Where floristry is artistry led by the seasons and sustainable values

The School of Sustainable Floristry was set up, quite simply, to reimagine floristry. Starting with how - and where - it is taught, we want to help reimagine how floristry is practiced and how the industry as a whole operates. We want to reclaim the artistry and the connection to nature and the seasons that has been lost in standardised floristry. We want to push the boundaries, breathe life (and negative space) into floral designs, and lead the industry towards a more sustainable future.

Everything we do is led by a more artistic approach to floristry (flor-art-istry), by the seasons, by our sustainable values and by a drive to see a more sustainable floristry industry.

We teach an artistic style of floristry, working with the flowers and foliage presented to us in any season and designing in a way that evokes the movement and vitality of the natural landscape. Everything we do and design is underpinned by sustainable mechanics and processes that protect the natural environment that our flowers celebrate.

We’re all about embracing the wilder, foraged elements of the natural landscape, the dead, the dried, the windfall and the emergent, as well as the cultivated flowers from the plots and perennial borders. We’re about understanding what flowers to use, and how to use them, to anchor us and our work to the seasons. We only teach with locally grown flowers, all year, whatever the season, using flowers grown on site within the Walled Garden of Howbury Farm Flowers.

More than just the materials, we’re about the floral design itself. The negative space. The asymmetry. The depth. The line of beauty. The movement. We’re about expressing the untamed beauty of the wild through floristry.  

We want to equip our students with the skills to work in an industry that is fit for the future. We teach flower arranging, yes. But we also teach a confidence and adaptability to design with the flowers available each season. We teach an ability to work only with sustainable mechanics. And, importantly we teach an understanding of the different business models available to those wanting to build sustainable businesses - financially and emotionally, as well as environmentally.

An innovative approach to floristry training

Traditional floristry training is wildly outdated. We're here to change that.

We see the future of floristry as flor-art-istry with a return to local roots, deeply connected to the seasons, underpinned by alternative business models and sustainable mechanics. And we have reimagined floristry training to reflect this.

Say goodbye to stiff, old fashioned designs, over-stuffing the breath out of arrangements with imported soulless flowers. Welcome to the untamed edge where floral design is led by the rhythms of nature. 

Set on a flower farm, to connect our students directly to their medium, we only work with locally grown flowers - all year round, no matter the season. Students spend time in the flower fields, understanding how the flowers grow and - importantly - when and how to harvest them, and how to select palettes, textures and combinations of flowers. And then we translate all of that into artful, naturalistic (and a little bit wild) floral design.

We're here to help you find your own creative flair, your untamed edge. We only teach with flowers grown on site within the Walled Garden, providing you with the knowledge, skills and understanding to work with locally grown flowers and create floral designs that stand out and leave a lasting mark, without costing the earth.