Floristry Courses Brighton, Sussex. Flower School located outside Brighton, Sussex
As we look ahead to the rest of 2020 and into 2021 here at Flourish Sussex Flower School we are looking forward to jam packed creative terms. In September our Christmas wreath workshop dates will be released. It will be a little different this year, but still just as fun. Smaller classes, socially distant, care packages for all. For those of you who can not make it to the studio this year we are excited to be launching our Christmas creative packages. Choose from four beautiful designs, then come on your selected date to pick up all your ingredients. Each wreath package will come in a box with the wire, frame, decorations, ribbon, a small bottle of prosecco and a bundle of foliage. You will then be given a link to a private tutorial where you can watch Alicia create the same wreath as to what you have purchased and you can create the arrangement in the comfort of your own home.
We can not wait to welcome students to the flower school in October for our wedding and event floristry course. Next year we will be running two wedding and event courses. This will teach students how to create the biggest and most eye catching displays in floristry, all foam free.
If flowers are your thing why not join us in 2021 for one of many courses of classes. We will be running three Foundation course for beginners and two wedding and event courses. These two courses along with our one day business class will give you everything you need to know to enter the floristry industry feeling confident and bustling ready to go.
We are going green at Flourish Sussex Flower School. We are increasingly moving away from materials that are harmful to the environment. So we have made the decision to no longer teach with green floral foam. This product does not decompose and we want to do our bit to help our lovely planet. We will instead choose to teach our students to work with eco friendly materials and where necessary will only use bio degradable foam.
We are super excited to be launching our first non based floristry workshop, BLOCK PRINTING. Inspired by my new lockdown hobby, I wanted to share my new love of traditional Indian block printing with students. We are running a day where guests can come, press flowers and display them in a beautiful brass frame, followed by mastering the technique of block printing. This is a wonderful workshop to get creative, have some fun with your friends and escape for a day.
We hope to inspire you to stay creative during these challenging times. Spending time working with your hands, enjoying colour, texture and nature is good for the mind and soul and we are looking forward to sharing our passion with you through the rest of 2020 and into 2021.
How we are keeping our students safe at Flourish Sussex Flower School
As we progress through 2020 and we look ahead to our Autumn, winter term, every step of safety is being consider to ensure we are providing the safest environment for our students as possible.
As the guidelines change we are taking all the necessary steps to make sure our students are as safe as possible. We are doing this by implementing the following:
Smaller classes, this ensures that all students can be a metre apart.
Safety packs, all students will be given their own hand sanitiser, mask and gloves, it is your choice if you choose to wear them.
Hand sanitiser is provided and is to used whenever someone enters the studio.
The tutors will be wearing visors. We have taken this decision so that when we teach and have to be nearer students the visors will protect both student and teacher.
Disposable cups and plates. All refreshments will be served on disposable plates and cups.
We ask all students if they are showing any Covid symptoms to not attend the studio and we will move you onto another class.
Deep cleaning after each workshop.
Whats happen if we go into lockdown?
If you have a class or course booked and we go into another lockdown your class/course will be rescheduled for later date. All students will be given the option of two alternative dates to swap to.
I have booked onto a Christmas Wreath class and we are in lockdown what happens now?
In the event that we have lockdown in December we will be creating Christmas boxes. In each one everyone will receive their frame, moss, wires, decorations and ribbon, plus a mini bottle of prosecco and mince pie. These will be delivered to you on day before your workshop was meant to take place. You will then be sent a link to a private tutorial where you can watch a demonstration with Alicia who will take you through step by step of creating your own wreath.
If you have any questions or concerns please do contact us. We look forward to welcoming you to the school this Autumn time.
Floristry Courses Sussex
Are you dreaming of pursuing a career with flowers? Are you wishing to learn more about your hobby or simply have a desire to immerse yourself in nature? Why not look at doing a floristry course in Sussex at Flourish Sussex Flower School.
Floristry has evolved into a beautiful art form. Put the Chrysanthemums, poly ribbon and cellophane aside and discover the art of floral designer.
At Flourish Sussex Flower School we offer one day specialised classes, seasonal workshops, wedding and event courses and floristry training at our studio in Sussex.
In a relaxed, fun environment Alicia shares her 15 years of working in the floristry industry knowledge and creativity wit her students. For people wishing to enter the floristry industry The Foundation for Beginners course teaches students all the fundamental skills you need to create the most popular displays. Students are also taught about buying flowers, setting up a business and looking at social media.
Floristry training has evolved. Traditional methods of floristry are no longer what people want for their weddings. People have a desire to have artistic garden inspired displays with a floral designer who can create a perfect picture with their creations.
Our floristry courses are run from our studio just outside Brighton, nestled at the bottom of the South Downs. We teach student to be guided by flower movement, colour palette and use the seasons finest ingredients
Whether you want to spend a couple of hours getting creative with a friend or learn all the techniques you need to embark on a career in floristry Flourish Sussex Flower School offers classes and courses which are designed to encourage students to develop their own style and where creativity is at the heart of everything that we do.
