The Flowerseekers Spring '18

Image : Luisa Brimble

Spring in Australia is in full swing and whilst it is a time of the year of new growth and a riot of exploding colourful blooms for the floral, weddings and event industries the reality is that many communities and farmers in areas of Australia are struggling with extreme drought conditions. It is encouraging that there have been fund raising campaigns implemented to raise assistance for those who need it and we praise all of those in society that have contributed in some way. Drought is a long term struggle – the before – the during and the recovery and keeping up continued assistance in anyway is vital. This issue we will be donating $2 from the sale of each issue sold to drought relief registered charity Rural Aid ruralaid.org.au Areas of Australia have the perfect growing conditions for native wildflowers and our native flowering gums, waratahs, flannel flowers and kangaroo paw flowers are admired from across the world.

This issue Jardine Hansen, florist has designed a beautiful native flower arrangement with materials provided by East Coast Wildflowers, Anna May Henry Artist has painted some of those wildflowers, Gina Mastio natural dye artist has dyed linen samples with the native flowers and we take a look at the East Coast Wildflowers open day.

Our wholesale stockists of the magazine are growing each week both here and in Australia and we have just launched our Floral Gift Shop online at theflowerseekers.com which we are adding floral gifting products to each month. Enjoy the Spring 18 issue – we have loads more images from the stories in this issue and floral goodness across Australia on our weekly blog on the website theflowerseekers.com

94. Wedding Fair

B y ro n B a y We d d i n g F a i r

Cover Story Kara Hynes is a Queensland based photographer, stylist + florist and we are so grateful to have her limited edition print “Pink Charm” adorn our Spring 18 Cover and her clouds of heavenly “Pink Hydrangea on our back cover. A florist and a photographer Kara has a collection of floral prints to choose from in a range of sizes. Each of these prints are available to purchase from Kara Hynes Print Store on her website karahynes.com

w o r k s hmoaps t e r c l a s s

masterclass

Masterclass with Fleur McHarg at The Studio by Fleur

Words : Sonya Gardiner Images : Jasmine Pettersen

The images you will see here are from Fleur McHarg’s 2 day studio masterclass in July this year. It was another bucket list flowering experience for me to attend this workshop with the attendees – to listen – learn + laugh alongside one of Australia’s most creative and experienced florists. Fleur and her floral team – they were there to generously share, teach, discuss techniques and encourage. They also made us all feel very spoilt – being a team that excels in details there was an amazing range of flower and foliage ingredients to use, the flower studio was magically reset for each section of the day, unlimited open access to ask questions, delicious lunches and of course – great company with all in attendance being die hard flower lovers. As attendees – we were all blown away when we stepped into Fleur’s studio to the most incredible display of colour. There was fresh foliages sprayed fuschia pink/gold/orange – an amazing Tiffany blue photo backdrop – roses that looked like ballerina skirts peeled back to perfection – poppies with spray painted tips – it was a visual feast for the eyes – that was our first lesson of the day really “colour bomb” to get us thinking outside the box – to stimulate the thought of “what could be”. You see Fleur has an extraordinary gift for colour – colour feeds her creativity and is the leading key element in her design genius concepts. Fleur curated the colour palette for the master class specifically to demonstrate the value and impact colour brings to design – to demonstrate choosing the “right” colour palette is vital to bringing a vision to life and as she said to us all “I wanted you all to experience new out of the box concepts this weekend – I don’t do boring”.

Get your hands on Fleur’s book “The Flower Expert” published by Thames and Hudson this year – it’s a wonderful guide by Fleur on how to adapt colour to your design process along with so much of Fleur’s design experience and knowledge of how and why designs work – flowers and foliages and her collective decades of experience and thoughts. The masterclass – it was like “stepping” into the book and yes Fleur is right there in real life with her warm down to earth sense of humour to make you laugh out loud, to guide and encourage you to explore and grow.

Never stop learning and experimenting with design. If you are in business - surround yourself with a capable motivated team and treat them like family. Just two valuable lessons Fleur reinforced to all of us over the weekend – the value of “learning” and “team” are essential to keep developing and running any successful business. If you are looking for a valuable flower masterclass or workshop, a hands on learning experience where the teacher will provide one on one feedback and assistance on the work you produce throughout the class – as you produce it – a class that is structured to teach and share with you the valuable techniques of experienced concepts makers - then take yourself to one of Fleur’s future classes – there are a limited number of varied class options available - but you will have to be quick!

Classes are booking up fast with Fleur and her team only having a limited window of dates available between making magic year round on their weddings and events. A special thank you to the lovely Jasmine Pettersen photographer who was onsite both days to document the workshop in pictures and shared her beautiful images with the Magazine this issue.

Workshop bookings and class detail descriptions – go to the website fleurs.com.au or telephone 03 9804 3522 Keep up to date with Fleur on instagram @thestudiobyfleur

Colour BOMB

masterclass

masterclass

“Never stop learning and experimenting with design...�

masterclass

masterclass

Upcoming class options : w i t h F l e u r M c H a rg @ the Studio by Fleur Two day private workshop – customised one on one workshop with Fleur McHarg 17 + 18 November 2018 Two day Christmas floral workshop 16 + 17 February 2019 - 2 day event floral masterclass 22 April 2019 – Instagram tutorial with the Cool Hunter 27 July 2019 Colour workshop 17 + 18 August 2019 - two day conceptual and set design masterclass 7 + 8 September 2019 – two day wedding masterclass full class details on the website fleurs.com.au

shop

Online now

The Flowerseekers floral gift store, a curated collection of floral gifts - think handmade soaps - floral prints / paintings - flower seeds - floral cards - flower books - floristry tools - candles - vasewear - chocolate tea - beauty products + much more promoting and supporting Australian based businesses. Shop online at theflowerseekers.com

shop

flower focus

Australian Natives

S u p p l i e d b y C r a i g S c o t t o f E a s t C o a s t Wi l d f l o w e r s Images : Alex Carlyle Photographer

Eucalyptus Youngiana we call this one - a hybrid as it seems to be a young cross between Youngiana and Macrocarpa.

