Finding inspiration and developing your floral style
with WILLOW CROSSLEY
Lesson 3 of 43
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Willow breaks down the florists she is most inspired by, and encourages you to develop confidence and style by slowly building your taste. She also explains how by allowing yourself to be inspired by nature and its imperfections, your arrangements will in turn be more magical.
From the Lesson Workbook
Finding Inspiration & Developing Your Style
Start small, research what you like and let it evolve.
Get outside and allow nature to inform your style. Nature is not straight lines and perfection: it's wild and asymmetrical. It's OK if your arrangements are too.
Use the shape of the flowers and plants you have - don't fight them. Spend some time reading catalogues like Unwins, de Jager, Sarah Raven. Don't be afraid to ask questions: people love sharing their knowledge about flowers and gardening. The flower shop I mentioned in London is called Scarlet & Violet. Organise yourself - keep a scrapbook, with references and the names of flowers that have caught your eye.
Further Reading
Vic Brotherson's flower arrangements in her 'Vintage Flowers' focus on tradition and the importance of seasonality when creating breathtaking arrangements.
The Land Gardeners Cut Flowers by Bridget Elworthy and Henrietta Courtauld explores the history of floristry, the fundamentals of soil health, providing the reader with essential resources for pursuing floristry projects.
Flourish by Willow Crossley is an excellent starting point for those who are planning to pursue floristry more seriously.
In this book, 'The Flower Workshop', Ariella Chezar provides you with the details of how to create a variety of arrangements including small flourishes, grand gestures, branch arrangements, bouquets, wreaths, garlands, and more. It is illustrated with photographs throughout.
The Cutting Garden by Sarah Raven is an excellent book. Using flowers and foliage as decorative elements, in this practical guide Sarah Raven demonstrates how to grow arrangements and create floral arrangements from simple bunches to romantic hanging globes, swags and medallions while demonstrating a variety of ways to arrange flowers.
Virginia Woolf's Garden: The Story of the Garden at Monk's House by Caroline Zoob. With historic photographs of the Woolf family and delightful paintings of Rodmell gardens, this book describes each of the garden rooms (including the Italian Garden, the Fishpond Garden, the Millstone Terrace, and the Walled Garden).
Your Assignment
Make a scrapbook of your favourite flowers. Add images from catalogues and magazines, and don't forget to sketch. You can use this blank page to get a feel for it.
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Your Instructor
Willow Crossley
World-renowned florist, author and designer, known as the UK’s ‘Queen of Flowers’.
Willow Crossley is a professional floral stylist, creating wild and whimsical arrangements full of colour, pattern and movement for an array of top British brands (Jo Malone, OKA). She is the author of four books and is regularly featured in House & Garden and many other publications. Willow is passionate about the profound impact nature can have on how we feel, and has gained a substantial following for her down-to-earth and inclusive approach to floristry and gardening. Willow firmly advocates a sustainable approach to floristry, working with the seasons and sourcing locally grown stems wherever possible.
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