To view our classes and courses visit our Floristry workshop and course page. Or get in contact with us to
to see what floristry training we could offer you.
5 Questions with Vic Brotherson of Scarlet and Violet
Wow it is a windy one out there!
It’s Saturday again and so it’s our 5 question day! One of the reasons I wanted to start these interviews is to give the reader an insight into the floristry industry. Floristry can look like a very glamorous job and while there are many aspects of the industry which are truly beautiful behind the scenes is a lot of hard work, long hours and lets face it stress. These unprecedented times have put such a pressure on businesses of every size. Florists rely heavily on weddings to fuel their income and with hotels closed corporate work has ceased.
The impact on businesses has been immense and florists once they reopen their doors will be finding ways of getting through 2020 . I so hope we can all support our local florists. Behind each shop there is a a person or team of people who have worked so hard and more than ever it’s time to show our support.
Today I am delighted to say my 5 Questions with Vic Brotherson of Scarlett and Violet. S & V is a business that I have followed since the beginning of my career. It is a fusion of colour, beauty, big floral displays with a vintage twist. So sit back and enjoy the wonderful world of Scarlet and Violet, it’s a treat for the eyes and soul.
Alicia: Thank you so much Vic for taking some time to answer my questions. Could you please give the reader a little background into how you entered the floristry industry and how Scarlet and Violet came to be?
Vic: I grew up in the Lake District- Cumbria then moved south when I went to university where I studied Fine Art- when I finished it was very obvious that I was never going to be able to make a living from painting! So I immediately looked for a job. I was very fortunate that Nikki Tibbles had just opened Wild at Heart in Notting Hill and needed some help. She took me on at 21yrs old and I stayed there for many years learning from Nikki and other florists who came to work there.
After years of being a florist at W@H , I had begun to think that I wanted to something different , less big events and contracts more focusing on the flowers and the craft- I walked past an empty shop every morning on the way to work and decided to take the plunge. It was never my intention for the shop to be anything other than a workshop studio, so I filled it with all my favourite things and started doing a few house flowers and opened the shop between deliveries. The shop is a very personal place to me so I didn’t really know what to expect, as time passed I was able to employ others to help and so it went from there.
Alicia: You have a successful business in London, but when you first opened your doors in the big city did you ever experience intimidation or did you just thrive being in London?
Vic: I had always been to the flower market since I started at W@H the confidence of youth stopped me from being intimidated or scared , but also it’s important to remember that working for somebody else allowed me to gain confidence whilst being supported and learning how to buy as well as learning other skills.
The competitive elements of our industry don’t affect S&V so much as the large jobs and contracts aren’t really our forte. Having had many conversations with other florists I strongly believe that it’s necessary to have conversations and be able to talk about what we are doing -not being secretive and sharing the knowledge of suppliers, staff , skills and how to resolve issues are imperative to me. What we do does not belong to me or S&V-any florist can buy the same flowers and has the opportunity to create something they love with their own creativity and enthusiasm.
Alicia: One of the things I love about your work is your use of colour. I always try and teach my students to be brave with colour palettes. I think at college I was told never to put pink and orange together and always thought why?! But it does seem that many people are scared of putting varieties of colours together. What advice would you give florists that are starting out in terms of working with different colour palettes?
Vic: It’s interesting the colour choices that we make. Each of the florists in the shop has different favourites. It’s so brilliant when you see a bunch or vase being made with a new combination of colours. I find it really interesting still when I put the flowers together before making something and see what is missing and just one extra addition or a pop of something will bring the whole thing to life- I still throw bunches down on the table and say this isn’t working and start again- I think the shapes and varieties are the key to making certain colour palettes work yellow and pink and orange one of my favourites but the flower choices have to be considered to avoid the Easter Bunny vibes!!!
Alicia: You have written two gorgeous books, Vintage Flowers and Vintage Wedding Flowers, how did the books come about? Do you have plans to release anymore?
Vic: We were asked by the publisher to do the books, they were fun but time consuming and flowers are a bit like food really hard to photograph- We have no plans for another!
Alicia: We are obviously living through an unprecedented time. How have you been channeling your creative flare through isolation?
Vic: Over the last few months ,as for everyone- S&V has been challenging. I missed the shop and missed work and missed the flowers and I went back after 3 weeks realising that I was going to have to go back to the very beginning ,work on my own and build the business back piece by piece. Those first few weeks back were so important to spend on my own making flowers and quietly thinking of the way forward- realising how lucky I am to be able to work at all and in a place that allows me time to think.
A massive thank you to the incredibly talented Vic for answering my 5 questions. It was so wonderful to hear such an honest account of the impact that this time has had on a business and I want to wish Scarlet and Violet and all the other florists reopening all the best for the future.
Join me next Saturday when I will be wrapping up my 5 Questions with our final special guest.
Scarlet and Violet:
Website: https://scarletandviolet.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarletandviolet/
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/