'Flowering'

flower

noun

the specialized part of an angiospermous plant that occurs singly or in clusters, possesses whorls of often colourful petals or sepals, and bears the reproductive structures (such as stamens or pistils) involved in the development of seeds and fruit.

I had never really thought of ‘flower’ as a verb, other than in the context of a plant producing blooms, but I’m adopting it in the same way I use ‘photograph’.  It’s what I do for a job.

flower

verb

to produce flowers; blossom

to become more successful and completely developed; flourish

to provide or create floral decorations for; to decorate with flowers

I have flowered.  I am flowering.  I will flower.

So much better than 'floraling' or 'floristing', and 'floral designing' really doesn't seem on-brand for me.  Also, I do feel as though I'm flourishing, so it has a blooming lovely double meaning!

It has been such a great few weeks in the shop in Blackwater.  I just love going to work in the morning, opening the shop, renewing the floor stock, and taking and filling orders.  Last week I filled an order for an arrangement that had to be:

Tall

Yellow

Impressive enough to make her (the recipient) say, “Holy sh*t!”

This one stands over a metre tall (1.3 to be exact, and I am now officially limited to 1.25 because it was only special Tetris ninja skills that allowed it to be put into the car for delivery.  Oops!  I can imagine the colourful utterances that were coming from the two who loaded and delivered it).  I was up and down on the step ladder putting it together because that's an awkward height on the workbench.

I should have taken a video to get up closer to all the textures that were contrasting, yet united throughout the design...
Woody - pot, bamboo, Stirlingia
Fluffy - macrame cotton and the off-white Banksia
Bumpy - yellow Banksia and grosgrain ribbon
Smooth - Leucadenron and Geraldton Wax buds
Fuzzy - Kangaroo Paw, Acacia and Stirlingia

I sent photos to the customer when I had finished and he was really happy.  He even came into the store the next day to thank me again, in person.  That was so cool!  It made my day.  I loved creating it, and then I was humbled by having my work appreciated.  All the feels!  

I love that we can produce things that help augment an occasion.  We can provide that little bit of extra something to make it spectacular.  Flowers are for every occasion and in support of every emotion in all aspects of life.  They can represent a moment in time, a feeling, or an occasion.  Flowers are also a medium for creative expression, and sharing this beauty with others in personally meaningful ways nourishes my soul.  I truly love what I do.

The extra special part is creating personally meaningful floral designs.  Little details make the designs unique and help them fit to ocasion appropirately.  A couple of months ago flowers were ordered for a birthday, and because it was so far ahead of time and I was told a little bit about the recipient I was able to look around for what I needed to make it fit the occasion a little more than a shop floor stock product might.  I hope they were happy with what I created.  I was happy that I could use that little bit of extra detail that made it more personal.  I think that's what it's all about as a professional florist.  

Purple Fairy Flowers - professional bespoke florals that tell your story in creative ways.

(When you give me time to create the magic... and order direct from the shop, not online through an order gatherer that takes almost half of the flower value in fees.  End of today’s lecture.)

If you’re in Blackwater come and see me.  I will flower for you.

Last week’s 52Frames topic was ‘Peace”, and even though I’m having such a joyous time ‘flowering’ and all, I couldn’t muster enough peace to come up with a photo subject that represented it in the flower child, free love sense of the word, or even in the War and Peace context, or the zen mindset.  I went a different way.

“ Give peas a chance... please ”

I didn’t have much inspiration, but I did, however, have peas... and a pun… and a memory of a son who didn’t particularly enjoy eating peas.  I also had a dog who would lick all the gravy off the peas and leave them in her bowl.  They are the ruination of a perfectly good meat pie, so I guess I understand.

This week is “Edited by Someone Else”, and my mate Jacqui from Imagery Magic is going to do the honours for me.  I’m a bit excited about what we can create together.  (Mostly it will be her… I’m mainly the instigator, and will then bow out when it’s time to do the work.)  I just hope the weather clears so it’s bright enough for me to play around tomorrow after I have ‘flowered’.

It’s been quite a party, ain’t it

Purple Fairy