Flower power

Expert Ian Lloyd – who reached the last 40 of the hotly-fought contest – demonstrated his prowess with blooms of all description, creating a stunning red, white and blue display, accompanied by an opera singer.

“His appearance raised the profile of floristry,” says Sarah Allsuch Kenchington, floristry tutor at Shipley College. “Floristry can be entertaining, showing how to create an eye-catching design.”

Sarah teaches students on a range of courses at the college, in Victoria Road, Saltaire. I went along to join one of her classes, hoping to pick up some useful tips.

Once on the right floor, it is easy to find the classroom – the heady aroma of flowers drifted along the corridor.

The group learns to make a posy for a ten-year-old child to hold at a grandparent’s funeral. Theycould also be creating bouquets for diverse events, from weddings to Christmas displays and funerals.

“With funeral flowers you are dealing with people who are understandably very upset, and you need to be able to guide them.”

The class feels friendly and informal, and I chat to the students, who share a passion for flowers.

For Suzanne Bower, of Bingley, floristry has brought new opportunities. “I wanted to return to work after having children and found a job in a florists,” she says. “I’m learning while working, and I love it. I was determined to do something I enjoy and I get a lot of pleasure from flowers, as most people do.”

James Robinson, of Shipley, is hoping to launch a career as a florist after injuring himself in his previous line of work. “I worked in warehouses and hurt my back. A friend encouraged me to do this as every time I buy flowers, I rearrange them.

“I love the variety, and have done a lot of arrangements for family and friends. I’m doing a wedding soon.” He loves tropical flowers. “I like the vibrant colours and striking shapes. They look really modern, which matches my taste.”

I watch in awe as the posies take shape. The students make use of ribbon, the fine mesh-like fabric tulle, pearls and hat pins.

One student carefully folds hosta leaves around a bouquet of roses, and another uses black lace around cream flowers to striking effect.

Colourful and imaginative, the posies were different and eye-catching. Then it is my turn.

Taking hold of a single rose, Sarah shows me how to lay the stems across each other at an angle. “This prevents the stem structure from getting crushed, and ensures the flowers are evenly distributed,” she explains. Sarah, who trained at Shipley College and runs her own floristry business, Leafy Couture, in Otley, makes it look so easy – but it isn’t. As I twiddle the stems between my fingers, I’m struggling to keep the stems straight.

Sarah demonstrates how to tighten the posy and fill up gaps by adding more flowers. Alternatively, greenery can be added.

Next, she says, bind the posy at the top of the stems, then work the binding downwards. Binding can be secured in different ways – tied in a bow, fastened using decorative pins, or tied simply and decorated with, for example, buttons or pearls running down one side.

The resulting posy, I’m pleased to say, looked quite presentable. Admittedly, it wasn’t quite as neat as the students’ creations, but I am proud of it.

“Use the mirror to look at the shape of your posy,” advises Sarah, a useful tip to see how it looks from the front.

A specialist in wedding flowers, she goes on to explain the basics of floristry, outlining the key checklist of colour, proportion, design and points of interest.

“Clean vases are also vital,” she adds. “They should be bleached after use to kill off any bacteria that may be lurking. Water should be changed every three days, and stems re-cut.”

The BTEC diploma course which I have joined runs for one day a week for two years, while night courses last 13 weeks. Students buy their own flowers for the sessions – a good way of learning how to keep down costs – and can buy accessories from the college.

Gill Lambie, of Baildon, also works in the profession. “I started just over a year ago and want to further my skills,” she says. “I like the creativity and love pleasing people.” Like James, she favours contemporary displays, with large flower heads in bold colours.

Student Anne-Marie Wardle, of East Morton, enjoys thinking up new designs. “I love flowers, particularly cottage garden flowers – roses and peonies,” she says. “I work in a florist’s part-time and want to learn all I can about it.”

Class technician Janet Whitehead, who also trained at Shipley College, shows me the sparkling array of accessories available to students – who build up their own toolkit – to create beautiful bouquets.

“Floristry is very much like fashion,” she says. “Trends come and go, and there are seasonal colour changes. Flowers can be selected and arranged to match fashion, whether furnishings or clothing.”

Second-year floristry students from the course recently scooped a gold award at Harrogate Spring Flower Show, along with second and third prizes for individual work.

“They put a lot of work into the displays and were thrilled,” says Sarah.

As I say goodbye, I’m itching to buy a bunch of flowers, apply what I’ve learned and introduce a bit of ‘wow’ factor to my sad-looking vases at home.

For more information on Shipley College’s part-time floristry courses, ring (01274) 530975, e-mail enquiries@shipley.ac.uk, or visit the website shipley.ac.uk. There is an open day at the college in Exhibition Building, Exhibition Road, Saltaire, on Wednesday, June 24, from 2pm to 8pm, where prospectuses for courses beginning this September will be available.