By Sally Sola, Founder, Cheltenham Flower School
When people book a floristry workshop with me at The Cheltenham Flower School, they often think they’re coming to learn how to arrange flowers. While they certainly leave with new floral design skills, what surprises many guests is that the experience offers so much more.
Over the years, I’ve welcomed people from all walks of life to my workshops. Some arrive excited and confident, while others tell me they’ve never arranged flowers before and worry they won’t be creative enough. Yet time and time again, I see the same thing happen, flowers become the starting point for something much bigger.
Floristry Is a Skill That Goes Beyond Arranging Flowers
Many people think floristry is simply putting flowers together in a vase but in truth there is a wealth of knowledge behind every design. Learning floristry involves understanding colour, texture, shape, seasonality and flower care. The more you learn, the more you begin to appreciate why certain flowers work beautifully together and how thoughtful design can evoke different emotions.
I’ve explored this in previous blogs, including The Power of Seasonality and Colour in Floristry, where I discuss how seasonal flowers and colour choices influence the feeling and impact of a design. Equally, in Design by Shape: Unlocking the Structural Secrets of Flowers, I share how understanding flower form and structure helps create balance, movement and visual interest within an arrangement.
Discovering Creativity and Confidence
One of the most rewarding moments as a floral tutor is watching someone realise they are more creative than they thought. There is no single “right way” to arrange flowers. Floristry encourages you to trust your instincts, experiment with colour, texture and shape to create something uniquely your own.
Often, guests are amazed by what they achieve in just a few hours. That confidence rarely stays in the workshop. My hope is that it inspires you to continue arranging flowers at home and to approach creativity with a little more freedom and self-belief than before.
Learning to See Flowers and Nature Differently
As your floristry knowledge grows, you start to notice details you may never have considered before. You begin to understand the importance of conditioning flowers correctly and how proper care can dramatically improve their longevity and quality. In my blog How to Condition & Care for Your Flowers I explain why preparation is often the key to creating beautiful and long-lasting arrangements.
You also gain a greater appreciation for sustainability. Learning alternative mechanics (rather than reaching for a block of single use floral foam), seasonal sourcing and environmentally conscious techniques allows us to create designs that are both naturally beautiful and kinder to the planet. This is something I explored further in another blog A More Natural Way to Design: Using Chicken Wire Instead of Floral Foam.
Alongside this comes a deeper connection to the seasons. Flowers remind us that every time of year has something unique to offer. From spring’s delicate blossoms and summer’s abundance to autumn’s rich textures and winter’s understated beauty. Working seasonally encourages us to notice and appreciate the natural world around us, bringing moments of calm and inspiration into everyday life.
More Than Just a Flower Arrangement
Of course, you’ll leave with a beautiful arrangement to enjoy at home. But the real value of learning floristry often lasts much longer. You gain practical skills, a deeper understanding of flowers and design alongside a greater appreciation for sustainability and seasonality. Perhaps most importantly, you discover the satisfaction that comes from creating something with your own hands. That’s why learning floristry is about so much more than flowers.
At Cheltenham Flower School, I aim to create workshops that combine learning, creativity and connection in beautiful surroundings. They offer a chance to slow down, switch off from daily demands and enjoy a moment of calm creativity.
One of my favourite parts of teaching is seeing that moment when a guest steps back, looks at their arrangement and realises they’ve created something they never thought possible. That lightbulb moment is the most wonderful thing to witness and it’s something I will never tire of. Flowers may bring people through the door, but creativity, confidence and connection are what I hope they take home with them.
There are a limited number of tickets remaining for my next Summer Workshop at The Greenway Hotel & Spa. If you would like to join us for a beautifully seasonal vase arrangement workshop using Cotswold-grown flowers at the height of their season, I would love to welcome you.
Share this post: