Kennedy - Flowers every day: inspired florals for home, gifts and gatherings

To James
for giving me the courage to explore what Im capable of.

I came to flowers quite late. It wasnt that I didnt like them; I just never really took the time to appreciate them or learn their names, let alone think about arranging them. Flowers felt like part of a world that I didnt belong to.

When I started Petalon, I was driven by the idea of delivering flowers by bicycle. The flowers were obviously a huge part of that but they were secondary to the basic business idea.

Then, overnight and quite unexpectedly, I became obsessed with the flowers and now Im completely addicted from finding new and achingly beautiful blooms I have never seen before, to creating colour combinations that sing and experimenting with textures and shapes, Im hooked.

Its the nature of flowers thats so intriguing. Though theres a general understanding that a specific flower has a certain shape and colour, I think its flowers variations and imperfections that make them so beautiful. Its a treat to have a piece of nature inside your home: it should be celebrated for what it is.

Flowers are not naturally neat and tidy, so I dont really like to arrange them that way; it feels constricting and manicured, and goes against what I think flowers are all about. You can never be one hundred per cent certain that the flowers are going to behave in a particular way, and its this uncertain quality that makes every arrangement unique.

Im not classically trained in floristry. Ive found this extremely useful at times and frustrating at others. Its useful because being self-taught means Im not constrained by convention. I can do what feels right to me, and can break rules I never knew existed with ignorant bliss. I believe that its much more important to arrange flowers in a way you think looks good and makes you happy, rather than in the right way. On the downside, there are basic techniques which, had I known them, would have saved me a lot of time and effort, so I will cover some of these in this book.

Ive loosely arranged the book into seasonal chapters, with five projects per chapter. The projects are not seasonally dependent so you can make a wreath in summer or a flower crown in winter; the flowers will be different but the methods will still be the same. These seasonal chapters show what incredible flowers are available at different times of the year and help you to see the choice that is out there.

Each project step-by-step is an informal guide that shows you the basics, but I urge you to experiment and explore different ingredients and textures: it would be boring if we all made the same thing!

On a personal note, I love acquiring a new skill and I hope to inspire others to do the same. I dont ever want to stop feeling that Im learning more and more about flowers and how to work with them. Ive found the joy of being creative with something thats natural is, by its very essence, ever-changing. I also think its rather special to create something that will make others smile and improve their day.

So this book is for everyone who wants to embrace flowers. I hope it will encourage you to take the next step from buying supermarket roses to exploring your local flower markets and flower growers, through to foraging for those extra-special elements for your arrangements.

I also hope that this book will give you the confidence you need to use flowers to bring people together and to find your own way in a craft that is beautiful, challenging and, above all, natural.

Petalon is the name of my little flower delivery company in London. It is also responsible for my complete infatuation with flowers. The premise for the company is simple we deliver beautiful flowers by bicycle all over London. Theres a choice of two bouquets, which change each week depending on whats in season and what looks especially good at the flower market. And each bunch we sell includes a donation towards helping the bee population of our city.

At the beginning, I worked every aspect of the business, from going to the flower market, to taking orders, arranging bouquets and cycling around London delivering all the flowers. The business grew week by week, and we now have a fantasticteam of florists, cyclists and studio managers, who work tirelessly to provide Londoners with fantastic flowers.

There are endless options for sourcing your flowers and enjoying a wonderful mix of varieties, colours and smells throughout the year, but you need to be a little creative if you are to avoid bland arrangements. Although you can sometimes pick up great flowers at supermarkets, on the whole they sell the same flowers all year round. Flowers are also often flown in from far away, so think carefully before you purchase. So what are the alternatives?

If youre lucky enough to have a good local florist, thats a great place to start. You can even ask your florist to order in certain flowers and foliage but be sure to do your research and select whats in season.

You can also look online to find flower farmers in your corner of the world. There are more and more popping up and some will even deliver. A number will let you pick your own or they may have ready-picked bunches for sale. Here in the UK we have the British Flower Collective www.thebritishflowercollective.com, which is a great directory for finding locally grown flowers and lots of other interesting information around the industry.

I use my local wholesale flower market for nearly all my flowers and foliage. Its an amazing experience going there but its not for the faint-hearted.

You need to be there between 4am and 8am (the earlier the better) to get the best stuff, and you cant just buy one stem of this and one stem of that. The flowers come in wraps of five, ten, 20, 25 and 50, and youll often be quoted the price per stem, so being able to do some quick maths is a must as its easy to quickly go over budget. And remember, VAT is an additional charge. If buying large quantities makes things too expensive, consider going with a friend and splitting the cost.

Foraging flowers is a great way to get fantastic and unusual shapes and colours into your arrangements, providing you are foraging for your own use and not for commercial gain. Also, some land is covered by bye-laws, so watch for signage and check before you pick. In the UK, you are also prevented from picking certain plants, such as some orchid and fern species. But barring all that, when youre out foraging, be sure to have a bucket of water to hand for your new treasures and be mindful not to get carried away and snip into someones property.