Eucalyptus Caesia

flower focus

Dr ying Native F lowers To help native flowers retain their color during the drying process make sure to remove them from sunlight as soon as they’re cut. Hang flowers individually or rubber-band stems together to hang a bouquet. Find a dark, dry area with good circulation, such as an attic or unused closet.

Eucalyptus Youngiana

Doryanthes Excelsa (Gymea Lily)

design

Native Design

w i t h F l o r i s t J a rd i n e H a n s e n Images : Alex Carlyle

Armed with a box of exquisite native wildflowers from Craig Scott of East Coast Wildflowers, Jardine Hansen has created this stunning design for our spring issue. Jardine shares Craig Scott of East Coast Wildflower’s absolute adoration for the beauty of Australian native wildflowers and describes Craig Scott as “one of the kindest humans I know”. As a plant lover first, learning from Craig about the different species of native flowers grown here in Australia brings Jardine much delight. Inspired by the “shapes of nature” and capturing the “energy and feel” of the materials Jardine works with is at the front of Jardine’s mind when she designs.

Observing nature in the landscape during regular bushwalk hikes is one of Jardine’s favourite pastimes. Jardine treats each stem as an individual with something special to bring to the design and transferring how that stem appears naturally in the landscape – growing - to a design is Jardine’s beautiful signature aesthetic. I’m sure you will agree – each element in this spring native wildflower design sings and shines. Branching materials can be heavy to work with and Jardine’s tip is to use a heavy based vessel – here she has used a heavy urn with a strong flower frog and chicken wire ball in the base to support and hold the branches in their desired position. Jardine has studios in both Hunters Hill, Sydney and Longley Tasmania and offers floral styling for weddings, events, coporate spaces and private homes in Sydney, Tasmania, The Blue Mountains and beyond.

Contact: jardinehansen@gmail.com | T: 0412 890 841 | Instagram @jardinebotanic

design

art focus

Artist Anna May Henry in the studio

Images : Alex Carlyle Anna May Henry is a contemporary artist and graduate from the National Art School.

Working within the genre of the Still Life from an observation-based studio practice, Anna is interested in the unique aesthetics of native Australian flora; their beauty in their resilient nature. Through the creative process Anna negotiates the fundamentals of painting, exploring traditional and contemporary mark making using a diversity of paint application. Interested in pattern and colour, her works also examine the relationship between the foreground and background, as well as the interplay of light and shadow.

art focus

art focus

art focus

Anna, also a working florist, shares a creative studio space with a group of artists in Petersham, Sydney. This issue, Jardine Hansen, florist came to Anna’s studio with the most incredible box of native wildflowers sourced and provided

by Craig Scott of East Coast Wildflowers. Anna was overwhelmed by the choice of materials Jardine brought along that day and the painting above emerged shortly thereafter. It was pure joy to see the excitement of both Anna and Jardine at having such beautiful materials to work with. Special thanks to Alex Carlyle photographer for joining us at the studio to document our spring native wildflowers feature. Please feel free to email about available works, upcoming shows, commissions or any other enquiries : annamayhenryartist@gmail.com | Keep up to date with Anna May Henry Artist on Instagram @annamayhenry & website www.anna-may-henry.com

handmade

Natural Dyes

Artist statement: Gina Mastio Images : Lisa Thompson Photographer Gina Mastio: I am an Australian based textiles artist/ clothing designer with a passion for the environment and a strong ecological conscience. Using natural fibres and natural dyes to create unique, one of a kind high quality pieces that are respectful to the environment, biodegradable when finally laid to rest on or within the earth, yet shall be worn and adored for many years to come. My design pieces are definitely not one season wonders, rather collectable bespoke items with a direct connection to nature. Fabric colours and patterns are often inspired for example by the layers of tree bark, the many varieties of eucalyptus or the layers of life found on the ground during a bushwalk; layers of fabrics and fibres, print and dyes intertwining to create something very special.

Note: You will find Gina’s available collection of handmade designs in her Etsy store “GinaMastio” and you can read and learn more about Gina’s work, designs, crafting and natural dye techniques on her website and blog at ginamastio.com and her instagram page @ginamastio. Cuttings from a number of the native materials provided for this spring issue by East Coast Wildflowers were dyed by Gina to demonstrate the variety of colours natural materials produce. More than often the colours of the elements collected (leaves, barks, flowers) do not produce the same natural colours of the material. The banksia leaf and flowers however dyed the fabric an almost exact match. It is possible to produce leaf prints (as you will see from Gina’s range of designs in her Etsy store) and there are lots of processes and techniques you can learn from Gina to start exploring and creating with natural dyes. Each year Gina hosts a limited number natural dye workshops at her home in Sydney – announcements will be made on instagram from time to time or if you are interested in connecting with Gina to organise a group workshop please message her directly via instagram or email ginamastio@yahoo.fr

handmade

grow

East Coast Wildflowers Images : Film & Foliage

Our flower farm growers live and work a longer and busier day than the average person and face year round challenges nurturing their crops to grow and produce the wonderful selection and varieties of flowers we enjoy. From time to time growers open their farms and invite the public in to learn a little more about their business and where the flowers come from. Keep and eye out during the year for announcements from growers and take yourself to an open flower farm day to learn more about our growers – their farms and their work.

In August this year Craig Scott held an open day at his family farm East Coast Wildflowers at Mangrove Mountain on the NSW Central Coast. East Coast Wildflowers is one of Australia’s leading suppliers of Australian Native and South African Wildflowers providing a year round supply of high quality seasonal flowers and foliages.

