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My Career in Floral Design
During the 70’s and 80’s I continued my career by doing consultancy for Marks and Spencer PLC, I grew and marketed foliage and started up a mail order company for floral sundries. I passed both my National Demonstrators’ and National Speakers’ Test for the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies, taking them on consecutive days! In 1988 I became co-originator of a new Major Floral Art and Design Event at Springfields Gardens in Spalding, Lincolnshire, which ran for 10 years. Now resurrected at Lulworth Castle in Dorset, this floral design event continues to grow in importance and reputation, offering contemporary designers an impressive setting to show off their work. By’89 I was writing regularly for Practical Gardening on Flower Arranging, and was also designing houseplant arrangements for major suppliers to the multiple market. I now live in Dorset and have found the environs a great influence on my
creativity. I still travel all over the UK to arrange wedding flowers and to
demonstrate and teach floral design. Together with Catharine Watson and Jill Sharp, we are
developing a partnership entitled Trendsetters to promote contemporary designs
with flowers and to encourage active learning of ‘New Wave’ designing
through workshops and demonstrations with visiting designers from overseas. I
have always liked to be on the Cutting Edge of Floral Design and the opportunity
to ‘do my own thing’ at the Festival of Flowers in Canterbury Cathedral in
1998 has been another influence on the work I now do for my own pleasure and in
my demonstrations. My last job of the 20th century was to arrange the flowers for my daughter’s wedding in the beautiful Milton Abbey in Dorset - an inspirational building and an emotional occasion. I have been invited back to the southern states of America again in spring 2001 for a floral demonstration tour and am looking forward to sampling their wonderful hospitality again. My next project is to be another book – details as yet undefined. Watch this space! I would like to thank David Lloyd for his permission to use some of his photographs for this website. His brilliant work regularly features in the pages of the Flower Arranger Magazine. His inspirational photographs do not just record a floral design, they bare the soul and draw out the quintessential elements of mood and character. |
Born in Boston, Lincolnshire, I began arranging flowers when I was 10,
successfully entering floral design competitions at local horticultural shows. Deciding to
follow a design career in the floral field, I trained at the Constance Spry Flower School in
1960. Following on, I worked for the floral decorating department of Constance Spry
Ltd. for about 18 months. I free-lanced in floral design in London and up and down the UK for the
remainder of the 60’s. Horticultural knowledge was added to my design skills
assisting in the set up of various stands at major horticultural and
agricultural shows around the country.
In 1990 I visited Expo ’90 in Osaka, Japan as the UK Ambassadress of
Goodwill. I demonstrated at the NAFAS Festival and Competitions in Nottingham
and in Salisbury for the ‘Save Our Spire’ Appeal. A major achievement of my
career was during the latter years
of the last decade when I was responsible for the floral designs for the opening
of the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone – a major responsibility but an
opportunity to be involved in history in the making. I also decorated a marquee
for the celebrations of the centenary of Tower Bridge. I freelance again in
London, creating floral designs in many prestigious venues – Westminster Abbey, Kew Gardens,
at Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court, the Institute of Directors, the National
Gallery, Banqueting House – as well as doing weddings in France, Italy and the
Lebanon and New Year Flowers for an exclusive Hotel in Morocco. I also
demonstrated in America 3 times. I taught frequently at the Lady Pulbrook Flower
School in Sloane Street, London. During this time I began to write for the
Flower Arranger Magazine quite regularly and in 1997 completed my first 