Joseph Massie - The Flower School: The Principles and Pleasures of Good Flowers

I dont know if I really believe that anyone sits down to write a book because they enjoy writing. I very much view writing as a means to an end and I think you have to believe in the purpose behind what youre writing, instead of the effort it is. Although my lovely editor has repeatedly told me that Im not quite totally bombing, inspiration doesnt flow as easy to me when writing as it might invariably do in other creative pursuits. As with any good project, it takes a village, and I owe a lot of people a great deal of thanks for bringing this book into existence.

To my incredible studio team: Heather Rogers, Jane Taylor, Ruth Long, Dawn Clements, Andrew Long and Emma Mercer. On a pretty regular basis you achieve the impossible with humour, style and grace, and Im constantly impressed by your creativity, hard work and camaraderie. It is my privilege to work with you all. Thank you for all that you do, always.

To Frankie Scott, for your patience, your kindness and your ability to unravel even the knottiest of knots. For the sturdiest of support, the wisest of advice and for keeping my feet very firmly on the ground. We have come such a long way I cannot wait to see what is next.

To Zuzi, your genius shines through every single page of this book: thank you for your never-ending patience. I could not be more proud of you! Heres to many, many future collaborations *honey*!

To my agent Emily, my editor Harriet, and the team at Quadrille: thank you for being brilliant, and for your constant hand-holding, limitless patience, and genuine kindness. Heres to much more sex, and a lot less Matt Hancock ;)

To the team at David Austin Roses the lovely Amy and Jo thank you so much for your kindness, your support and your generosity. Your incredible roses are a true privilege to design with!

To Helena and my friends at Marginpar: thank you for taking a chance to work with me! The quality of your blooms has taken this book to the next level, and Im so grateful. Heres to many more collaborations in the future!

To Matthew and Linda Landers: thank you for being family, when I really needed one. To know you both is a privilege and a joy! I cannot wait to see the pair of you in a business class lounge, somewhere very fabulous, very soon.

To Stephanie Willoughby, for fighting my corner, when it certainly wasnt wise for you to do so. Thank you for everything you did for me. To Jessica Andrews, Victoria Richards, Jessica Richards, Kirsty Berridge and Chloe Woolf you are the best students I ever had the pleasure of teaching. The future is yours!

To Lisa Waud, Tobey Nelson, Laura Iarocci, Ian Lloyd, Amanda Canning and Isobel Wilson. To Hanneke Frankema, Carles Fontanillas, Bart Hassam and Gregor Lersch. To Scott Shepherd, Amy McGee, Alicia Schwede, Paula Pryke and Hitomi Gilliam thank you all for being the most inspiring friends, colleagues and teachers.

To Rachael and Chris, Stuart, Kate, Tomas, Krisna, Lauren, Jo, Tina and Zoe: thank you for being the very best, and the most patient, of friends.

To my family to my Mum, Pete, Philip, Faye, Jonathan, and Roman I love you way more than I probably ever say. Thank you for your patience, support and love.

To Jonathan, for everything. God, I love you. Wow.

Prior to diving headfirst into the world of flowers its important to start your journey with the best of intentions, and creating a considered space for your new creative practice is a great place to begin. Having a space dedicated to flowers however temporary that space might be will set you up for success right from the beginning, as I find creativity comes to fruition so much more easily when you decide to prioritize a space in which it can luxuriate. When just starting out a permanently dedicated space is not essential, but as your practice grows youll find youll collect more tools, books, mechanics and vessels that youll want to have readily to hand.

When I started my floristry journey at age fourteen, I began with an old IKEA cupboard in my Mums back room not quite the most auspicious of beginnings but it gave me a handy space in which I could store my tools and vessels, alongside a copious amount of floristry books. My usual workspaces were my poor Mums dining room table, which was rather generously sacrificed to accommodate my feverish practise sessions, or a pop-up trestle table positioned in my Nans garage, depending on the scale of the work at hand. My hero of a Mums back room became my studio, and my Nans garage became my warehouse where I could store my larger bits and pieces that my Mum quite rightly would object to being permanently stored underneath her dining table. After every design made on the dining room table, of course I would have to sweep the floor, pack all my tools, mechanics and vessels away, and pray that I hadnt been careless in my over enthusiasm and scratched the table yet again. My point is that when youre just starting out on your flower journey, a vast, light-filled permanent space will most likely be out of reach and that is absolutely fine. Temporary spaces are how most people start out, and youll find that your creative space will evolve with you, growing as your confidence does, until its fully representative of the business or practice that you wish to realize.

Within every floral workspace, there are a few key considerations to bear in mind.

To create any successful floral design youll need a space to lay out your tools, vessels and flowers. Any flat surface will suffice when youre starting out, but do make sure you work at a comfortable height anything too low can be problematic and your back and neck will not thank you. If youre working in a temporary space be it your kitchen or garden be mindful that foldable trestle tables can be raised on breeze blocks or similar to bring their work surfaces to a suitable height.

Floristry is a messy business and youll often find that leaves and stems can end up just about anywhere. Its a good idea to invest in a small section of rubber floor matting a safe, non-slip surface is required if youre working often and find that your debris often misses the bin, plus the rubber can also support your feet, knees and lower back as you work.

You dont need me to tell you that flowers need water, so do set yourself up for any work with easy access to fresh water. As your practice or business grows, youll find it more and more important to have things that you use often at close quarters.

Through my years in the industry Ive found that florists tend to collect all manner of things from favoured mechanics and heirloom vessels to a fabulously shaped branch that theyve found on a walk. Everything needs a place to be safely stored, so in the beginning it might be wise to invest in storage of some sort whether that be shelving, a cabinet or storage boxes which will surely grow as your practice does.

Good lighting is essential for any floral designer to bring their creations to life. Daylight is best, but if daylight isnt possible in your workspace, LED lighting is affordable and will provide you with the next best thing.