The class in a nutshell: Learn about flower care and how to choose the best blooms and colours for an arrangement. Go through the steps of putting a flower arrangement together, then take it home at the end of the night.
When: Weekly until June 29, generally on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Classes stop for the summer, then resume in the fall until Christmas. Classes last between one and two hours.
Where: Amborella Floral Studio, 2515 90 Ave. S.W., 403-386-0330
Cost: Starting at $55.
Click here for more information on classes.
Spring is finally here, but if we’re being honest, fresh, beautifully arranged flowers are a must year-round. For those who want to recreate the beauty of a flower shop in their own home, there are shops like Amborella Floral Studio. The studio offers weekly flower arranging workshops several months of the year.
Most of the workshops, which can usually have 12 to 15 participants, are taught by floral designer and workshop lead Lacey Janette. They’re usually centered around basic floral design concepts and the themes are often chosen based on trends and seasonality – think terrarium workshops, arrangements focusing on seasonal flowers and DIY wedding workshops. Janette says some of the most popular workshops include their wine and cheese classes, learning how to make flower crowns and seasonal ones like how to make Christmas wreaths and outdoor planters around the holidays.
During the classes, participants learn about flower care, basic design principles like choosing flowers, focal and accent blooms, fillers and greens, and how to make an arrangement last longer once it’s complete. Janette takes them through the process of arranging the flowers step by step, and they get to take their arrangement home at the end of the night.
“People are finding a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and social media and they want to learn to do it themselves,” Janette says. “The whole DIY culture is sort of blowing up right now.”
While they’ve noticed a trend of the workshops doubling as a unique girls’ night experience, Janette says there’s usually one or two people every class who have aspirations of becoming a florist themselves. As someone who’s only been in the floral industry for about a year and a half, it’s a desire Janette can relate to. She enjoys giving students a peek at what it’s like to be a floral designer through the classes.
“It’s really neat because I kind of see myself in the people coming in and being like, ‘Oh, this is totally cool and I would love it if this could be my job.’ And I can stand in front of them and say, ‘This actually could be your job,'” Janette says. “It is a growing industry and it’s fun and it’s beautiful. And I think it’s a really cool skill to have even if it’s not something you want to pursue for a lifetime – even if it’s something you want to do on Saturdays with your friends. Who doesn’t love touching flowers?”