As one of FQ’s favourite florists, we will always seek out Eden Hessell’s expertise when it comes to all things floral.

With the first ever New Zealand Flowers Week launching this week, which celebrates locally grown flowers, we wanted to know how we could maximise the stunning blooms around us and create an eye-catching bouquet at home.

Here’s Eden’s thoughts:

Being a florist is such a rewarding job, especially when you get your hands on the best product grown by the most dedicated local growers. Transitioning seasons can sometimes be a challenging time, but the abundance of fresh New Zealand-grown flowers means we are never without something impressive. Sometimes the more on-trend seasonal blooms are out of our reach, but we are so lucky to always have organic, original product at our fingertips in New Zealand.

When thinking about creating a bouquet at home, I tend to go for more of an ‘out-of-your-mum’s-garden’, ‘side-of-the-road’ kind of feel and then I mix that with a showstopper bloom. Here’s how I create mine:

• Firstly, keep it simple. Stick to two varieties of blooms and dress them with lush accents of foliage. You can always use items from your garden, but make sure the blooms in your arrangement can be seen.
• Once you have your blooms and foliage, build and thread the arrangement in a vase of fresh water, making sure no leaves are underwater.
• When it comes to summer there is so much on offer – however, for a seasonal bouquet, keep it to just a couple of larger statement blooms. Right now it’s peony season and it’s definitely the perfect time to make the most of their transforming blooms.
• Dress your blooms with beautiful lush accents of foliage to loosen the bouquet. Keep it wild; don’t overthink it, but always use premium blooms.
• If all else fails, trust your florist. They know what’s best and get so excited when you let them create something truly unique. Every chance I get, I make something I would love to receive.

 
New Zealand Flowers Week runs from 21-27 November.  To see some of the incredible flower installations created by local florists, visit nzflowersweek.co.nz