The open day was attended by many other Wildflower growers from around NSW, industry florists, gardening enthusiasts and flower lovers. Everyone enjoyed the guided farm tour – seeing the crops of Kangaroo Paw, Paper Daisies and Waratahs in bloom – hearing first hand of all the types of Wildflowers grown by Craig and his farm team on the Mangrove Farm and partner farms. The day also included a wonderful lunch prepared by the Wilderness Kitchen and floristry making demonstration by Ash Wheelhouse of Film and Foliage with Rachel Cullen of Botanica Bird.

The beautiful images here were taken on the East Coast Wildflower Farm open day by creative florist and photographer Ash Wheelhouse of Film and Foliage. You will find East Coast Wildflowers on their stand at Sydney Flower Market and you can keep up to date with the wildflowers in season via their instagram @craigioscott

grow

grow

“ . . . O u r f l o w e r f a r m g ro w e r s l i v e a n d w o r k a longer and busier day than the average person a n d f a c e y e a r ro u n d c h a l l e n g e s n u r t u r i n g t h e i r c ro p s t o g ro w. . �

florist life

Kara Hynes X Lulu Lucky collective talent Images : Kara Hynes

Kara Hynes photographer, stylist, creative crafter and florist is running a working life she loves. With an established photography and stylist career working extensively in interiors and design, Kara’s work has been published in Vogue Living, Inside Out Magazine, Real Living, Adore Magazine and the Design Files. A die hard flower lover and also and experienced florist, Kara has brought all of her collective creative talents together this year opening her flower shop “Lulu Lucky” in Brighton Qld a fresh white botanic store space offering premium floral gifting bouquets, plants and gifts. Our spring issue of the Flowerseekers Magazine features one of Kara’s floral prints from her print store – you can view a few of Kara’s prints at Lulu Lucky or the full range of prints online at Karahynes.com

florist life

collect

The Lost + Found Dept Curators of objects – once lost now found Images & Words : Samantha Mackie Styling: Naya Crookshank Est 2012 mixing…the old with the new, trend with the timeless…the practical and the beautiful…the essential and the frivolous copper, brass, nickel, and zinc – marble, crystal and porcelain wood – dark, pale, painted, rough, smooth and worn.

Samantha Mackie Photographer: I love to work with small business owners because nothing beats working up close with people who have the passion and courage it takes to drive a new project. Silvia Noble, the creator of The Lost + Found Department, is certainly one of the bravest I have met. She leaps towards the impossible with a rare grace and high-grade tenacity - all while maintaining a sense of humour and a sharp focus on the joy that building a dream should bring.

The team Silvia gathers are equally awesome.

Watching her main side-kick, Naya, @east_of_ everything and family (including her gorgeous octogenarian parents) jump on board is an especially rare thing to see. It has been something truly special to be part of this latest dream: her store at Hunters Hill. We have all scrubbed, scraped and shaped this stunning historical building back to life, filling all the rooms to the high ceilings with love.

Silvia is the lady-boss who has taught me how to have faith despite the odds and when to stop for tea. Unlucky for her it seems I have only taught her to... well, to swear – though thankfully not particularly well! According to Silvia some words have more impact when used sparingly?!

Come on by and say hello – explore and discover all that the Lost + Found Dept has to offer – enjoy the charm of the Hunters Hill store – it’s so very hard to leave without finding a little “must have” amongst the treasure – a visually joyful mooching experience in any event.

Visit: 39 Alexandra St, Hunters Hill T: 02 9437 4631 NSW 2110 T: 02 9879 7254 Check out the online store at thelostandfounddepartment.com.au

collect

3 9 A l e x a n d r a S t , H u n t e r s H i l l N S W.

collect

S i l v i a : s h o p k e e p e r, c u r a t o r o f objects once lost, now found

collect

“ . . M i x i n g t h e o l d w i t h t h e n e w, the practical and the beautiful�

collect

Visit: The Lost and Found Dept at 39 Alexandra Street, Hunters Hill NSW 2110 T: 02 9879 7254 Check out the online store at thelostandfounddepartment.com.au Keep up to date with new stock and events via instagram @thelostandfounddept

collect

colour

M y Vi o l e t S t u d i o b y L u i s a B r i m b l e

colour

Myra Perez F l o r i s t – M y Vi o l e t Colour design tip: “try choosing your flower and foliage types for designs by “colour” not “type” to achieve the most visually satisfying results on matching colour palettes + styling details. If you cannot find the perfect colour you can spray elements to work with the design”

spring design

2.

1.

6.

4.

5.

3.

7.

spring design

Trille Floral Spring Footed Bowl C o l o u r P a l e t t e + I n g re d i e n t s Images : Luisa Brimble

Ingredients (common flower names) 1. Anemone | 2. Magonlia 3. Pieris | 4. Ranunculus 5. Rose | 6. Sweet pea 7. Tulip Follows Cara’s floral designs this spring on instagram @trillefloral

workshop

workshop

Tanya Shaw of Oh Flora A Tu s c a n S u m m e r

Words : Tanya Shaw Images : Lost in Love Photography | lostinlovephotography.com

The Location : Puscina Flowers is a family owned and run cut flower farm set in rolling hills of Tuscany between the historic medieval towns of Montepulciano & Pienza just south of Florence.

workshop

workshop

The Flowers : Farm fresh colour bursts of dahlias, sun kissed grasses, dancing cosmos, the sweetest zinnias in muted tones,soft trailing vines and dainty clusters of spray roses are just some of the beauties we arranged with during our time at the farm.

workshop

Ta n y a S h a w of Oh Flora

The Making : The workshop ran over 4 days. We broke the ice with a beautiful homemade dinner at a local family farm in the countryside.m - Agritursimo Il Rigo. A spritz to begin followed by an authentic Tuscan meal with local w i n e s . T h e f o l l o w i n g m o r n i n g w e s t a r t e d w i t h b r u n c h a n d t h e n a f a r m t o u r b y M a r a o f P u s c i n a F l o w e r s .

