it everything actually…to finally return is so invigorating and means that almost every day there is something new to be enchanted by. Having everything on tap, constantly available simply feels quite dull in comparison!

Alicia: At Moss and Stone you do weddings, you teach, you do collaborations, photo shoots. What do you think draws people to your designs?

Brigitte: Oh, that’s such a difficult question to answer. I hope that my natural, undone style using interesting and unusual garden ingredients appeals perhaps to an inner nostalgia, maybe fond childhood memories and a desire for authenticity. I have actually decided to step away from weddings now because too often, I couldn’t only use locally sourced flowers, the wedding requirements were too big and I had to supplement my locally sourced flowers with more from Holland. This was a big decision for Moss & Stone, but evolving and moving forward is essential to any business and I have exciting new plans ahead. I am expanding my teaching and I am developing a series of online courses through the Moss & Stone Flower School www.mossandstoneflowerschool.co.uk which is launching this summer. Nerve wracking again!

Alicia: I love the fact you collaborate with other florists. I feel as an industry we are lucky as there seems to be a lot of support for other people's businesses and a lot of respect for other people's work. You have obviously collaborated with some fantastic florists, if you could do a collaboration with anyone who would it be and why?

Brigitte: Oh this question is easy to answer! My fantasy collaborator would be my most favourite artist, Claire Basler. When I look at her paintings and murals I am overwhelmed with a wistful longing; I have a truly raw and emotional reaction to her work. I feel she manages to capture beautifully in her paintings what I am trying so hard to do in my bowls! I just hope she reads this!

Alicia: As I mentioned in question one your work seems to be seasonal, which is something I particularly love, do you have a favourite season at all?

Brigitte: In the past this would have been easy to answer – Spring every time. All the promise of long, warm days and none of the disappointment that comes with reality! I hate being cold which I realise is ironic given what I do, so winter would have historically been my least favourite season. However, working with the seasons for so long has made me re-evaluate. Even winter provides exciting treasures that I would miss if I never experienced them again…the scent of winter flowering honeysuckle, carpets of aconites and snowdrops, incredible shape and structure when you see the bare bones of a garden or a naked tree, a stalwart rose that has just decided to flower in January…special moments. So of course, my answer has to be, I don’t really have a favourite! Actually, now, I am terribly fickle; I have a favourite flower that can change daily and a favourite moment in time that constantly changes too…I long for the next season and what it might give me whilst loving the abundance or scarcity of the season I’m in!

Alicia: You  promote not using floral foam, something that I am a big supporter of too. As people start out in floristry they may be unaware of the impact of floral foam. What information or advice could you share with people that are entering the industry about floral foam and on other mechanics that can be used as a substitute?

Brigitte: Yes, I do not use floral foam at all now although of course I have used plenty in my floral career in the past, so I am no paragon at all. In my defence and the defence of the people I used to work for, I think we lacked real information and any idea of the potential environmental impact this product has on our planet. It was used everywhere, for everything because it was a quick, easy and convenient water resource. However, we now know that it is made from a non-biodegradable microplastic, which cannot be disposed of safely and will remain in the ground, water ways and oceans for an unknown and unimaginable length of time. I used a small amount of floral foam in my work for the last time in January 2018. I regretted it almost immediately having not used it for so many months leading up to that event and I will never use it again. However, this is my decision and I don’t judge anyone else for using it. All I hope for and ask is that florists reduce substantially the occasions when they do use it. Re-educating our clients and offering foam free alternatives alongside rethinking working processes and designs means that the overall reduction in usage can be huge and dramatic which can only be good for our environment. For florists wanting to know more about foam free mechanics and ideas I would recommend looking at www.sustainablefloristry.org. Its a great starting point.

Alicia: I was just looking at your website and I see that you are on the panel for BBC Radio Norfolk Garden Party. I don't know what this is, but it sounds wonderful and something we need down in Sussex! Can you please tell us a bit more about what goes on at The Garden Party?

