An Interview With Our Head Florist, Lauren Probert.

Interested in Floristry? Find out how our Head Florist, Lauren, became part of the Floral industry. We explore her favourite flowers and more in our one to one interview.

Lauren Probert is our Head Florist here at Appleyard London. We thought it would be good for Lauren to answer a few questions that many of us have about how she got into floristry and her thoughts on the industry. So we managed to get a one to one interview. Lauren is often up and down the country with suppliers, having meetings and designing our beautiful luxury flowers. So when we got the chance to meet up with her we were delighted to ask a few questions!

How and when did you get started in the floral industry?

My mother got remarried in 2000 and I did her wedding flowers as I had always been very creative. I fell in love with it instantly and felt at complete ease with the skill, it was like second nature. I enrolled in my local horticultural college and did a years course. I got my first job from my first work experience placement which turned into a full-time job.

As soon as my course finished I constantly helped with wedding flowers for family & friends to improve and practice my skills. I have been very lucky to work in all areas of the industry. This includes everything from small local shops to weddings at Claridge's and big corporate events - to where I am now.

 

What attracted you to floristry?

My love for this job is how creative you can be and how much joy you can bring to people for a variety of occasions, from their wedding day to the birth of their first child. You really do see the circle of life in this industry. I love the seasonality of the industry and how it's forever evolving and changing.

 

head florist

 

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Creating Appleyard London, I have been involved in all areas of the florist industry including online as well as being a traditional florist. It was always an ambition of mine to marry the two together and to bring the creativeness, passion, thoughtfulness and quality of a florist to the online customers. It was and still is important for me to be able to give that extra special experience and retain the service via online. It was key to up the quality of what was available to the online customer.

Another highlight of my career, which I was proud to be part of was being the florist in the athlete's village at the London 2012 Olympics. I was part of creating all of the congratulations bouquets the athletes would send to each other.

What is the biggest challenge facing the floral industry?

We are heavily reliant on transport to deliver the flowers from a variety of countries like Holland, who grow cut flowers. I think it's important as an industry we are conscious of keeping our carbon footprint down and to find better ways of importing flowers from around the world, along with developing more eco-friendly packaging. I think it's always great to support local business where we can and to buy British.

At Appleyard London we pride ourselves on sourcing this whenever we can. Thankfully the British flower growing industry is increasing, so it's easier to source and get good quality products.

What’s your favourite flower and why?

I get asked this a lot and my answer is them all. Being a head florist I should never have a favourite, they are all so special in different ways for different floristry elements, occasions and time of year.

Do you always have fresh flowers at home?

Yes, I do. I constantly keep a check on the products for vase life and quality. It's also beneficial for when I come up with ideas for new products and use this time to be creative with whatever I have around me. I always like to get new flower varieties at home to see how different textures and colours work together. I think it's essential to push boundaries in the industry and develop something a bit different while keeping on trend.

If you're interested in seeing some of Lauren's creations head to our website www.appleyardflowers.com and have a look at our boutique flowers. All bouquets are designed with or by Lauren. Her skills provide our customers with boutique, luxury, long lasting blooms making them a beautiful gift. Our flowers are available for next day flower delivery, 7 days a week nationwide.

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