Mara explained how the sisters had planned and executed their flower farm dream on their family property after returning home from their own individual life adventures. We made dreamy, romantic bouquets, discussed styling and photoshoot basics before enjoying another incredible lunch made by a wonderful lady we called “Mama” (the sisters’ mother who also lives on the farm).

Day three was all about making and creating centrepieces, tablescape designs and installations. After a short break during our centrepiece making waiting for the rain the to pass, we hoped the wet weather would move on, but the farm needed the rain and it bucketed down! A wild storm rolled in which lead us to have our installation and theory discussion inside a greenhouse while it poured down outside but true to real life floristry sometimes we face challenges and so we set about as a group using what we found inside the greenhouse (crates and string) as props to keep making. You can’t help the weather, and it made for a very c o m i c a l h o u r ! T h e w e t w e a t h e r m e a n t w e h a d t o m o v e o u r d i n n e r i n s i d e t h e f a r m h o u s e .

Each student styled their own place setting with guidance of Tanya and the wonderful Mama bought out another amazing meal! We brought our installation making into the 4th day after the rain had passed and created a floral dream under the grape dripping pergola. We used olive branches as a base to differentiate from the lush green fields. Abundant in colour and texture we worked as a team using varied large scale techniques and so many delicious vibrant blooms. Following our installation, we headed off for a tour of the private garden at La Foce. Named one of the tops gardens in Europe, it has a mix of english and Italian landscaping and is absolutely beautiful! It’s location overlooks the famous zigzag, Mediterranean cypress lined road - Montichiello Road We then headed off for a tour of Salcheto Vineyard, a sustainable and very earth friendly winery with interesting environmental practices. We ended the day with another beautiful local lunch at the vineyard overlooking the city of Montepulciano and a delicious wine tasting!

workshop

workshop

workshop

T h e O h F l o r a Tu s c a n y Wo r k s h o p - T h e P e o p l e

Three beautiful Italian sisters run Puscina Flower Farm Mara, Laura & Teresa | www.puscinaflowers.com/en/ O h F l o r a – T a n y a S h a w | O h f l o r a . c o m . a u | @ o h f l o r a s t u d i o P u s c i n a F l o w e r s | @ p u s c i n a f l o w e r s P h o t o g r a p h e r | @ l o s t i n l o v e _ p h o t o g r a p h y M o d e l | @ o l i v e c o o k e Assistant | @pandanusdesugn Catering | Puscina Flowers Gals Mama!

Look out for the next workshop on instagram @ohflorastudio, follow #ohfloraworkshops or head to the website to express your interest ohflora.com.au

inspire

The Flower Shopkeepers Top 5 Instagram account: @the_flowershopkeepers Wo rd s : S t e p h a n i e B a t e m a n S w e e t

@emilythompsonflowers Promoting and showcasing independent shops around the world, has been a passion for New York based designer Paula Flynn. Paula’s website, The Shopkeepers, has a devoted following of independent retail supporters, and her latest Instagram account, The Flower Shopkeepers, is fast gaining momentum. I’m based in the UK, (aka @thelifestyleeditor), and work in a collaborative fashion with Paula to showcase and curate a collection of some of our global favourites. Everyone loves plants and flowers because they make us feel happy and our homes welcoming. We want to give a platform to the independents to help promote their online, or brick and mortar stores. Retail is a tough market to be in, so we all need to support them in every way we can.

@misspickering Paula and I met via Instagram and realised we shared a great deal in common, not least our love for individuality, independent and inspiring retailers. We are simply doing something we love in order to promote and share those we love.

Here are our top 5 favourites (plus their Instagram tags):1. Miss Pickering @misspickering in Stamford, Lincoln 2. Wild At Heart @wildathearthq @nikkitibbles in London 3. Emily Thompson @emilythompsonflowers at @rwguild in New York 4. Amelia’s Flower Truck @ameliasflowertruck in Nashville, Tennessee 5. Bramble & Wild @brambleandwild in Frome, Somerset

inspire

@ameliasflowertruck

@brambleandwild

@brambleandwild

@wildathearthq

fashion

Outrageously Floral

A l l e g r a L o m b a rd i x P a l i n g s F l o w e r s Words : Fiona Germaine Styling / Creative Direction : Fiona Germaine Images : Bluesteel Pictures Respective Fashion and Floral Creative Directors, Fiona Germaine of Allegra Lombardi and Hannah Coomber Head Florist at Palings Flowers celebrate their creativity, ‘ collaborative mood and sense of luxury at the heart of their curation. Allegra is all about texture, touch; a visual feast and likewise, the olfactory nature of florals means it is a total immersive and sensorial experience just like Allegra’s luxury garments. Collaborating on a campaign came with ease, highlighted by the sheer name of the campaign stories: Outrageously Floral and Sublimely Lavish- a nod to Allegra’s constant natural inspiration and it’s opulent floral artisan Italian jacquards. Allegra Lombardi luxury is all about the experience economy through various touch-points from physical product to visual campaigns, a sensory delight.

fashion

fashion

Set in the Ivy Precinct of Merivale, Sydney, Palings Flowers is dark and sumptuous and feels as though you’ve stepped into a floral apothecary; an unexpected sanctuary in the heart of the city. A flower shop where no two bunches are the same with a focus on fresh, beautiful and curated bunches for every customer.

Allegra Lombardi is a proudly Australian brand offering a playful 100% Made-in-Italy luxury Prêt-a- Porter. Allegra Lombardi is for the female James Bond. She radiates success, sexiness and sophistication embodying all that is La Dolce Vita. At once fierce and independent, effortlessly eclectic, whimsical and flirty yet completely real, there is a little bit of Allegra in every woman.

Naturally, producing a digital and print campaign that elegantly showcases both Fiona and Hannah’s sense of creation equally and complimentarily made alot of sense. Particularly in a world where a great deal of campaign production emphasis is on social channels and the social economy, this was about a pure and long-lasting creation that would endure as tactile and visual indulgence.