Brigitte: Oh my goodness, this is such a wonderfully fun, informative and light hearted programme. It is a two hour show where we simply chat about gardens and gardening. The panel changes slightly each week with various specialists and I am usually on every 6 weeks or so as the floral design expert with regulars Thorids Fridriksson, the presenter and Alan Gray of East Ruston Old Vicarage. Alongside lots of chat, laughter and banter we field questions from listeners who phone in, email or send us interesting things in the post! We never know what will happen from show to show or who will call or what they might ask, which makes it all the more exciting! Sadly, since lockdown, the format has naturally changed but hopefully we will all be back soon. If you fancy a listen, you can find it on BBC Sounds

A massive thank you to Brigitte for taking part, I hope you enjoyed the interview as much as I did. Join us next week where we will be concluding our interviews with Jo Bird from David Austin.

Moss and Stone

https://www.mossandstone.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/mossandstonefloraldesign/

5 Questions with Sarah Statham of Simply By Arrangement

Saturday has come round again. This week I am delighted to share my 5 Question interview with the wonderful Sarah Statham of Simply By Arrangement. Based in Yorkshire Sarah has been a florist for nearly ten years. She works out of her workshop and hosts larger classes around North Yorkshire and in Scotland. Sarah’s Instagram account is a beautiful reflection of her seasonal style. Her use of beautiful blooms, colour tones and fantastic photography makes her account a treat on the eyes and I find such a calmness when I scroll through her grid. Teaching is a big part of her business and hopefully one day when this is all over I hope to make a trip up to Yorkshire and maybe even join her on one of her Simply By Arrangement Retreats, now that sounds like heaven.

So on this slightly grey Saturday morning, sit back cosy up and enjoy the 5 Questions with Sarah.

Alicia: Sarah could you please let our readers know about how you created Simply by Arrangement and your journey into floristry?

Sarah: Flowers weren’t my first job, but they have always been a place of refuge. I trained and spent my first 20 years in work as a criminal lawyer, a really great job, but, one where you never ever see the beauty in life. Some winter days I didn’t see daylight because old fashioned court rooms often have no windows. 

Flowers were my relaxation and hobby. I did weddings and small parties for friends and I did a ‘crammed’ two week business of floristry career course in London before eventually taking a career break from the day job that I never went back to. Back then (almost 10 years ago) there were only a few places offering floral workshops. There was nothing at all up north that I could find in the style I liked and so I decided to make workshops/ classes the focus of my own small business, as well as weddings. 

Alicia: Your work is so elegant, beautiful and I feel a sense of calmness when looking at your creations. Where does your inspiration come from?

Sarah There are a few answers here. Gardens/places/light /art/literature/the environment/vessels/ people- there are so many things that influence us all, often without us realising. I suppose ‘nature’ is the main answer because I like to work with seasonal flowers. But, I think the real answer is that the flowers themselves are my inspiration. There’s always something new to work with. I get a shiver down my spine as each fritillary appears in spring and I know I have to make something which shows off that flower to perfection. And so it goes on through the seasons, from tulips to roses to dahlias, we grow them all here as well as lots of delicate and unusual things too. 

I’m really chuffed that my flowers make you feel calm, because that’s exactly what flowers do to me, they bring instant calmness

Alicia: In traditional floristry students are taught in some colleges to work in odd numbers, flowers are crammed together tightly and students are encouraged to not put certain colours together. Your work is obviously very different to this. Can you explain why you don't follow these traditional methods and what are you guided by when you are creating?

Sarah: I think my first guideline is the vessel (which I’ll chose to fit into a specific place). Then I’ll pick flowers and foliage that I know will sit beautifully within it. So, obviously, small delicate flowers for a tiny bowl and larger ones for an urn. I don’t like working to rules. I know that ‘generally’ odd numbers work better than even but, if I think that two roses look better than three then that’s what I’ll use. There’s no real magic to what I do. I suppose the real challenge lies in selecting the right ingredients, and from there I just look at each one and let it tell me where it wants to go. Most flowers, branches have a best side so I’ll decide which that is. Most importantly each flower or piece must have its own space so that it can be seen and also so that it can have room to grow. 

