Last week I had the immense pleasure of being invited to the Covent Garden Flower Academy by good friend and fellow blogger Mary from HOP Interiors. We took an evening course in floristry for Tables for Home Events. For those who visit here regularly, you'll know how much I'm inspired by nature and a love of blooms and so to be invited along to learn the art of flower arranging first hand by skilled experts literally made my year.
I have never been on a floristry course before, but I have an established garden that's managed single handedly by moi, so I have some limited knowledge about foliage and flowers but I'm a complete novice on the arranging front. I did not have any notable or specific thoughts on what to expect of the evening before I arrived although in truth I did wonder if it would be rather elitist so was feeling a little inferior and timid, in the way I think we all probably do when embarking on a new challenge or discovery.
There were 12 of us on the course, 11 ladies and 1 plucky guy, grouped around a large white workstation, the platform for which we were to create our masterpieces.
Madeleine, our tutor commenced the evening by taking us through the fundamentals of putting together a table centrepiece, from the precise and effective way to soak an oasis, to choosing and correctly snipping foliage, through to the systematic process of placing and building up the stems and leaves on the oasis, so that they appear natural, as they would in their original environment.
Madeleine was a super tutor, her teaching style was fluid and really easy to follow. The class was well paced and there was lots of opportunity to ask questions, without feeling dumb. Initially, I followed her explanations with trepidation, after all, experts make everything look very easy and I must admit I was not sure I'd be able to complete my centrepiece with anywhere near as much flair and sophistication. However, when we were instructed to try it for ourselves, we soaked our oasis, gathered our foliage and seasonal blooms (all from Covent Garden flower market that morning) and began to create, the experience became really quite therapeutic, it was a revelation.
My favourite Madeleine advice of the evening came early on whilst we were feeling a bit bewildered and all fingers and thumbs, it was "Just do it with your eyes and your heart". She was right, once we relaxed and stopped worrying about how we placed the tiny stems and what our finished piece was going to look like, it all suddenly came together.
Although every student had the same brief, it was fascinating to see the very different designs and interpretations. Over a cup of tea and a cookie, we observed each other's creations and were shown some alternative, clever ways of displaying our cherished arrangements using candelabras and vases.
I would highly recommend booking a class with the Academy, it was a lot of fun, hugely rewarding and very good value. It's a must for anyone with even a passing interest in floristry, you will not be disappointed. The Academy have a whole range of courses on offer and they have just announced week long Summer Schools, taking place in July and August (they are 2 for the price of 1 until the end of May). So if you want to become an expert in flower design for a hobby or even for a new career path, here's your chance to learn from the masters.
I have an dinner party coming up soon, perhaps the perfect opportunity to release my inner Flora and show off my new skills to a new audience.
The Academy also has a excellent store that sells blooms, candles, scents, gifts and home accessories and has a bespoke flower delivery service.
Are there any creative short courses that you've taken part in that have given you such a pleasureable experience (it can be anything, no holds barred!)?
My finished masterpiece at home on the dining room table:
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 6:32AM | 