To these two creative directors, this kind of sense of creative curation is true luxury, and the future of luxury that is both pertinent and esteemed.

fashion

fashion

Shop the Allegra Collection at Allegralombardi.com instagram @allegralombardi Visit Palings Flowers at the Ivy Precinct, Ash Lane, Merivale Sydney Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 6:00 pm – to order flowers telephone 02 9254 8052 instagram @palingsflowers Beauty Direction, Makeup and Hair Artistry: Anita Shemon, Just Because It’s Beauty | @justbecauseitsbeauty Models: Shima Khosravi and Kara Broens. © 2018 Allegra Lombardi. All Rights Reserved. All content images are the property of Allegra Lombardi and must not be used or reproduced without the express permission of Allegra Lombardi.

fashion

botanic art

One of a Kind Keepsakes

G re e n h o u s e I n t e r i o r s P re s e n t s F l e u r Wo o d s A r t Images : Armelle Habib Styling : Greenhouse Interiors/ Lennox Rd Interiors Front to Back Styling

Fleur’s unique contemporary ‘stitched’ paintings are a celebration of her affinity with all things flora. Creating from her studio gallery in the heart of rural Upper Moutere, New Zealand, Fleur’s process has developed through years of experimentation.

Particularly drawn to textiles she loves nothing more than dragging large swags of linen into the gallery garden to pour, brush, splash & drip abstract layers of washy paint onto it’s surface. Once dry this becomes the base layer for fine botanical details applied in gouache and then intricate elements of stitch to bring a final element of texture. Ultimately Fleur’s pieces are one of a kind keepsakes that transcend trends. Luckily while her originals are hard to come by you can enjoy an incredible level of detail in her limited edition prints that provide a wonderful option for collecting. Limited edition prints available to purchase via Greenhouse Interiors greenhouseinteriors.com.au Keep up to date with Fleur Woods on instagram @fleurwoodsart to see more of Fleur’s work.

botanic art

botanic art

botanic art

“... unique contemporary stitched p a i n t i n g s a re a c e l e b r a t i o n o f F l e u r ’s a f f i n i t y w i t h a l l t h i n g s floral...”

studio space

Miss Fleuriste Images : Mark Andrews Photography

Miss Fleuriste is a boutique floral design and styling studio based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, owned and operated

by Alicia Kristoffersen. Alicia’s long love affair with flowers began in childhood. With a Norwegian family, she would often spend summers in the Norwegian countryside collecting wildflowers from the fields and blueberries from the forest floor.

Alicia would wander through her grandmother’s garden that was filled with flowers and fruit trees, press freshly picked blooms and create bouquets. Forever in love with the beauty of nature, looking back it seems that life was fatefully leading her from a passion to a career working with ‘le fleurs’.

Prior to following her true passion for floral design, Alicia spent over 10 years working as an Event Manager and has worked with some of Sydney’s best florists. Alicia has designed, co-ordinated and styled hundreds of high end events throughout Australia, the UK and Europe and this collective decade of experience has been the valuable foundation that sees Miss Fleuriste execute and produce wedding and event floral briefs with professional confidence. Alicia specialises in feminine and elegant floral design, combined with thoughtfully curated styling details for weddings, special events and celebrations. Inspired by the rambling rose garden’s and sophisticated style of France, her natural style consists of feminine fleurs in pretty palettes, pairing luxe seasonal blooms with lush loose foliage and rambling vines to create customised arrangements that refined but softly unstructured, flowing freely from the vessel and radiating romance.

The studio of Miss Fleuriste reflects the romantic french chic style and beautiful branding of Alicia’s business . Light, bright and airy, this is a gorgeous haven for Alicia to create in but also a very practical workspace to make with her floral team and meet with her clients. There is a large heritage sandstone wall that adds warmth and depth, concrete floors and large double french barn style glass doors.

studio space

studio space

studio space

The studio is filled with beautiful floral materials for her weekly weddings and events and has a great work/meeting bench, french style café stools, a wall of vaseware, ribbons and styling pieces and accent touches of Alicia’s favourite shade of french blue. Alicia’s treasured cat Coco adores hanging out in Alicia’s studio and is often found curled up under the workbench or snoozing on a vintage blue velvet chair.The lovely images appearing here of Alicia and her studio have been produced by photographer Mark Andrews.

Miss Fleuriste | E : hello@missfleuriste.com @missfleuriste Mark Andrews Studios Photographer | E: mark@markandrewstudios.com @markandrewstudio

podcast

podcast

With Dispatch to a Friend If you love listening to podcasts, then you may have already heard about Dispatch to A Friend. It’s about two friends, (Annabelle Hickson & Gillian Bell) who share the letters they write to each other. It’s a podcast about friendship, books, gardening, travel and the ordinary pleasures of daily life. In season 1 (episode 10 & 11) Gillian and Annabelle travel to Scotland. Gillian has been commissioned to make a wedding cake by a Scottish couple. It’s not the first time she’s done this – she travels the world making wedding cakes.

It’s fascinating to hear how she arrives in an unfamiliar country, with not much more than a whisk in her suitcase, and conjures up a cake using the finest ingredients she can track down; ingredients and flavours that taste wonderful and also reflect some part of the couple’s home or life or their childhood memories. All this with unfamiliar ovens, mixers, ingredients. It’s an unusual, adventurous life. Annabelle accompanies her friend on this trip, and in the ‘fly on the wall’ episode, describes Gillian at work, interviewing her along the way and documenting the creation of the cake in a series of beautiful photos. The cake was decorated with clematis ‘wedding day’ which Gillian serendipitously stumbled across in the garden of a local woman.