Alicia: Do you have a highlight of your career so far?

Sarah: That’s such a hard question. I think for me, highlights come when I see someone I’ve taught go on to do great things. There are several people who have started on classes here and who I’ve helped in the early days of their businesses and I love seeing their work and, from time to time, answering a few of their questions along the way. 

I’ve been in a couple of good flower books which I never imagined would be possible. I love to do things which bring people to this area of Yorkshire so, a real highlight for me was running a class to celebrate the bicentenary of Charlotte Bronte. The group who attended that class created breathtaking floral designs that were displayed in The Bronte Parsonage Museum for hundreds of visitors to see. 

I also love the Simply Yorkshire Retreat that we do here in summer. It’s small (like this place) but it brings together 4 people from around the world and again, that’s not something I ever imagined would happen here. 

Alicia: What advice could you give someone who is considering entering the floristry industry?

Sarah: Hmmm, where to start! It’s not pretty, it’s not glamorous, it’s exceptionally hard graft, but it might make you happy. I would also suggest finding someone whose work you love and either training with them or asking to do some work experience with them. Also, learn as much as you can about the flowers themselves. How to grow them is, I think, the most invaluable piece of knowledge for any florist because only then will you truly understand how they will work (or maybe not work) best in a design. 

Alicia: We are obviously experiencing an incredibly challenging time at present. How are you coping during this time and what creative activities are you embarking  on to give your mind a rest from what is going on around us?

Sarah: I think we have all developed our own coping strategies for the current climate. It’s not an easy time for any of us and many florists, like me, can’t actually do their job, or the job they would normally do. It’s impossible at the moment to hold classes in person and I think we have all had weddings postponed into next year. 

I’m really lucky to have a garden so, my main focus has been to use this time to make it as good as it can ever be. We’ve created a couple of new areas and are growing lots more so that when (if) guests return, their experience of the calming, outdoor space should, we hope, ensure they have a memorable time. More and more I’ve realised that creating happy memories are important.

And, on the creation of memories, I’m also finding photography is helping me to escape from the news and to really focus on finding something beautiful to look at for a few minutes each day.

A big thank you to Sarah for sharing her love of floristry so eloquently. Join us next week where I am will be sharing my 5 Question interview with Brigitte Girling of Moss and Stone.

Simply By Arrangement

https://www.simplybyarrangement.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/simplybyarrangement/

5 Questions with Rosebie Morton of The Real Flower Company

Saturday is here. What a strange period of time we are living in at the moment . I have had time to reflect on a lot of things lately. Trying to take away as many positives I can, but it can be very hard some days. I definitely feel more than ever very grateful for the simpler things in life; time to read, a hot cup of coffee with no children disturbing me for five minutes, having the countryside on our doorstep and my job. My love for floristry has increased even more than I thought was possible over the last few months. I have such a connection to nature. Not only because it is my job but I find I am at my calmest, most happy and content when I am outdoors.

There are a selection of florists and flower growers that I hold with such high regard and one of those ladies is Rosebie from The Real Flower Company. Over the years on special occasions my Mum has sent numerous hat boxes of beautiful English scented roses and flowers arranged by The Real Flower Company to various friends and relatives. The feedback is always such praise and joy. So it was an absolute dream when Rosebie agreed to answer my 5 questions and my mum is rather excited about this one too!

So grab yourself a cup of something lovely and take a five minute break with Rosebie.

Alicia: Let's start at the beginning: where did your passion for gardening come from?

Rosebie From my mother and my grandmother who were both fanatical gardeners and instilled in me a love of plants and nature.  My mother could make a garden anywhere; as an army family we were often posted abroad and she always managed to create a little corner of England in the most improbable places to remind her of home.   

Alicia: Today The Real Flower Company grows and supplies the most amazing scented roses to the floristry industry. Could you explain to the reader why so many roses that are bought have lost their scent and why are the roses grown by The Real Flower Company are different?

