Blog Entries

Innovation - what it means to a florist

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Hello everyone, Recently at a pilot in The Netherlands for the forthcoming Florint Floristry Judges accreditation we discussed innovation in floristry. The discussion proved thought provoking and I have been thinking about it ever since.

What does innovation mean to florists and is there a place for it.Take a look at my recent article in the Articles section of this website. I am interested to hear what you think innovation is for florists.

Have a good week, Lynda

World Skills 2011 - Floristry

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Anyone who doubts the benefits of World Skills should have been at the closing ceremony at the O2 arena last night. 950 competitors from across the world, forty different skills, the arena packed full with cheering crowds. All celebrating the best under 22year olds their country can produce.

For floristry there is nothing in our industry that supports and encourages young florists as World Skills does, yet it is not really valued by our industry in this country. We should be shouting from th [...]

Neil Whittaker 3rd in Europa Cup 2011

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Great news, Neil Whittaker came third in the Europa Cup, the highest score ever achieved by Great Britain in any europa Cup.

1st - Natalija Zizko, Russia.

2nd - Niina Minkkinen, Finland

Natalija Zizko, Russia. Winner of Europa Cup Floristry 2011, Hariviv, Cz

Neil and Anthony arrived at Havirov in Czech Republic yesterday evening. Ray and I had a four hour wait in Prague airport and arrived at Ostrava at 11.00 pm. Hiring a car from Hertz was fraught as they wanted to charge us another £200.00. He [...]

Where have I been?

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0100

So it was February when I wrote my last blog, sack cloth and ashes. I have not been idling my time away however, rather chasing around the countryside judging competitions and the like. Its been a great two months meeting old and new friends at Bloom in Weston super Mare and generally chatting about what florists like to talk about - flowers!

Last week was the Harrogate Show and some great exhibits in the bridal bouquet and headdress section, around 23 competition entries. Great stuff! It w [...]

Window Display

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Last week the WorldSkills Floristry Squad met at Ian Lloyds UK School of Floristry where Ian and I talked through how to win a competition and the ups and downs of competing. They were a great bunch, receptive and delightful and will be great competitors in future floristry competitions.

You know competitors and floristry judges are similar, we all do our homework before a competition, study the schedule, analyse the marking facets and give the best of our time and expertise. All in the pursu [...]

As time goes by

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

I can't believe it's nearly the end of January and my blog writing has failed dismally. I could blame pressure of work (of which there is plenty) but I think it is down to the cats who want to sit on my desk when I am typing, paw the screen, jump on the keyboard and shred my paperwork. I have to stop and play with them, it's a hard life. (see pictures in My Gallery)

Last week I was in a very chilly Newcastle on Tyne with the delightful Zoe from OASIS and a Finnish florist Miia Hakala who did [...]

A pilot competition for florists to enter

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Quick now is your chance to enter a unique floristry competition, but hurry entries close very soon.

Splash Media TV (producers of Piers Morgan on..., The Generation Game now and then, The Great British Hairdresser) is looking for charismatic florists to take part in a competition for a non-broadcast project organised by the British Florist Association (BFA) and judged by judges from the UK Floristry Judges Guild.

Participants must be 18 or over and be available for filming on Wednesday 2 [...]

Happy New Year

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Hello and a Happy New Year to you all,

With the New Year comes a raft of resolutions as usual. Four days into the New Year and most have already vanished. So now I am doing things slightly differently. I have a wish list for 2011. It sounds so much nicer than a resolution don't you think?

Just before Christmas I was working in London and I had the misfortune to visit three floral wholesalers, two sold flowers and sundries, and one was just a sundry wholesalers. How depressing! I was shoc [...]

An opportunity to visit AIFD Symposium

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Hello, See below an opportunity to good to be missed, apply for the Florists' Education and Training Trust scholarship in 2011.

The Trustees of the Florists’ Education and Training Trust invite applications for the 2011 Scholarship Award.

The Award in 2011 for the successful applicant will be to attend the American Institute of Floral Designers National Symposium to be held July 4-9 th 2011 in  San Francisco at the Marriott Marquis, 55 Fourth Street,  San Francisco, CA 94103.
[...]

Brrr! baby it's cold outside

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Hello, I hope you all have your thermals on. The only consolation regarding the snowy weather is that it is not Christmas week and hopefully it will all be gone by next week in time for the Christmas rush.

I know it's gone quiet on the Royal wedding front but if Kate Middleton is reading this and planning her wedding bouquet I hope she will not succumb to the common blobby Rose hand tied complete with unwielding fat handle that needs a Sumo wrestlers hands to hold.

Can we get back to the [...]

I'm back

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Hello,
How are you all? it's been awhile and so much has happened since my last blog. So I apologise for not writing sooner. It's been hectic, I went on holiday for two weeks and had so much catching up to do afterwards that I wondered why I bothered with a vacation.

Straight back from holiday into the British Florist Association Fleurex exhibition and competitions. You already know that Neil Whittaker won the BFA Florist of the Year final and is our representative in the Europa Cup nex [...]

Moving on from the soapbox.

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Moving on from last weeks soapbox rant I was inspired by an article in last weeks Telegraph Magazine written by Sheryl Garratt entitled, ‘The future unfolds.’ It’s all about Issey Miyake and the launch of clothing made out of recycled materials. The one phrase from the genius Miyake that made a neon glow in my head was, ‘Many people repeat the past. I’m not interested. I prefer evolution.’ Hurrah! Many fashion designers and florists take their inspiration from history, here is someo [...]

To go where no florist has been before

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

It was an interesting week for me I had been to Covent Garden market, where there were beautiful flowers, but void of florists to buy them, and a nice demonstration on flowers for funerals that could only attract about thirty florists. I rolled on to Hay-on-Wye my favourite destination to scour the shops for design and floristry books, this never fails to inspire me. With Australian visitors on the way back from our bookish day came a breathtaking (literally for me) walk to British Camp at the [...]

Flowers for Funerals demonstration

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Yesterday Claire Cowling and Tina Parkes wove some magic into funeral tributes at a demonstration at Covent Garden Market. There was interesting use of material and clever designs to inspire, unfortunately with only about 30 in the audience it was a shame that more florists did not turn up to see the lovely work produced. See my pictures in Gallery.

What was great to see was that Covent Garden still has that evocative charm coupled with spectacular flowers, plus the chirpy good humour of the [...]

Pam Simcock's garden

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

I have just come back from a lovely weekend at Pam Simcock's where her garden in autumn is just as wonderful as in the spring and summer. Early morning with the sun light filtering through the trees and playing on the pond is magical and flashes of colour from the last Gallardia and pretty woodland cyclamen. There is something rather special about the faded grandeur of autumn. See some photos in My Gallery.

A selling experience

lyn@lynda-owen.co.uk — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Recently I had to accompany a friend on a mission to buy a pair of shoes, it was an emergency you understand, nothing to go with a particular dress for that evenings function.

Off we whizzed and the first shop we came to was Clark's. I haven't been in Clarks for ages and it was full of flustered Mums and kids trying on new term shoes. This was a waste of time I though, however, at the door a pleasant greeter gave us a 20% off discount - for adults only. Umm! my friends ey [...]