To hear how it all unfolded, you may like to listen for yourself www.dispatchtoafriend.com words and photos: Gillian Bell @gillianbellcake & Annabelle Hickson @annabellehickson Follow @dispatchtoafriend on instagram

roam

Sinclair & Moore Workshop Seattle Words: Steph Wall, Florist, Perth Images: Ryan Flynn Photo

roam

roam

Hi everyone I’m Steph Wall, Steph Wall Florals @wallflower_studio_perth. June this year I went to the Sinclair and Moore Workshop in Seattle.

I have admired the work of Steve Moore and his lovely wife Jamie for so long – the weddings they produce and the details are exceptional. Turning up on the first day I was honestly so nervous, this had been on my bucket list for so long, and now it was happening! There aren’t really adequate words to describe the surreal feeling of actually walking into that famous workshop space for the first time. I held back tears and I couldn’t believe that I was really there! I made sure I took a moment to be still and present and soak it all in, but honestly, once I saw all the incredible flowers waiting for us I couldn’t stop grinning! There was a palpable energy shift as soon as Steve arrived and the nerves really kicked in for me. After opening the most beautiful welcome gift boxes (seriously, the MOST beautiful!) Steve really encouraged us to be totally open and vulnerable and share our stories, our dreams and our struggles. This proved to be so pivotal for me as someone who has a tough time being vulnerable I suddenly realised that I connected with and related to every other attendee there. All the nerves I had been feeling immediately fell away and there was almost a sense of family between this group of us that had only just met.

roam

The immaculate Sinclair and Moore Instagram feed of perfect weddings and that beautiful family really don’t let you see how openly candid, authentic and hilarious Steve is. Our conversations felt more like I was chatting to an old friend, not this guy that I had followed and admired from afar for so many years. His approach to his business, his clients and even his competition is completely refreshing, enlightening and inspiring as well. Getting the opportunity to work on a real wedding is so unique as far as workshops go and having an abundance of beautiful flowers at our disposal was not lost on any of us. The end results were so incredibly beautiful that we all cried when the Bride arrived! The workshop not only taught me some excellent new practical skills but it taught me so much about myself, so much I was not expecting and it opened up so much for me personally as well, it has been truly life changing and the flow on effect from that has been so incredible and so surprising in the most excellent way. For anyone who might be sitting on the fence and not sure if it will be worth investing the money in a Sinclair and Moore workshop I can tell you honesty that I would do it again in a heartbeat, without a second of hesitation. It has changed everything for me and I am so grateful. Follow @sinclairandmoore on instagram to see more of their work + workshop announcements.

roam

“...The workshop not only taught me some excellent new practical skills but it taught me so much about myself... �

roam

explore

The Umpherston Sinkhole Images : Emma Perry

James Umpherston settled in Mt. Gambier in 1860 and became a prominent citizen of the district. He purchased 178 acres of land which included the sinkhole. He built a grand Victorian residence and gardens, and the property was named The Caves. In 1854 Umpherston retired from active farming and began to develop the sinkhole as a pleasure resort in the heat of summer. Terraces and rock walkways were constructed, and the floor was planted with ferns, shrubs and trees. A third of the sinkhole was (at the time) covered with water and a boat was used to enable visitors to view the weird grandeur from different vantage points. A hut was erected on a small island in the lake, to add to the fairytale scene. After James Umpherston’s death in 1900, the property changed hands a number of times, and the sinkhole fell into disrepair.

In 1976 the Woods and Forest department social club of Mt. Gambier began restoring the grounds of the sinkhole.

New plantings provided a mix of native and exotic species, and James Umpherston’s original vision of the sinkhole as a popular recreational area was once again a reality. *text and information from the City of Mt. Gambier.

Photo Credit details: Photographs by Emma Perry www.emmaperry.com.au | instagram: @emmaperryphoto & @greenhouse_and_garden

explore

wedding flowers

Unforgettable #LOVEBOLT The Wedding of Nicole Warne + Luke Shadbolt Image : Shane Shepherd Weddings Words : Myra Perez – Florist – My Violet

wedding flowers

Image : Shane Shepherd Weddings

Unforgettable is the key word to describe my time this year working with Georgie of After the Rock Weddings to bring the floral vision to life for the wedding of Nicole Warne of Gary Pepper Girl to Luke Shadbolt Photographer.

Set in picturesque New Zealand at Rippon Hall in Lake Wanaka the design brief was detailed to compliment the location’s natural surroundings. As a florist, being a part of this wedding with a client that placed so much importance on the floral arrangements and designs to set the overall aesthetic was an absolute dream.

Nicole wanted each part of the wedding to have its own “floral moment” and accented each area of the wedding with designs that had their own colour palettes.

The design priority was to have each design look as natural and fresh as possible, not rustic – just beautiful abundant flowers incorporated into designs that gave the feeling that they were growing like a natural wild garden within each setting of the wedding. The flower designs framed – accented and complimented each part of the wedding. Feature flowers included garden roses, hydrangeas, dahlias, delphiniums, Japanese windflowers, crab apple branches, sweet peas and wild lupines which are iconic to Wanaka.

Behind the Scenes with Myra Images : Li-Chi Pan

The images on this page captured and kindly shared by @lichipan were taken in the garage at the venue and just a tiny portion of the flowers for the wedding. Nicole loves white hydrangea and the hydrangea in New Zealand are sublime. Travelling to New Zealand with Georgie and Nicole as part of the planning process prior to the wedding enabled us all to step into the landscape together and create the design concepts for each area. I’m so grateful to Christchurch Flower Market for all their assistance making my “wish list of ingredients” come true – they truly went above and beyond including buying out an entire crop for one of the installations on one of the biggest flower orders they had ever received. Upon arriving in New Zealand we also made some great local connections and are so very thankful for their warm welcome and all the kind advice and help we received.

Last but not least I give thanks for my incredible A-TEAM, senior florist Sophie Rothwell, John MangIia and Baramet Dejvongsa. Side by side we worked together in what was a test of endurance physically - collecting on such a large scale – delivering and installing in what felt like cyclonic winds outdoors that required heavy duty tent pegs and hammers to keep outdoor florals in place. The good humor of my team – the adrenaline of this exceptional creative opportunity fuelled us all on to bring Nicole’s vision to life. This wedding was an absolute privilege to be a part of and my team and I came away with everlasting memories of an exhilarating floral adventure together and the joy of forming everlasting friendships with Georgie and Nicole along the way.