Rosebie: In most instances, Roses are bred for the longest possible shelf life and as it is the rose’s scent which reduces this it was often the scent that was sacrificed.  The Real Flower Company roses are grown for their scent; they are like the old-fashioned roses of one’s childhood, exquisitely perfumed and vibrant with colour and texture.

Alicia: Obviously you are a big supporter of British flowers. When the season is over in this country you have your flower farm over in Kenya. Can you tell the reader a little bit more about the farm and how it still follows The Real Flower Company's ethics.

Rosebie: Tambuzi is a company not just operated for profit but with the aim of improving the world around it. The company’s strap line ‘stop and smell the roses’ sends a simple message – to slow down, notice and enjoy everything around you. The company strongly believes in the concept of shared values, and it considers the welfare of its employees and the neighbouring communities to be part of its strength. It employs around 500 people who without Tambuzi, would not have a job to be able to support their families at home. 

Tambuzi is also the first flower farm to be Carbon neutral and gold standard which is an unbelievable achievement and one which they are quite  rightly ( as are we, )  hugely proud.

Alicia: You are a very successful business woman. You employ many women as well. As an industry we have a great deal of women running businesses. What advice would you give to women thinking about a career change into floristry or looking to set up a business of their own?

Rosebie: To go into it any new business with your eyes wide open! You need  to  be honest with yourself as to what you are trying to achieve from this business. The flower industry can be very much feast or famine as far as work goes. It is  a notoriously difficult  industry in which to make money. You therefore need to have clear objectives and a passion which will drive you forward when things are tough. Dealing with perishables is always challenging! 

Alicia: You are an award winning English Flower grower, you have won numerous medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, you have been featured in Vogue, Harpers Bazar, the Telegraph to name but a few publications. What has been a particular highlight for you in your career, , when you have stepped back and just thought 'I created this'? 

Rosebie: To be honest, the highlight is always  seeing peoples reactions  when they have received  one of our bouquets and are overwhelmed by the scent and how it  has the power to transport them back to their childhood. This is always a magical moment for me and makes me so glad that I have persevered, when over the years I have come close to thinking am I mad and finding a simpler career! 

Bonus Question

Alicia: We can't ignore what is going on in the world right now. One of the things that I believe this whole experience has proved is how much we value the outside and nature.  What are some of the things you have learnt from this period and what do you do to relax when everything is too much and you need a bit of head space?

Rosebie: We have been amazed by the amount of flowers people are sending.  Bouquets and posies have been winging their way all over the country, bringing love and encouragement and virtual hugs wherever they are needed.

When I walk away from my desk at the end of the day I like to get into my own garden to see what is happening;  there is much solace to be had from finding a new shoot here and a bud there.  It is also such a bonus to have my family with me, we are not often together for so long and it is a treat to sit down for supper together at the end of each day.

A big thank you to Rosebie and The Real Flower Company for such an inspiring interview. Join me next week where I am delighted to share my 5 Questions with the delightful Sarah Statham of Simply By Arrangement.

The Real Flower Company

https://www.realflowers.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/therealflowerco/

Cut Flower Workshop at Pitfield Cutting Garden

We are excited to be teaming up with Pitfield Cutting Garden to host a British flower workshop at the end of July.

Join us on Tuesday 28th July at Pifield Cutting Garden where owner Emma Martin will give us a talk and a tour of the gardens.Once we have gathered our ingredients we will head back to the studio where Alicia will demonstrate how to create a table centre piece.

The Details:

Date: Tuesday 28th July

Time: 9.30am-1.00pm

Location: Pitfields Cutting Garden and Randolphs Farm

Whats Included: All flowers, foliage, table urn and refreshments.

5 Questions with Anna Potter of Swallows and Damsons

Saturday has come round again. This week the news has been shocking, filled with such sadness and worry. As we look to the scenes in America and hope that change finally occurs after such tragedy, I find myself asking so many questions. My mind has been buzzing all week and I confess it’s hard to switch off at times.

