Wait, but why?

If we could use one sentence to describe the philosophy underpinning all our teaching at The School of Sustainable Floristry, it would be ‘wait, but why?’

It goes without saying that the focus of all our workshops is on the teaching of the art and craft of floral design with locally grown flowers and sustainable mechanics. We absolutely want you to learn ‘the how’. But, critically, we also want you to learn ‘the why’. 

Understanding ‘the why’

From the basics of floristry through to the more advanced considerations of depth, movement and balance. From the selection, cutting and conditioning of flowers to the stem counts and volumes. From choices around flower sourcing, floral mechanics and packaging to post event waste disposal. From the way you structure your business to the way you communicate with your customer. We believe that understanding the why is just as important as being taught the how. 

Why if I twist that stem does the balance of the arrangement change? Why do people talk about the rule of 3? Why do some people use flowers grown under glass in winter while others choose not to? Why is it helpful to set a minimum price on my event work? Why, why, why, why…. why?!

Empowering decision-making

By understanding why, you are empowered to make decisions that are right for you, your business and your values. We encourage you to move beyond just following instructions ‘because that’s what you were taught’ and to approach your craft with a thoughtful mindset. We’re not about rigid rules but more about helping you develop the skills and confidence to create like an experienced chef – with the utmost respect for your ingredients, confident in your execution and with an ability to adapt depending on what’s in the fridge.

Commitment to sustainability

This empowered decision-making is especially important when it comes to sustainability, which is an inherently vague term that means different things to different people and which is constantly evolving. We want to empower you to make value-based, informed decisions over the way you do things, dependent on what area of sustainability is most important to you and the stage of your practice and or business. 

At the School, we operate and teach as sustainably as possible, not sustainable ‘where possible’, but we appreciate that sustainability is a journey. We want to equip our students with the knowledge and skills to move towards their sustainable as possible. 

Cultivating a thoughtful approach

Kind of like being a child playing the ‘why?’ game, we want you to question everything.

This ‘annoying’ game typically gets drilled out of us by exhausted parents and teachers as we grow up, but we think this is what all of us should be doing all the time!

We are firm believers that by encouraging questions and promoting understanding, we are helping to shape florists who not only create incredible floral designs, they also contribute to a more sustainable floristry industry.

We want all of our students to keep asking us ‘wait, but why?’ so when they leave us they understand the fundamentals of their design, are confident in their ability to adapt or substitute depending on the season or situation and have a willingness to be brave - to design in a way that reflects their creative selves, and to build truly sustainable businesses - environmentally, financially and emotionally.

Wait, but why haven’t you signed up to one of our courses yet?!