These images of the gorgeous couple Nicole Warne and Luke Shadbolt taken by @shaneshepherdweddings see more of Shane Shepherd’s wedding photos on our website blog at theflowerseekers.com along with a few more behind the scenes photos captured by @lichipan. Follow the hashtag #LOVEBOLT on instagram to see more of all the wedding details

Spring Fling

C o l l a g e s : E l o i s e J e n k i n s Wo rd s : R o s a l i n d T h o m a s

Can you take the mind-blowing beauty of spring and bottle it? Rosalind Thomas, editor of fragrance blog T h e A c c o rd s , t h i n k s i t ’s p o s s i b l e . H e re a re h e r 5 f a v o u r i t e spring scents for lovers of all things floral.

C h a n e l L e s E a u x Pa r i s - B i a r r i t z EDT Spray, 125ml for $195 Chanel do this magic thing with citrus (well they do magic things with everything).

Cool, shimmering, refined, like a perfectly chilled glass of champagne. The three beautiful new fragrance releases from the house all open with dazzling citrus notes, and like the click of a magical heel, they all open with the promise of a journey to a fantasy location. In Biarritz, the war-time refuge of socialites from across Europe, Chanel found love, success, and freedom.

A big spritz of this Eau de Toilette (they’re formulated to be splashed around with abandon) will reward you with an exquisite olfactory simulation of a splash in the Atlantic. Bright lemon and bitter grapefruit mingle with a curious salty characteristic to create an incredibly invigorating opening that is immediately addictive. Behind it is a lily of the valley note that takes over to submerge the scent in a floral interpretation of the aquatic, lush and fresh, more green than blue but certainly wet. Orange blossom helps transition the scent from salty citrus and sea to white floral warmth that eventually evaporates into a soft cloud of pale musk, made slightly earthy with an echo of patchouli. A more refreshing scent I’m not sure exists.

Diptyque Olene EDT, $170 for 100ml from Mecca Cosmetica, OK so I assume we all know the story of narcissus, and anyone who has been trapped in a room with too many jonquils knows that beauty can kill. That scent teeters between narcotic and nasty.

Of course, that’s what’s so captivating about it. Perfumers have the ability to control the amount of that skank factor from narcissus, jasmine, and other come-hither flowers in their formulations (that would be compound indole, thanks chemistry) and I happen to believe that the classic Olene has the perfect dose. Almost oily in its character, positivity laden with heavy, luscious racemes of wisteria, sweet honeysuckle, green, spicy narcissus and lots and lots of night-blooming jasmine, Olene falls perfectly on the narcotic side. Best worn in the evening, in my opinion, when you can fantasise you’re walking through the hanging gardens of Babylon because it’s that epic.

J o M a l o n e L o n d o n Pe o n y & B l u s h S u e d e Cologne, $98 for 30ml, from Jo Malone London (featured is Limited Edition Queen of Pop design) There are lots of peony fragrances around. They can be kind of, well, tacky. There, I said it. It’s hard because the flowers themselves are so damn beautiful in that incredibly feminine way, you kind of have to run with it and all of a sudden we have the perfume equivalent of a Swarovski factory accident involving the world biggest princess Barbie wedding dress. So we need Jo Malone here. It’s a brand that does pretty in a way the Queen would approve of. So while ordinarily I would suggest you run faster than Snow White away from a red apple note, in Peony & Blush Suede that juicy opening is deliciously realistic and fresh, and provides the perfect opening to celebrate this wildly beautiful bloom. The rose is slightly metallic, bright, and radiant: there’s no doubt these peonies are pink. But to keep them classy, a soft, powdery, slightly soapy note of suede comes through underneath, wrapping the frivolous flowers in something much more refined. This is a scent that just radiates happiness and joy off the skin when you wear it.

N a o m i G o o d s i r, N u i t d e B a k e l i t e $269 for 50ml from Peony Haute Parfumerie

Amouage Blossom Love EDP, $449 for 100ml from Libertine Parfumerie

This might be a dangerous statement in a magazine for flower lovers but tuberose is the best flower (covers eyes and waits for backlash. Hears none, continues). The flower has so many facets, from that sappy green stem to the waxy, fleshy pale buds, the pure white blossom and then the sumptuous full bloom followed by that other smell, which I guess is more of an acquired taste but (see Olene, above), is the indole kicking in, the chemical equivalent of a tinder profile for florals that screams “come to meeee!”. Now, I’m going to assume all this is familiar territory. I’m not sure there’s a replacement for experiencing the fresh flower itself and Australian Naomi Goodsir doesn’t attempt to recreate it. This is not a scent that just smells like tuberose. This is something more intriguing, darker and more challenging. There is no pretty opening to Nuit de Bakelite. We begin in deep green bitter darkness.

From that darkness emerges an accords that takes in the whole plant from stem to tip, wet and green and yes, with the pure scent of the early expression of tuberose blossom. But there is also a mossy note, something leathery, tobacco, not to mention an eery, clinical rubberiness that I guess represents smooth, cool bakelite, reminiscent of those waxy buds. Nuit de Bakelite is full of olfactory tricks, endlessly fascinating to wear and basically a work of art.