With such instrumental events going on I come back to the same question, are flowers important? Does anyone care at the moment? But more than ever through the last few months I feel that nature is so important. It is the simple things that we take for granted that perhaps we need to be more grateful for and I believe that opening our eyes to what is around us will bring appreciation and change.

This week I am interviewing the wonderful Anna of Swallows and Damsons. I met Anna last year at Sarah Raven’s Perch Hill. Not only is she extremely talented but she is also a lovely lady. Anna is one of the most successful florists on Instagram and like so many other floral designers I love her images and I was delighted that she agreed to answer my 5 questions.

Alicia: Anna you have been a florist for many years. You have had huge success on Instagram. You are regularly featured in magazines, you take part in photo shoots, you do large scale weddings and in 2019 you released your beautiful book The Flower Fix. Can you describe your style in three words?

Anna: Wild, unexpected, whimsical .

Alicia: When I look at your work I feel like you are telling a story. It’s a combination of nature and art. What inspires your floral designs?

Anna: I love this description so much! 

I always look to nature first.

The more I get to know and work with flowers the more I appreciate their irregular nature and have learned to embrace this rather than fight against it. It’s such a joy to work with their crazy bends, droopy heads, and kinks in creating something rather than fighting this and trying to generate something straight and formal.

The relationship that humans have won nature, the way we replicate colours, shapes and patterns in art, architecture, fashion and film. Inspiration can come from anywhere. 

Alicia: What is a typical week (if there is such a thing) in the life of a florist working at Swallows and Damsons? 

Anna: Always coffee first. We either have a delivery of flowers or trip to the local market every morning. Conditioning and preparing the flowers in the shop and creating any orders for the day ahead. After that really everyday is different. Making arrangements for weddings or events, preparing for photo shoots, meeting with clients, chatting to customers. One of the great things about having a shop is the variation and the little surprise conversations and requests.

Alicia: Many aspiring florists lack confidence and I was wondering if you could share some advice on how to overcome this. With the success you have experienced on social media for example, do you ever get intimidated or get imposter syndrome and if you do, how do you overcome that?

Anna: Joining Instagram in the beginning definitely felt very free, experimental and new. I just wanted to create,  to try things out, document and play. As Instagram and my account grew it was hard not to become fixated with the machine, an addiction you could say. Posting and receiving affirmation from some of your biggest inspirations was incredible but also unhelpful and obsessive. Alongside that the temptation for comparison also grew and the freedom i’d allowed myself now had walls and goals that were more preoccupied with what people liked, what I should be creating and what other people were creating. I was missing the beauty in the present moment because everything had become an opportunity for an insta shot. Fortunately I have a wonderful husband, children and team at the shop who quickly identify my BS. It’s a real journey and a constant practise of letting go of preconceived expectations and being stuck in my mind. Online breaks and disciplines help water the internal areas that have become fixed and cemented and I can then wildly return to the play and curiosity that I first loved about the platform. 

Alicia: Your book, ‘The Flower Fix’ is such a beautiful collection of your work and gives the reader an insight into your creative process. How did you decide on the arrangements and colour palettes that you selected to include in the book? 

Anna: I’d like to say they were very carefully planned and thought through but it really wasn’t the case. The seasons and availability were the main factor in deciding palette and flower choice. The environment where we would be working being the second. We shot over the course of a year and then collated all the shoots to present them in a colour order.

Alicia: We can’t ignore what is going on in the world right now. Here at Flourish Sussex we are encouraging people to get creative to act as a source of mindfulness. What are doing at the moment in isolation to keep your creative hands busy?

Anna: Creativity, nature, stillness, play, reading, digging. The closer to wild nature and its rhythms I can be the more space I feel internally. Finding a balance between planning for the coming months of business in a changed world and being completely present in the moment .

A big thank you to Anna. I hope you enjoyed the interview as much as I did. Join us next week where I will be asking my 5 questions to the legendary Rosebie Morton of The Real Flower Company.

Swallows and Damsons

Website: http://www.swallowsanddamsons.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swallowsanddamsons/