Don’t let that pretty pink bottle mislead you. Amouage is a luxury house renowned for the creative direction of Christopher Chong, an ex-opera singer who creates equally operatic fragrances. Blossom Love is an opulent romantic aria to spring in all its ridiculous beauty. Sweet cherry blossoms bloom with an almost manic freshness on first spray, a zing from bergamot that contrasts with the powderiness of heliotrope, the soft and fluffy notes romping around with the bright and green. Then things get gooey, as love drunk blossoms boozed up on rose liquor become much richer. We’ve entered a fantasy land where the sensation of blossom is abstracted, and swoony, sensual ylang-ylang in the heart pushes Blossom Love beyond a G-rating. Taking a hint from the marzipan impression heliotrope brings in the opening, there’s an amaretto note that emerges with a slightly bitter edge, tonic bean and warm sandalwood blurring the vision as you slowly pass out from the overload of pink bliss. Blossom Love is one of those fragrances that you catch on your clothes, your sheets, days after wearing and lick your lips. It’s delicious, lingering, love.

Image : Eloise Jenkins

your soul is attracted to people the same way flowers are attracted to the sun, surround yourself only with those w h o w a n t t o s e e y o u g r o w.

- P a v a n a

learn

collaborate

Jenny Jones X Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria “ T h e Wi l d f l o w e r C o l l e c t i o n ” Images : Nick Marris

Jenny Jones has created the stunning Wildflower Collection of cushions in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Like any artist Jenny takes her inspiration from her surroundings and experiences.

Having grown up in rural Western Austalia on her parents farm, Jenny’s passion for the raw beauty of the Australian bush and it’s unique Flora began at a young age.

When Jenny was approached by RBGV to design the collection of cushions she was excited to express her passion in a new form. Jenny is currently recognised as one of the world’s best rug designers and has already created a limited edition collection of hand knotted Wildflower rugs. Each Wildflower cushion design depicts the beloved floral emblems of Australia’s States and Territories. The designs are hand embroirdered with pure silk on 100% linen and are available in 50 x 50cm $159 and 35 x 50cm $149. The cushions are now available from Jenny Jones showrooms in Melbourne and Perth and the RBGV Garden Shops in Melbourne. Royalties from the Wildflower Collection will assist the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria to advance the understanding of plants for the well being of people and the planet. For more information on the collection visit us at www.jennyjonesrugs.com @jennyjonesrugs @royalbotanicgardensvic

collaborate

garden

Jardin De Fleur

F l o w e r G a rd e n S e e d s If you love the thought of growing some of your very own flowers to pick check out the beautiful range of classic flower seeds available from Lisa Perhat @ jardinedefleur.seeds a fine art photographer and garden lover living in Tasmania.

Lisa collects the seeds from her own garden. There is a wide range including commonly known Cornflower, Cosmos, Chocolate Lace Flowers and Dahlia.

Suitable to grow in pots if you are limited for space, tubs or in the ground.

Give the gift of something to grow or grow some blooms and gift a bunch.

Lisa Perhat is also a fine art photographer and loves to capture the essence of the landscape, scenery and natural wonders of place. Her own personal photographic style is pure in its simplicity and poetic in its nature, enveloped in the existence of an eternal moment. Inspired by nature, travel and culture, her photographic art takes you on a journey, bleached in layers of raw beauty. Lisa’s collection of fine art prints and seed range is available to view and purchase at lisaperhat.com and on instagram @lisaperhat and @jardinedefleur.seeds The Flowerseekers Magazine will also have a selected range of Jardin de Fleur flower seeds available in the Flowerseekers Floral Gift Store at theflowerseekers.com

garden

RIVENDELL

FL OW ER SH OW

THOMAS WALKER ESTATE, RIVENDELL HOSPITAL ROAD, CONCORD 6 & 7 OCTOBER 2018 10AM - 3PM

The Rivendell Flower Show event is the only large-scale flower show of its kind to cater to Sydney’s Inner-West community.

All funds raised will go towards Ageing and Alzheimers research at Concord Hospital’s Ageing and Alzheimers Institute (AAAI).

THE VENUE One of Sydney’s best kept secrets, Thomas Walker Estate, Rivendell is located within the grounds of Concord Hospital. The Rivendell estate has been used as the location for many wellknown films such as Superman Returns, The Great Gatsby, Lorenzo’s Oil and more. The estate is opened once a year to the public, for all to enjoy its grand splendour.

PARTNERS

wedding fair

94.

wedding fair

96.

wedding fair

Editor: Sonya Gardiner Creative Director: Eloise Jenkins | @eloise__jenkins Contributors: Luisa Brimble Photographer | @luisabrimble Myra Perez Florist | @mivioleta Sophie Rothwell Florist | @sophie_rothwell Fleur McHarg Florist | @thestudiobyfleur Jasmine Pettersen Photographer | @jasminepettersen Kara Hynes Photographer | @kara_hynes Lulu Lucky Florist | @lulu_lucky Alex Carlyle Photographer | @alexcarlyle East Coast Wildflowers | @craigioscott Jardine Hansen Florist | @jardinebotanic Anna May Henry Artist | @annamayhenry The Lost and Found Dept | @thelostandfoundept Samantha Mackie Photographer | @samanthamackie Naya Crookshank Stylist | @east_of_everything Jodie McGregor Flowers | @jodiemcgregorflowers Film and Foliage | @filmandfoliage Trille Floral | @trillefloral Oh Flora Florist | @ohflora Lost in Love Photography | @lostinlovephotography Puscina Flowers | @puscinaflowers Olive Cooke | @olviecooke Allegra Lombardi | @allegralombardi Paling Flowers | @palingflowers Merivale | @merivale Bluesteel Pictures | @bluesteelpictures Gina Mastio | @ginamastio Lisa Thompson Photographer | @lisathompsonphotographer Magazine sales via theflowerseekers.com Wholesale & Advertising enquries email theflowerseekers@gmail.com Keep up to date with our daily flower feed via instagram @theflowerseekers Views and comments expressed by individuals do not necessarily represent those of the publishers and no legal responsibility can be accepted for the result of the use by readers of information or advice of whatever kind given in this publication, either in editorial or advertisements. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the Flowerseekers

THE ROSE X SERIES Image : The Make Haus x Andrew Fawcett 2.

Image : Kara Hynes